This cold Vietnamese inspired rice noodle salad is light and refreshing—perfect for sultry summer evenings. It’s brimming with cucumbers, yellow squash, peanuts, chiles and a slew of basil and mint (all my favorite things!), although you can adapt it to whatever vegetables you have on hand. Serve the salad as a side dish, or turn it into a main course with grilled shrimp or chicken.
Ingredients and swaps
For this Asian rice noodle salad, go for Pad Thai style rice noodles, which hold up well in the dressing. The salad features cucumbers and yellow squash, but you can swap in any veggies you have on hand, such as thinly sliced red bell pepper, sugar snap peas, snow peas, zucchini and/or shredded carrots. Fresh basil and mint lend important freshness to the salad, but you could swap in cilantro or go for all basil or all mint.
How to make Vietnamese rice noodle salad
- Cook rice noodles in boiling water according to the package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water.
- While the noodles cook, make the dressing (or make it ahead - it can be refrigerated for up to 5 days!).
- Put the noodles in a large bowl and add the vegetables, herbs, chiles and peanuts (or cashews!). Add the dressing and toss to coat.
- Serve the salad on its own, or top it with grilled shrimp or chicken!
Easy lime dressing
The easy lime dressing is made with lime juice, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, honey and sesame oil. A splash of fish sauce lends an irresistible umami flavor. Different brands of fish sauce have varying levels of intensity. I use Red Boat brand, which has a clean flavor that’s not overly strong.
Rice noodle salad with shrimp
We transform the salad into a healthy dinner by topping it with garlicky grilled shrimp kebabs (or you could go for shredded chicken!). The warm, smoky shrimp are the perfect counterpoint to the vibrant and bright salad. It’s a meal we literally crave.
Rice noodle salad tips:
- Pad Thai style rice noodles (which are shaped like fettuccini) hold up best in this salad, but you could go for rice vermicelli instead.
- Feel free to swap out the veggies for what you have on hand! Thinly sliced red bell pepper, sugar snap peas, snow peas, zucchini and shredded carrots are all delicious swap-ins.
- Fresh basil and mint lend important freshness to this salad, but you could go for all basil or all mint if you don't have both (or swap in cilantro!). You can also use chives in place of the scallions.
- The dressing calls for 1-2 tablespoons of fish sauce, according to taste, since different brands have varying levels of intensity—I recommend Red Boat brand.
- Feel free to spice up the salad to your tastes by adding a second chile, or by drizzling it with chile sauce or sriracha.
- Transform the salad into a main course by topping it with grilled shrimp or shredded chicken (I include the recipe for my garlicky grilled shrimp kebabs in the recipe header below). When grilling shrimp, use two skewers instead of one to prevent the shrimp from twirling around on the skewer. If you’re using wooden skewers, don’t forget to soak them for at least 1 hour before grilling.
FAQs
Rice noodles are made from rice flour and water (sometimes with tapioca or corn starch to help with the chewy texture). They’re naturally gluten free and come in several different shapes. For this recipe, I recommend a pad thai style (which has a fettuccini shape).
Rice vermicelli are very type of thin rice noodle. They’re sometimes called stick noodles.
The rice noodle salad is best eaten soon after it’s made, when the vegetables and herbs are at their most crispy and vibrant. However, you can make the dressing several days in advance, and leftovers are delicious the next day!
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Other pasta salads to try:
Other meals you might like:
- Spicy Peanut Pork Noodles
- Vietnamese Inspired Rice Crepes
- Healthy Taco Salad
- Coconut Shrimp and Kale
- Spicy Salmon Sushi Burrito Wraps
- Thai Vegetable Massaman Curry
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Get the recipe!
Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad
Ingredients
Dressing:
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 1 large garlic clove, grated
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon neutral vegetable oil
- 1-2 tablespoons fish sauce
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Salad:
- 12 ounces rice noodles (Pad Thai style)
- ½ medium English cucumber, halved and thinly sliced, OR 2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 1 medium yellow squash or zucchini, halved and thinly sliced
- ½ cup lightly packed fresh mint, coarsely chopped
- ½ cup lightly packed basil or cilantro, coarsely chopped
- 1-2 red chiles (such as jalapeños or serranos) to taste, thinly sliced
- 2 large scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for serving
- ½ cup roasted salted peanuts or cashews, coarsely chopped, plus more for serving
- Grilled shrimp or chicken (optional)
- Sriracha or chile sauce, for serving (optional)
Instructions
Make the dressing
- In a bowl or jar, combine the lime juice, rice vinegar, garlic and ginger. If you have the time, let it sit for 5-10 minutes to let the flavors infuse. Add the honey, sesame oil, vegetable oil and 1-2 tablespoons of fish sauce to taste. Season with salt and pepper, and whisk or shake to combine. Do Ahead: The dressing can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Make the salad
- Cook the rice noodles according to the package directions. Drain the noodles and rinse them in cold water.
- Place the noodles in a large bowl and add the cucumber, squash, mint, basil, chiles (to taste, depending on how spicy you like it), scallions and peanuts. Pour the dressing over top, and toss to coat. Taste and season with salt if needed. Garnish with additional peanuts and scallions. If you’d like, top the salad with grilled shrimp or chicken. Serve with sriracha or chile sauce for drizzling, if desired.
Notes
- Pad Thai style rice noodles (which are shaped like fettuccini) hold up best in this salad, but you could go for rice vermicelli instead.
- Feel free to swap out the veggies for what you have on hand! Thinly sliced red bell pepper, sugar snap peas, snow peas, zucchini and shredded carrots are all delicious swap-ins.
- Fresh basil and mint lend important freshness to this salad, but you could go for all basil or all mint if you don't have both (or swap in cilantro!). You can also use chives in place of the scallions.
- The dressing calls for 1-2 tablespoons of fish sauce, according to taste, since different brands have varying levels of intensity—I recommend Red Boat brand.
- Feel free to spice up the salad to your tastes by adding a second chile, or by drizzling it with chile sauce or sriracha.
- Transform the salad into a main course by topping it with grilled shrimp or shredded chicken. If you’re using wooden skewers, don’t forget to soak them for at least 1 hour before grilling.
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