Rice Noodle Salad

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Serves four to six as a side dish.

by Martha Holmberg
from Fine Cooking
Issue 51
Last Edit Date: 7/5/2011 12:01:41 PM

more about:

For the dressing:

3 Tbs. fresh lime juice
2 Tbs. rice vinegar
2 Tbs. fish sauce
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
2 to 4 tsp. minced fresh hot green chile, such as jalapeño or serrano
2 small garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. finely grated or very finely minced fresh ginger

For the salad:

6 oz. medium-width rice noodles
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1/4 cup roughly chopped or small whole fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup roughly chopped or small whole fresh cilantro leaves
3/4 cup peeled, seeded, and diced cucumbers
1/3 cup grated carrots
3 Tbs. chopped peanuts

Make the dressing:

In a small bowl, mix the lime juice, vinegar, fish sauce, sugar, chile, garlic, and ginger. Taste and add more of any of the ingredients to get an assertive but tasty balance of flavors.

Make the salad:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the rice noodles and stir to disperse them. Cook until strands are opaque white and fully tender, but still resilient, 3 to 6 minutes (check the noodles often, as different brands cook at different rates).

Drain the noodles in a colander and rinse them under cold water until the noodles are cool and the water runs clear. Let the noodles drain in the colander for 30 minutes, fluffing every few minutes to make sure they stay loose.

When ready to serve, put the rice noodles in a large bowl with the lettuce, bean sprouts, mint, cilantro, cucumbers and carrots. Add the dressing to taste and toss well. Sprinkle with peanuts before serving.

Photo: Scott Phillips

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by llf, 4/23/2013Loved it! Really easy and fast to make, and very adaptable to other veggies and herbs. I have made it with red pepper, Asian basil, and cooked edamame beans for example. As noted by another reviewer, you can use soba noodles or other Asian noodles instead of the rice version. Thanks for a great recipe.

by 45allison, 8/16/2012This salad was good. Added sesame oil as the sauce was a little acidic. Also added grilled shrimp. A great summer dinner salad with the shrimp!

by Floridafoodie, 3/25/2012Very good. Made it with the spicy beef with peanuts and chilis. The beef was so spicy that next time I will go lighter on the peppers in this salad. Very light and refreshing with the beef.

by Flowergarden129, 5/16/2011Delicious! Perfect for a quick easy summer dinner, with added shrimp or tofu if desired. I prepared the rice noodles differently, pouring boiling water over them in a mixing bowl and letting them "steep" for about three minutes. Drain, run cold water over them in a colander, and mix with other ingredients. This method keeps your noodles from getting gummy. The dressing makes this otherwise very flexible recipe. I've also made it with pea shoots from the farmer's market in place of mung bean sprouts. Yummy.

by nades, 5/3/2011Fantastic! I made this as a main dish by adding shrimp. I didn't have rice noodles in the house so I subsituted soba noodles. My husband and I loved the salad - this recipe is a keeper!

by m2violin, 6/14/2010This can be described as a "Pad Thai Salad." Time consuming, but well worth it-a delicious Asian salad for a hot summer day. I omitted the romaine lettuce and used more bean sproutss. This recipe can be adapted for a main dish salad-add cooked chicken, pork, shrimp, or tofu.