Cucumber: if you don’t want to add two different kinds of cucumber, then just use one or the other. I like both as I like the combination of little rounds of the baby cucumbers with the thin batons of large cucumber. It’s just about texture and little differences like that!

Cabbage: It’s usually quite easy to find Chinese cabbage, also known as napa cabbage, and that’s the best one to use as it has a softer leaf but this would also work with sweetheart/hispi cabbage. I would try to avoid white or red cabbage if I’m honest as I find it just a bit too intense here and doesn’t absorb a dressing very well. You could use grated carrot or chopped iceberg lettuce as a good sub. Weirdly I feel like the beansprouts are a non negotiable.

Make ahead: If you are planning on making this for meal prep, the peeled cucumber can get a little soggy so leaving it overnight can make it a little waterlogged. Just skip the peeled cucumber if you’re meal prepping and add more chopped baby cucumber.

Make it veggie: Just skip the chicken and it’s good as it is. You could add a jar of good beans (I actually think black beans would be good here) or some crispy tofu. It would also be great with salmon/trout too. I would pan fry and just top each bowl with a piece of fish rather than tossing through the salad as it’s rather delicate.

If you don’t like coriander: Add more mint or try with basil or even Thai basil.

Make this recipe even easier: You could use a rotisserie chicken. Just shred up the meat and toss it through the salad and go on as usual.

If you want to double the recipe: just double everything as above. For poaching the chicken, I’d say you could leave the poaching liquid quantities as above and still poach up to 4 chicken breasts in that liquid. You may need a splash more stock but 1 tin of coconut milk should be fine.

What to do with leftovers: Aside from the peeled cucumber, this salad keeps really well in the fridge overnight as the cabbage is heartier than lettuce, so it withstands the dressing better.