Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad

This veggie-packed Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad is so fresh and delicious. Packed with tons of veggies and tossed in a sweet and savory dressing, this salad is the perfect thing to break a salad rut. Add chicken, shrimp, or tofu for protein. Under 200 calories and only 5 Weight Watchers Smartpoints. Consider serving it with these Asian Broiled Chicken Thighs or Slow Cooker Sesame Tofu.

Today I want to talk about rice noodles for a moment. They are your best friend on nights that it’s too hot (or it’s just too hard, we’ve all been there) to turn on the stove since all it takes to prepare them is a simple 15-minute soak in cold water. That’s it. Now you may have heard that you can boil them, which you can, but according to a recent Thai cooking class I attended, rice noodles should actually never be boiled because it ruins the integrity of the noodle and creates a gummy texture. So soaking it is!

Now onto today’s salad recipe. All we are going to do is make a quick dressing with some classic Vietnamese flavors – lime juice, fish sauce (or soy), brown sugar, rice vinegar, garlic, and chilis. Then that yummy dressing is combined with the noodles, crispy veggies, and some chopped peanuts. It couldn’t be easier. Feeling especially pressed for time? Pick up all the veggies at the salad bar and then you don’t even have to chop anything. That means the only prep is soaking the noodles and making the dressing.

Vietnamese Salad Dressing

I am pretty obsessed with this Vietnamese dressing. It is spicy, sweet, and savory all and adds a yummy twist to any salad, but especially ones with a Thai or Vietnamese slant. Here is the basic recipe. Just combine everything and taste. You can adjust to make it sweeter or spicier. The dressing will keep in the fridge for 5-7 days.

• 4 tbsp. lime juice
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce (or mixture of half soy and fish sauce)
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar (or honey)
• 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 Thai red chili pepper (or 1 serrano pepper, seeded and minced)
• Optional: Add some fresh or dried cilantro, mint, and basil
• Creamy version: Add 1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter or almond butter

What to serve with this Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad?

If you want to serve this salad as an entree I recommend adding some chicken, shrimp, steak, tofu, edamame, or chickpeas. Basically, anything that will add some protein to keep you full. If you are serving it as a side dish, you can serve it alongside all kinds of dishes. Usually, I look for something with similar flavors like Grilled Honey Sriracha Chicken, Teriyaki Flank Steak, or Salt and Pepper Tofu.

This salad will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. Store the salad dressing separately and toss right before serving for the crispiest veggies.