Rice noodle salad bowl recipe
Like banh mi sandwiches, southern Viet rice noodle salad bowls are adaptable and great for impromptu meals. Often categorised at restaurants as rice vermicelli bowls or bún (the name of the noodles), they’re built on this blueprint: a large bowl filled with ribbons of lettuce and a thin, crunchy vegetable for texture; fresh herbs for pungency; and slippery rice noodles to convey flavours. You get to choose the toppings which are inevitably garnished with roasted peanuts. A fancy bowl often has pickled radish and carrot for colour and crunch, plus fried shallots for extra richness. You dress the bowl with nước chấm dipping sauce, toss it with chopsticks (or a fork) and spoon, and then dive in.
To quickly make your own, keep some dried noodles on hand as well as a jar of nước chấm sauce base, washed herbs and lettuce or baby lettuce mix and roasted nuts. All that’s left is the main attraction: the meat in an irresistible marinade.
Tip: To grill the meat, you will need skewers. If using wooden skewers and intending to cook over a live fire, soak them in hot water for 20 minutes beforehand.
Tip: Lime juice dulls and can turn the nước chấm sauce slightly bitter when left overnight. For a make-ahead sauce, combine the sugar, water and fish sauce to create a base, then refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Prep a double batch if you use it a lot. To finish, add the lime juice, vinegar (if using) and any desired add-ins.
Ingredients
For the nước chấm dipping sauce (makes about 240ml/8floz)- 2 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 120 ml warm water, or as needed
- 2 tsp unseasoned rice vinegar (optional)
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 Thai chilli, thinly sliced (optional)
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 0.5 small carrot, cut into thin matchsticks or coarsely grated
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 0.5 cups coarsely chopped shallot or yellow onion
- 0.2 tsp plus 0.5tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 0.5 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
- 1.5 tbsp granulated sugar
- 0.5 tsp molasses or dark honey
- 1.5 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1.5 tsp vegetable oil or other neutral oil, plus more for grilling
- 570 g well-marbled steak, boneless pork shoulder or boneless, skinless chicken thigh
- 1 x 170g to 227g (6oz to 8oz) pack of small dried round rice noodles
- 240 ml nước chấm dipping sauce
- 0.6 cups unsalted roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped if large
- 0.2 cups fried onions or shallots (optional)
- 4 cups baby lettuce, cut into narrow ribbons with spines intact
- 4 handfuls beansprouts
- 0.5 cups hand-torn fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
- 0.5 cups hand-torn fresh mint leaves, basil leaves or dill fronds, or a combination
Details
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
- Recipe Type: Noodles
- Difficulty: Medium
- Preparation Time: 45 mins
- Cooking Time: 15 mins
- Serves: 4
Step-by-step
For the nước chấm dipping sauce
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar, lime juice and water. Taste and, if needed, add another 1.5 teaspoons sugar and/or 1 tablespoon lime juice. Dilute with water if you go too far. If there’s an unpleasant tart-bitter edge, add the vinegar to fix the flavour.
- Add the fish sauce to the bowl – how much you use depends on the brand and your own taste. Aim for a bold, forward finish that’s a little gutsy. Keep in mind that this sauce typically dresses dishes that include unsalted ingredients such as lettuce and herbs which will need an extra flavour lift.
- If desired, add the chillies, garlic and/or carrot. The sauce can sit at room temperature for up to 8 hours until serving.
For the noodle salad bowl
- Firstly, make the marinade. In a small food processor, combine the garlic, shallot, pepper, five-spice powder, sugar, molasses, fish sauce, soy sauce and vegetable oil. Whirl into a slightly coarse, liquid-y marinade. Transfer the marinade to a large bowl.
- If using beef or pork, cut the meat across the grain into strips about 2.4cm (1in) wide, 7.5cm (3in) long and a scant 0.5cm (0.25in) thick. If using chicken, cut each thigh crosswise into 2.4cm (1in) wide strips.
- Add to the marinade and massage to coat well.
- Thread the meat onto the skewers, covering most of each skewer. For succulence, give each loaded skewer a gentle squeeze to ensure that the meat hugs the skewer. Set on a plate, cover and set aside to marinate at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a pot of unsalted water, boil the noodles until tender. The cooking time depends on the noodle and brand.
- Drain in a colander, rinse with cold water and set aside to drain well. Put the dipping sauce in a serving bowl. Set the nuts and fried onions (if using) near the stove.
- Divide the lettuce and beansprouts among four large soup or pasta bowls (you’ll need room later to mix and toss).
- Add the coriander (cilantro) and mint, reserving 2 tablespoons for garnish. Top with a layer of noodles. Set near the stove.
- Right before grilling, lightly spray or brush oil on the meat. Lightly oil a cast-iron stove-top grill pan and set over medium-high heat. Or, prepare a medium-hot charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.
- Cook the skewers for 8–12 minutes, turning frequently and basting with oil, until the meat is slightly charred and cooked through. Nick a piece with the point of a knife to check.
- Divide the meat among the bowls, either keeping it on the skewers or sliding it off. Crown with the nuts, fried onions and reserved herbs.
- Serve the bowls with the sauce on the side. Have everyone dress and toss their own bowls.
Reprinted with permission from Vietnamese Food Any Day: Simple Recipes for True, Fresh Flavors by Andrea Nguyen, copyright © 2019. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Photography credit: Aubrie Pick © 2019.
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