Vietnamese Noodle Salad Tangy Dressing (Printable Version)
Refreshing rice noodle salad with crisp vegetables, aromatic herbs, and zesty lime dressing
# What You Need:
→ Noodles
01 - 7 oz dried rice vermicelli noodles
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 medium carrot, julienned
03 - 1 small cucumber, seeded and julienned
04 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
05 - 3.5 oz bean sprouts
06 - 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
→ Herbs
07 - 0.7 oz fresh mint leaves
08 - 0.7 oz fresh cilantro leaves
09 - 0.35 oz Thai basil leaves
→ Tangy Dressing
10 - 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
11 - 2 tbsp rice vinegar
12 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
13 - 1 tbsp fish sauce or extra soy sauce for vegetarian
14 - 1 tbsp sugar
15 - 1 clove garlic, minced
16 - 1 red chili, finely chopped
17 - 2 tbsp water
→ Garnishes
18 - 3 tbsp roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
19 - Lime wedges, for serving
# Directions:
01 - Cook rice vermicelli noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse thoroughly under cold water to stop cooking process. Set aside in colander to drain completely.
02 - Julienne carrot and cucumber into thin matchsticks. Slice red bell pepper into thin strips. Trim and slice spring onions diagonally. Rinse bean sprouts and pat dry.
03 - Whisk together lime juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce or additional soy sauce, sugar, minced garlic, chopped chili, and water in small bowl until sugar completely dissolves.
04 - Combine cooked noodles, prepared vegetables, mint, cilantro, and Thai basil in large mixing bowl. Pour dressing over salad. Toss gently but thoroughly to coat all ingredients evenly.
05 - Divide salad among 4 serving bowls. Sprinkle chopped roasted peanuts over top. Garnish with additional fresh herbs if desired. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Its one of those rare meals where every single texture and flavor pops without requiring hours of preparation
- The dressing keeps for days in the fridge, so you can batch it and have restaurant worthy salads all week
- You can customize the crunch factor and protein based on whatever you have lurking in your crisper drawer
02 -
- The most common mistake is not draining the noodles thoroughly after rinsing. Water logged noodles dilute the dressing and make everything soggy within minutes.
- This salad is best served immediately, but if you must prep ahead, keep the dressing separate and toss right before serving. The vegetables will weep and lose their crisp charm if dressed too early.
- Fresh herbs are not optional here. Dried herbs would completely ruin the essence of this dish and make it taste like a completely different recipe.
03 -
- Use a vegetable peeler to create paper thin ribbons of carrot and cucumber instead of julienne. It creates this elegant texture and feels incredibly restaurant worthy.
- Double the dressing and keep it in a jar in the fridge. It becomes even better after a few days and works on green salads, grilled vegetables, or as a marinade.