comment icon 46 more comments And as a person who really enjoys big, savory-sweet, nuanced flavor, even though I always always question the fish sauce, I really cannot say enough how much I love this salad. Like most of us, my favorite kinds of salads are based around noodles. In this case, thin, delicate skinny little rice noodles called vermicelli. Team carb salads!
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I also love it when salads are beautiful: But listen – I also live a real life where I don’t always have time to FIND something to eat for before 3pm much less assemble beautiful salads? Know what I mean? So I wanted to give you two options for this salad.
Pretty Method: that’s what’s pictured above. Meal Prep Method: that’s what I most often use and it’s what’s pictured below.
With the Meal Prep Method, we cut our losses with a slightly less beautiful bowl, but we embrace some advance assembly and have a really quick way to throw a meal together come lunchtime. Or breakfast? And I’m not just saying this: I woke up the next day and craved this salad for breakfast. I hope you love your lemongrass-loaded, sauce-slicked summer showstopper as much as I did. This recipe was inspired by a conversation about Vietnamese Bun Bo Xao (thanks, Ann!) as well as this fresh new recipe from I Am A Food Blog which is actually what I WANTED to make but then kind of ran out of time due to toddler life and had to find something similar… but also easier. And that’s how we ended up here!
Time To Show You Off!
5 from 19 reviews
1–2 tablespoons lemongrass paste, or 2 tablespoons freshly grated lemongrass (white parts only) 2 cloves garlic 1/4 cup fish sauce 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/4 cup lime juice (3-4 limes) 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 2–3 tablespoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon roasted red chile paste (I used this kind but you can use whatever will give you some heat)
Vermicelli Salad:
1 package vermicelli or thin rice noodles (about 8 ounces) 2 large carrots, shredded or julienne cut 1 cucumber, julienne cut 1 cup fresh mint 1 cup fresh cilantro 1/2 cup chopped peanuts 1 lb. cooked tofu, shrimp, or chicken (or whatever protein you like)
The sauce can be made several days in advance and stored in the fridge (i.e. prep on Sunday for your dinner on Tuesday).
