Vietnamese Noodle Salad With Tangy Dressing (Printable View)

Rice noodles with crisp vegetables, fresh herbs, and zesty tangy dressing.

# Ingredient List:

→ Noodles

01 - 7 ounces 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 ounces bean sprouts
06 - 4 spring onions, thinly sliced

→ Herbs

07 - 0.7 ounce fresh mint leaves
08 - 0.7 ounce fresh cilantro leaves
09 - 0.35 ounce Thai basil leaves

→ Tangy Dressing

10 - 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
11 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
12 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
13 - 1 tablespoon fish sauce or additional soy sauce
14 - 1 tablespoon sugar
15 - 1 clove garlic, minced
16 - 1 red chili, finely chopped
17 - 2 tablespoons water

→ Garnishes

18 - 3 tablespoons roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
19 - Lime wedges

# How to Make It:

01 - Cook the rice vermicelli noodles according to package instructions. Rinse thoroughly under cold water, drain well, and set aside.
02 - Julienne the carrot and cucumber, slice the bell pepper and spring onions, and rinse the bean sprouts.
03 - Whisk together the lime juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, minced garlic, chopped chili, and water in a small bowl until the sugar completely dissolves.
04 - In a large bowl, combine the noodles, vegetables, and fresh herbs. Pour the tangy dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat evenly.
05 - Divide the salad among serving bowls. Top with roasted peanuts and extra herbs if desired. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Everything can be prepped ahead, making it perfect for those nights when you want something spectacular but dont want to actually cook
  • The dressing hits every perfect note, tangy, slightly sweet, and deeply savory, in a way that makes you want to drink it straight from the bowl
  • Its endlessly adaptable, add whatever fresh herbs you have, swap vegetables, or throw in some protein, and it still works beautifully
02 -
  • The noodles absorb dressing like crazy, so toss everything right before serving or the bottom turns into a soup while the top stays dry
  • This salad actually tastes better after sitting for 15 minutes, giving the herbs time to release their oils into the dressing, but dont let it go much longer than an hour
03 -
  • Use a vegetable peeler to julienne the carrot and cucumber, its faster than a knife and gives you more uniform, elegant ribbons
  • Let the dressing sit for at least 10 minutes before using, this allows the garlic and chili to mellow and meld with the other flavors

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