Lynne Rossetto Kasper's Rice Noodle Salad

I don't know what it was like where you were on Saturday, but here - just a week after a snowstorm closed schools and streets, and dumped close to a foot of snow on some parts of the (sub)urban area - the sun came out, the snow melted, and my heart bloomed in the warmth of the air.

How is it that every spring, like clockwork, seems to surprise us all, captivate us with its newness and glory? How do we manage not to lose that reliable sense of wonder at the first shoots we spy pushing through the crumbly earth? The first real rays that warm our bones as we stroll down streets, pushing scarves once-essential off our suddenly sticky-hot necks? The relief we feel each year that the cold and the snow is just a passing thing, something to endure; that we'll be rewarded in the end for our patience with a rebirth of ourselves, our parks, our neighbors, our world?

Spring, oh, spring.

In honor of its valiant efforts to blow the cobwebs out of my head, I made a springy, herbal Vietnamese rice noodle salad for dinner, first spied here, and originally from here. I have a severe weakness for Vietnamese rice noodles and fish sauce. When I first moved to New York, I lived near a wonderful little Vietnamese restaurant on the Upper West Side and although I'd had my fair share of pho in college and of nem in Paris, I dare say that I didn't really fall in love until I was able to eat a plate of bun every week, the cold, silky noodles slipping gently down my throat, the heady mixture of fish sauce and lime and palm sugar making the juices run together in my mouth.

This salad is a spring-addled cook's dream. All you have to do is spend some time at your cutting board, deftly slicing cabbage and peeled carrots and washed scallions into neat little strips. In the meantime, you can poach a chicken breast or two. (So much easier than roasting or grilling - just bring a pot of water to boil, add some salt, a garlic clove, and a slice or two of fresh ginger, then slip in the chicken breasts and let cook, at a bare simmer, for about 15 minutes. Drain, cool, shred, eat.) In a moment or two, you can whizz together the dressing (so good that I briefly contemplated bottling the leftovers to swig surreptitiously, like a good bourbon from a flask) and "cook" the noodles. The rest is just a matter of assembly. Do you make neat little piles of the vegetables and herbs and toppings? Do you bang everything all together, willy nilly? It's up to you.

You know it doesn't really matter, of course. What matters is what happens when you put that first forkful in your mouth: sweet, spicy, sour, slithery, crunchy, this salad is a joy to eat. It's fresh and cooling and the herbs play off each other just so, the fish sauce giving the salad this lovely, moody depth. I added mint to the original recipe, because mint simply seemed to belong there and wouldn't you know, we polished off the whole thing - leftovers meant for lunch this week! - in one go. Sigh. I don't blame us. It was just so good.

Molly renamed this Almost-Summer Rice Noodle Salad and so it's only natural that in my mind, now, it will always be called Almost-Spring Rice Noodle Salad. Because, of course, this weekend ended and a rather nasty cold rain moved in and I spent the day drinking hot tea and shivering in my inexplicably cold office, my toes cramped in their wet shoes. What I'm trying to say is, we're not quite there yet. But the other night, with the windows open and the loamy scent of new earth in the air and a salad fit for warm evenings and balcony dinners, I let myself believe that spring was right around the corner.

Rice Noodle Salad
Serves 4

1 pound thin rice noodles
3 large cloves garlic, peeled
½ cup Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce
2/3 cup water
½ cup fresh lime juice
½ cup rice vinegar
¼ to ½ cup brown sugar, to taste
1 to 2 hot chilies (red bird, jalapeño, or serrano), seeded and minced, or to taste
6 to 8 leaves Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
8 scallions, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and shredded or julienned
1/4 cup mint leaves, sliced
1/4 cup tightly packed cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
2 grilled or roasted chicken breasts, shredded
1 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the rice noodles, stir gently, then turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the noodles in a colander, rinse with cold water, and place them in a large bowl.

2. Place the garlic cloves in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse to mince. Add the fish sauce, water, lime juice, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, and chilies, and purée them together. (The mixture will get quite frothy.) Taste, and if necessary, add more chile and adjust the sweet/tart balance.

