Staying Cool with a Vietnamese Noodle Salad

Lately, it seems like 9 out of 10 recipes have been grilling related. It can be somewhat frustrating since I don't even own a grill, although my Le Creuset grill pan has done its job. That finally changed tonight when I found out that we are receiving a brand new grill from my husband's company! In the meantime, let me share with you a refreshing and healthy grilling recipe - the Vietnamese Noodle Salad (also called Bun) with Grilled Chicken.

The trick to making a good Vietnamese noodle salad is to make a really good flavorful sauce. Once you perfect the sauce, it can be used as a dip for spring rolls, salad dressing, marinade... etc. In this recipe, the only difference between the marinade and the sauce is lime juice. Using it just once can prevent an overpowering citrus flavor.

Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Salad (Bun)

This is a versatile dish - enjoy it as an all-in-one dinner or serve it in a smaller portion as an appetizer. It's light and easy to make.

Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Salad
Ingredients

• 6 tbsp of fish sauce
• 5 tbsp of sugar
• 2 tbsp of garlic paste, or minced garlic
• 2 tbsp of chili oil (or less depending on preference)
• 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 1lb)
• 2 tbsp of lime juice
• 3 tbsp of water
• 5 ounces of rice vermicelli
• 2 cups of shredded romaine lettuce or cabbage leaves
• 1/2 cup of fresh mint leaves
• 1/3 cup of roasted salted peanuts

Recipe

1. Combine 2 tbsp of fish sauce, 1 tbsp of sugar, 1 tbsp of garlic, and 1 tbsp of chili oil in a bowl and stir until the sugar dissolve. Add chicken thighs and coat well.  
2. In another bowl, combine the remaining fish sauce, sugar, garlic, and chili oil. Add water and lime juice and stir until sugar dissolves.
3. Boil water in a large pot. Remove from heat, add vermicelli and let stand until vermicelli are tender (about 4-6 minutes). Rinse vermicelli in cold water until cooled. Drain well.
4. Grill chicken over medium high heat until cooked (about 6 minutes per side). 
5. On a large plate, first layer cabbage or lettuce, then scatter mint leaves. Top salad with a handful of vermicelli and 2 chicken thighs. Sprinkle roasted peanuts and drizzle with sauce. 

Serves 2-4

Lemongrass Wild King Salmon Spring Roll

Among Asian cuisines, Vietnamese food has always been an unfamiliar territory to me. Growing up, I never had the chance to sample authentic Vietnamese food. That changed when I tried my very first Vietnamese Spring Roll, with the fragrance and freshness wrapped in one spring roll, paired with a garlic spicy dip. As a part of the 5 Star Makeover Cooking Group, I made a deconstructed Vietnamese Lemongrass Wild King Salmon Spring Roll.

Lemongrass Wild King Salmon Spring Roll

The key to making the perfect spring roll is to keep the ingredients as fresh and flavorful as possible. I poached the Wild King Salmon in lemongrass, chicken stock, white wine, orange juice, and garlic. The usual plain rice vermicelli was lightly sauteed in olive oil and green onions. Accompanying the poached salmon are cilantro dust, pesto drops, and steamed baby carrot. For the dipping sauce, I made a spicy garlic sweet and sour jello with fried mint chips.

Lemongrass Poached Salmon, Green Onion Fried Vermicelli, Steamed Baby Carrot,
Cilantro Dust, Pesto Drops, and Spicy Garlic Jello with Fried Mint Chips

I have to thank 5 Star Foodie and Lazaro Cooks! for a fun lesson on sustainable fish. As a part of the 5 Star Makeover Cooking Group, our March theme was Sustainable Fish. It was interesting to learn from the Monterey Bay Aquarium website sustainability of different types of seafood. I have always been a huge fan of salmon and now I know to select wild-caught salmon from Alaska due to the excellent monitoring of fish populations and fishery. To me, understanding the ingredient is just as important, if not more, as cooking or consuming.

hosted by 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro Cooks!

At Santa Monica Seafood, I picked out a beautiful fillet of wild-caught Alaskan King Salmon.

Wild Alaskan King Salmon

I was so excited to cook with these ingredients and enjoy my spring roll with sustainable seafood!