Vietnamese Noodle Salad Tangy Dressing (Printable Version)

Vibrant rice noodles with crisp vegetables, fresh herbs, and zesty tangy dressing for a light, refreshing meal.

# What You 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

# How-To:

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.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, minced garlic, chopped chili, and water until the sugar dissolves.
04 - In a large bowl, combine the noodles, vegetables, and fresh herbs. Pour the tangy dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine.
05 - Divide the salad among serving bowls. Top with roasted peanuts and extra herbs if desired. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The dressing hits every perfect note at once, tangy, sweet, salty, and it makes the vegetables sing
  • Its one of those rare meals that leaves you feeling energized and satisfied without being heavy
  • The whole thing comes together in under 30 minutes but looks and tastes like something special
02 -
  • The noodles must be completely cooled before tossing or they will wilt the fresh herbs and vegetables
  • This salad is best served immediately but keeps decently for a few hours if dressed right before eating
  • The dressing needs at least 15 minutes for flavors to meld, so make it first
03 -
  • Use a vegetable peeler to create quick, even ribbons of carrot and cucumber
  • Tear the herbs by hand instead of cutting them. They bruise less and release more flavor

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