This Vietnamese noodle salad is light, fresh and made with carrots, cucumbers, and rice noodles. It is light and fresh and perfect for hot weather. Pair it with some chicken or beef and eat it as a side.
One of the things that I love about this noodle salad is how easy it is to make; how flavorful it is and how versatile it can be. You can customize it with your favorite herbs and add additional veggies to it as well. It is great to eat on its own or as a flavorful side dish. Just pair it with your favorite protein and you have a quick and easy meal perfect for those on the go and it is great for meal prep.
In this recipe
All of the ingredients in this recipe are easy to find in your grocery store, making this an easy recipe to make.
Rice Noodles: these can be your favorite kind. You can use vermicelli or thicker noodles if you want. Make sure to cook according to the package instructions.
Fish sauce: this is going to give the dressing its characteristic flavor. It is high in salt so you will not need to add any to the dressing.
Fresh herbs: the recipe calls for any combination of basil, mint, cilantro, and parsley however feel free to use the ones listed or those you enjoy. Not all of them need to be included.
Cutting the vegetables
This is the kind of recipe that having a food processor with a grating or julienne attachment makes the food prep go by really quickly. It will make the preparation go quickly. For longer shavings you will want to place the vegetable in the food processor at an angle. A box grater will also work if you do not want to julienne the cucumbers and carrots.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes, this is a perfect salad to make ahead of time and then combine right before serving. This is also a great way to meal prep this salad. Place all of the toppings on the cooked noodles and store in an airtight container. Add the dressing to the pasta salad right before you are ready to serve. This will keep the noodles from getting soggy as well as all of the vegetables nice and crispy. If you are planning to store the salad then make sure you do not add the dressing before you store it.
Can I change up the ingredients?
The best part of this salad is you can customize it to fit your taste. Here are some additions that you might want to add;
- Napa cabbage or bok choy (shredded or chopped)
- Red or green onions (thinly sliced)
- Peanuts
- Bean sprouts
- Bell peppers (julienned)
- Edamame
- Water chestnuts
Looking for other pasta salad recipes?
Vietnamese Noodle Salad
Equipment
- Pot
- Colander
- Bowl
- Whisk
Ingredients
Noodle Salad
- 2 cucumbers julienned or grated
- 2 carrots julienned or shredded
- 12 ounces rice noodles
- ½ cup herbs parsley, basil, mint, or cilantro, fresh, chopped
- ¼ cup green onions sliced
- 1 jalapeno pepper thinly sliced
Dressing
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon chili sauce sambal oelek, gochujang, or sriracha
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Cook the rice noodles according to package instructions and drain using the colander. In a bowl combine the noodles, herbs, cucumbers, jalapenos, green onions, and carrots.
- In a bowl combine all of the dressing ingredients together and whisk until combined. Pour over the salad and toss until combined and mixed evenly.
- Squeeze additional lime juice and top with peanuts if desired.
Nutrition
