Vietnamese Noodle Salad With Tangy Dressing (Printable)
Refreshingly crisp rice noodles with vegetables and herbs in a zesty lime dressing, ready in 25 minutes.
# 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 (optional)
→ Tangy Dressing
10 - 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
11 - 2 tbsp rice vinegar
12 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
13 - 1 tbsp fish sauce (or substitute with extra soy sauce for vegetarian)
14 - 1 tbsp sugar
15 - 1 clove garlic, minced
16 - 1 red chili, finely chopped (or to taste)
17 - 2 tbsp water
→ Garnishes
18 - 3 tbsp roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
19 - Lime wedges, for serving
# How-To Steps:
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 comes together in minutes but tastes like it simmered for hours
- You can prep everything ahead and assemble when hunger strikes
- It hits every craving: salty, sour, sweet, and fresh in one bowl
02 -
- Rinse those noodles thoroughly under cold water or they'll clump into a sticky mess
- The dressing tastes too sharp on its own—it needs the noodles and vegetables to balance
- This salad waits for no one—the vegetables start weeping after an hour, making everything soggy
03 -
- Toast the peanuts in a dry pan for 2 minutes until fragrant—worth the extra step
- Make double the dressing and keep it in the fridge for instant salads all week