Vietnamese Noodle Salad With Tangy Dressing (Printable)

Rice noodles with crisp vegetables, fresh herbs, and zesty lime dressing. A vibrant, light meal ready in 25 minutes.

# What You’ll 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
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

# How To Make It:

01 - Cook the rice vermicelli noodles according to package instructions. Rinse 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 thoroughly.
03 - Whisk together the lime juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, minced garlic, chopped chili, and water until the sugar dissolves completely.
04 - Combine the noodles, vegetables, and fresh herbs in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat evenly.
05 - Divide the salad among serving bowls. Top with roasted peanuts and additional herbs if desired. Accompany with lime wedges on the side.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The contrast between cool noodles and that punchy tangy dressing wakes up your entire palate
  • It comes together in under 30 minutes but tastes like something from a restaurant
  • You can prep everything ahead and just toss before serving
02 -
  • Rinse the noodles thoroughly with cold water after cooking or they'll keep cooking and become mushy
  • The salad tastes best after it sits for 10 minutes so the noodles soak up the dressing
  • Don't dress the salad more than an hour before serving or it'll get soggy
03 -
  • Use a vegetable peeler to create quick, even ribbons from the carrot and cucumber
  • Taste the dressing before adding it and adjust the lime juice or sugar to your preference

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