Foodie Fridays: Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad

This is the second Foodie Fridays recipe in honour of Fresh Fruit and Veggies Month. This one comes from Vegetarian Planet by Didi Emmons. The first time I had this was on Bainbridge Island, WA when I was visiting my dear foodie friend Diana. 

If you like to interact with your food this recipe is for you. To really get the dressing into the noodles you pretty much have to use your hands. And rice noodles are such fun to play with! Just make sure you wash your hands really well or put on some clean gloves and no one has to know. 

This light salad will make for a satisfying meal on a warm day. Enjoy!

Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad

4 – 6 garlic cloves

1 chopped and loosely packed cilantro

1/2 jalepeno or other fresh hot pepper (optional)

3 Tbsp sugar

1/4 cup lime juice (from about two limes)

3 Tbsp Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce , or 1 tsp salt

12 oz rice vermicelli

2 carrots, cut into julienne strips or grated

1 cucumber; peeled if it looks waxed, then halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced into thin half rounds

1/4 cup coarsely chopped mint

4 leaves from a nappa cabbage, sliced thin (optional)

1/4 cup chopped dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts

4 mint sprigs

Directions:

To make the sauce by hand, mince the garlic with the cilantro and the hot pepper. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the lime juice, fish sauce or salt, and sugar, and stir well. To make the sauce in a food processor or blender, briefly blend the garlic with the cilantro, hot pepper, and sugar, until the vegetables are coarsely chopped. Then blend the lime juice and fish sauce or salt. Let the sauce sit for 5 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rice noodles, and boil them for two minutes (but no more). Drain the noodles, and rinse them well with cold water until they have cooled. Let them drain again for a few minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the sauce, noodles, carrots, cucumber, mint, and if you’re using it, nappa cabbage. Toss well and serve the salad garnished with the peanuts and mint springs.

Serves 4.

Related posts:

1. Foodie Fridays: Thai Peanut Sauce
2. Foodie Fridays: Mexican Bean and Rice Casserole
3. Foodie Fridays: Udon Noodle Miso Soup
4. Foodie Fridays: Summer Fresh Salsa
5. Foodie Fridays: Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

Tags: dinner, Foodie Fridays, lunch