3. Toss the vegetables, herbs, chicken and peanuts with the noodles, and pour dressing to taste over the salad. Toss well and serve. (Save any remaining dressing in the fridge - I used the leftovers plus a bit of olive oil to dress a big bowl of baby arugula mixed with a diced avocado and some cold poached chicken breast for dinner the next night.)

Comments

[Jess]

You have captured that familiar newness of almost-spring, that "reliable sense of wonder" so beautifully in this post. Thank you. Oh, spring, indeed.

[meleyna]

Can't wait to try this. The Vietnamese place I get mine from adds grilled pieces of beef, so tender and smokey, with the meat juices mingling with the fish sauce. I haven't had it since last summer, but this refreshed my memory, and with perfect timing, as it's already quite warm here!

[Amanda B]

This looks absolutely delicious. I normally grab Vietnamese takeout, but I want to try it out on my own. I trust most anything Lynn makes, and when you give it a seal of approval, I know it's amazing.

[KT]

Beautifully written! Just curious, what is the name of the restaurant? I'm visiting NYC next week, staying w/my friend on the upper west side, and would love to try it! (We don't have too many authentic vietnamese places in ATL, so I look forward to the food most of all in NY...)

Thanks for sharing this recipe, looking forward to trying it.

[Culinarywannabe]

We always order in, but have never actually tried to cook anything Vietnamese before. This sounds perfect for when we have another weekend like the last. Yesterday put me a bit back into the winter doldrums, but at least the weekend was a nice relief!

[Luisa]

Jess - thank you!

Meleyna - beef would be gorgeous in this salad, as would, I think, shrimp.

KT - the restaurant has been closed for a while. It was called Monsoon and was so so so good. The chef opened a new place in Chelsea called Safran, on 7th Avenue and 16th Street. I've eaten there once or twice and don't find it nearly the same, but if you want to try it, that's where it is.

[maggie (p&c)]

Yum, delicious. And perfect for the freshness of the season.

[Chelsea]

Luisa,
I think you could be a formidable writer for playboy;)I'm not sure any man could resist your description of those noodles. I think I'll make some for my husband this week!

[Liz]

These noodles look absolutely delicious and I can't wait to make them. One question--what's the best vegetarian alternative to fish sauce? Some blogs I've looked at have said that just substituting light soy sauce is fine, but I'm worried that some of the flavor might be lost.

[Lisa (dinner party)]

Oh, yum. I don't know why but I am craving Vietnamese food like crazy lately. Maybe because these dishes are so light and fresh. I can't even look at another root vegetable or braised meat dish right now. This recipe definitely going to happen in my house soon.

[Lucy T.]

Beautiful writing. The east-west subway line was slow here in Toronto this morning so I got off and walked very briskly to where I was going. I definitely had those scarf-sweats!
;-)

[Mitchell]

This salad sounds great. I used to make a similar dish in a Burmese restaurant; however, we would use glass noodles made from mung beans and a little cilantro over mint. It could change the dish up a little. This is always the big request for picnics. Either way this is truly a great spring dish.

[Emily]

You captured the start of spring so perfectly - it was the same in NYC. This weekend was amazing, especially after a foot of snow last Monday, and yet it's back to the cold weather.

This salad sounds absolutely divine! I am definitely going to try this, with thin shirataki noodles (trying to watch my carbs AND they're sitting in my fridge now). YUM!

[Luisa]

Liz - I don't know of any vegetarian substitute for fish sauce, but over at Molly's site, someone in the comments wrote this:

"Incidentally, there IS a replacement for fish sauce that is 100% vegetarian. In a market where I live is a store called UWAJIMAYA. There they sell a big bag of these mushroom extract pellets. I think the price is around $15, and even with liberal use it lasts a year. Dissolved in a bit of liquid, it is SUPERIOR to fish sauce, in my estimation. It is touted as a "non-MSG" flavoring. It is essentially dried mushroom stock and salt. http://www.uwajimaya.com/"

Lisa - I'm with you, completely done with stews and meats. and if I see another celery root, I might cry.

Lucy T and Emily - thank you!

