EATS: Summer Rice Noodle Salad
This fresh and light summer rice noodle salad is packed with a lot of flavor and a little heat that’s balanced by the cool mint and cilantro. I originally made this recipe for 12 servings so you can either cut the ingredients in half, or if you’re hosting a larger gathering or attending a potluck then this is the perfect summer salad for you.
Summer rice noodle salad is a great recipe for a cold dish with minimal preparation time. I cannot stress enough that the most important step in successfully creating this recipe is to take care to rinse your noodles well. Rice noodles are starchy and easily stick together so you need to take extra care to prevent the noodles from clumping together and making the salad impossible. A good rinse or two in cold water will do the trick followed by, a little oil which you should integrate into the noodles immediately after placing in the mixing bowl.
For a variation or to enjoy as a complete meal you can add protein. For instance, you could grill shrimp, make Vietnamese style meatballs, or any kind of grilled meat (beef or chicken), place in a serving dish on the side of the noodle salad and allow guests to fold into their lettuce wrap.
Summer Rice Noodle Salad Ingredients
1 package rice noodles
kosher salt for water to boil noodles + 1 teaspoon kosher salt for the salad
4 limes, juiced
1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
3 Tablespoons fish sauce
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 Tablespoons agave
3 bird chilis, chopped fine
1 Tablespoon sambal
1/2 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1/4 cup high heat oil (avocado oil or grapeseed oil)
8 persian cucumbers or one English hot house cucumber, cut into short batons
4 carrots, box grated
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1/8 cup mint, roughly chopped
8 ounces bean sprouts, blanched with salted water
red leaf lettuce or your choice of leaf lettuce, separated whole leaves
Summer Rice Noodle Salad Instructions
Over medium high heat place a large pot with salted water. Bring water to a boil and add rice noodles, cooking them completely. Strain and rinse rice noodles well with cold water.
Place noodles in large mixing bowl. Add 2 Tablespoons avocado oil and toss (this will help prevent noodles from sticking together) Important Note: I had to re-rinse my noodles because the first rinse left them too starchy and sticking together. Be aware of how well you need to rinse your noodles in order to prevent them sticking into a clump.
Next, you simply add all ingredients, except for the leaf lettuce, into the large mixing bowl. i recommend mixing well with gloved hands.
To serve, arrange red leaf lettuce leafs around the serving bowl with the rice noodle salad in the center. You can either hold the lettuce leaf and wrap the rice noodle salad in and eat by hand (my preferred way and also easier if this is something you’re serving at a party buffet). Alternatively, you can place the lettuce leaf down on your plate first, top with rice noodle salad, and cut with a knife and fork.
