Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad
Chilled rice noodles, veggies, and fresh herbs, and tangy fish sauce and lime juice vinaigrette make for the perfect spring lunch!
On hot summer days when the temperature rises above 80, the last thing I want to do is turn on my oven. That’s why I love this Vietnamese-inspired rice noodle salad! Everything about this recipe is cool and refreshing. Cold rice noodles, crisp veggies, and fresh mint, cilantro, and basil tossed with a sweet and sour fish sauce dressing make for the perfect lunch!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad: rice or mung bean noodles, boneless skinless chicken thighs, carrot, cucumber, cilantro, mint, basil, brown sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, peanuts, garlic, and, jalapeño.
Recipe Step by Step
Step 1. Cook the Chicken
Marinate the chicken and cook in a cast-iron pan.
Step 2. Make the Dressing
Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
Step 3. Toss and Serve
Toss the rice noodles, veggies and herbs with the dressing. Top with the chicken, extra herbs, peanuts and sliced jalapeño.
FAQs and Expert Tips
I like to use a mandoline to slice the carrots, cucumbers, and jalapeño. Mine comes with an additional attachment to create beautiful long julienned slices. If you don’t have one yet order it here. It’s a good investment for any kitchen. I use mine all the time!
Place the rice noodles in a large bowl. Pour boiling water over the noodles until they are completely submerged. Every minute or two, give the noodles a stir to loosen them up. After 5 minutes give one a taste and see if they’re cooked through. Drain and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking process.
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Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 12 oz vermicelli rice or mung bean noodles cooked and cooled
- 1 Persian or English cucumber thinly sliced
- 2 large carrots shredded
- 1/4 c chopped cilantro
- 1/4 c fresh mint leaves
- 1/2 c loosely packed basil leaves
- 1/2 serrano chili or jalapeño thinly sliced
- 1 lime cut into wedges
- 1/2 c toasted peanuts roughly chopped
Dressing
- 1/4 c fish sauce
- 1/4 c lime juice
- 3 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 2 tbsp water
Chicken
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
Instructions
- For the chicken, whisk together the brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, and fish sauce. Toss with the chicken. Let the chicken marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to 24 hours. Heat a cast-iron pan over medium heat, cook the chicken 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Set aside.
- In a small bowl whisk together the dressing ingredients, garlic, oil, fish sauce, water, and lime juice.
- Place the noodles, carrots, herbs, and cucumber in a large bowl. Toss with the dressing. Divide into bowls, top with the chicken, and garnish with sliced chili, chopped peanuts and, a lime wedge. Serve immediately!
Notes
- How to cook rice noodles: Place the rice noodles in a large bowl. Pour boiling water over the noodles until they are completely submerged. Every minute or two, give the noodles a stir to loosen them up. After 5 minutes give one a taste and see if they’re cooked through. Drain and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking process.
- Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to three days.
I made this last week but added shrimp. So yummy and I had enough to take for lunch the next day!