Mealtime: Vietnamese Noodle Salad

Vietnamese Noodle Salad Credit: Andy Brumbaugh

For an easy summer dish, nothing beats a good salad.
This Vietnamese noodle option is an excellent choice.
You can use whatever vegetables you like, and depending on what kind of protein you want to add, you might not need to turn on the stove at all.

Many brands of vermicelli rice noodles don’t require boiling. The ones I used could be softened simply by soaking in hot tap water for 15 minutes. The dressing is made of easy-to-buy ingredients, shaken in a canning jar.

Even better, this salad can be made ahead of time and would make a great addition to a potluck. It was a huge crowd-pleaser in my family — so much so that I made a second batch a couple days after the first because my son and I couldn’t stop thinking about the delectable flavors, reminiscent of spring rolls.

Don’t let the inclusion of fish sauce scare you away. This fermented condiment adds depth of flavor and umami, and leaving it out would be to the detriment of the dish. If you prefer, you can find vegetarian substitutes for fish sauce at larger Asian food markets or online.

I used chicken in my salad, but you could substitute shrimp, thinly sliced beef, pork, or tofu that has been marinated and cooked until crispy — or even a combination of several of these proteins. All of them sound delicious! You can always prepare those ahead of time and refrigerate until you’re ready to use them.

Serves 8 as a main dish.

Ingredients

For chicken and marinade:

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced into thin strips
2 tablespoons sesame oil (to cook chicken in)

For noodles and salad:

1 package (8.8 oz.) vermicelli rice noodles (I used A Taste of Thai brand, which specified that they can be prepared just by soaking, without boiling)
4 cups raw baby spinach, sliced in strips
1 seedless English cucumber, cut into julienned strips
2 cups shredded cabbage (I used a store-bought coleslaw vegetable mix)
2 cups shredded carrots
1 cup chopped cilantro

For salad dressing and to finish:

1/2 cup fish sauce
6 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
6 tablespoons brown sugar
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/3 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup water
1 cup roasted, salted peanuts, roughly chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving

Directions

In a medium bowl, mix the marinade ingredients together, then add the sliced chicken, tossing to coat. Cover and let marinate for at least 30 minutes. Refrigerate if you want to marinate it longer.
Set a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add the sesame oil.
When the oil is hot, cook the chicken for a couple of minutes on each side, until cooked through. Set aside to cool while you prepare the rest of the salad.
In a large bowl or pot, cover the noodles with hot tap water and soak for 15 minutes, until tender. Rinse the noodles in cold water after soaking and set aside.
In a large salad bowl, mix all the vegetables together with the cilantro.
Toss in the noodles, using tongs to mix them well with the vegetables.
Combine the dressing ingredients in a lidded jar or blender and mix until well emulsified.
Add the cooked chicken and dressing (to taste) to the bowl, then toss.
Top with chopped peanuts and serve with lime wedges.

The original print version of this article was headlined “Vietnamese Noodle Salad | A simple summer recipe with little
to no cooking required”