[Emily]

Oooh, Luisa, I meant to ask... I know they're not the same, but do you know if Shanghai cabbage would work in this recipe? I haven't actually tried it, but it's another item sitting in my fridge from my first trip to the asian market near work. It looks like bok choy, so I was going to use it similarly, but I just wondered if you thought it could translate to this recipe?

[Marie]

Luisa, that was one of your best-written posts ever!!! And, OMG, I can not wait to try this recipe!!! I love that sweet/tart/spicy combo in Vietnamese dishes and have never felt confident enough to try it at home -- until now!

[Luisa]

Emily - if Shanghai cabbage is like bok choy, I wouldn't use it in this recipe. I'm pretty sure bok choy tastes best when cooked, and you don't cook the Napa cabbage in this recipe, you simply shred it and eat it raw. That having been said, if you happen to like eating Shanghai cabbage raw, then by all means use it in this recipe! (That was an awfully long answer to a pretty short question, wasn't it.)

Marie - thank you! Enjoy the salad - it is wonderfully easy.

[Treehouse Chef]

I love listening to Lynn with The Splendid Table on NPR. I learn so much! I will certainly try this salad. I signed up for her weekly recipes and receive so many good ones via e-mail. Thanks for sharing your recipe! I enjoy your blog.

[laura]

Rice Noodle Salad is a perfect spring meal and it's what I had this past Saturday, too! Only, I cheated. I had a big steaming bowl with prawns out at a local Vietnamese dive. I can't wait to test out your recipe at home.

[Claudia]

Living in Hawaii, with the mix of Asian cultures, I've had fish sauce in things for years, but using it myself in cooking has been a recent culinary development. I posted a bit about the history and various guises of the addictive additive, - if anyone is interested. http://standingstraight.blogspot.com/2008/11/something-fishy.html

[Jodye]

This looks delicious, definitely a meal I could see myself digging into!

[Sonja]

The sauce sounds delicious! I've never used fish sauce in my cooking so far - very intrigued to try it out. Your way of poaching the chicken with garlic and ginger seems like a great idea, too!

[carol]

Your description of spring perfectly explains why many of us could never live in a superficially more attractive climate, like, say, southern California. Although it is a lot like the banging your head against the wall syndrome - feels so good when you stop! Great recipe and can't wait to try it. One suggestion on poaching the chicken - if you bring the water to a boil, put the chicken in, bring it back to a boil and then just turn the heat off and cover it until done, the chicken stays much more tender and moist. This is an old Frugual Gourmet trick that I understand is also a basic of Chinese cooking. It can be used with whole chickens as well - ambrosia!

[chelsea]

I always crave bun at the first hint of warm weather - and this post just made my mouth water. That last weekend was glorious. I am definitely making this dish soon - thanks!

[Ulla]

I have never had those sorts of noodles now I must try!:)
Cheers to spring:)

[unconfidentialcook.com]

Perfect for us in LA, year round--and I love mixing vegetables with the noodles so my daughter actually can't help but eat the greens.

[A Mouse Bouche]

First off, "loamy" = excellent word. Secondly, I am fiercely behind you on the obsession with the combo of fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and rice noodles. It's enough to make me contemplate moving to Vietnam. Or to Chinatown where I can be closer to Nha Trang. I am now as eager to make this as I am for Spring to arrive in full glory!

[http://greentahina.blogspot.com/]

Looks good,

IF you really want to make a delicious sauce to go with salads like this, I would recommend mixing sesame seed paste with lemon juice, honey and light soy sauce.

This will create a very creamy, tangy, and sweet sauce that will coat the vegetables nicely and bring out the texture in the chicken and noodles/nuts, or any other firm ingredient.

David

[http://greentahina.blogspot.com/]

By the By,

Thanks for the post. :)

David

[Wide Lawns]

I just made this for dinner. I was out of chicken so I grilled some beef tenderloin and sliced that over the noodles and it was wonderful. The dressing smells awful but is delicious.I highly highly recommend this recipe!

[Michelle]

MMMM! Can't wait to give this a try! Found your blog on RogueFood via twitter. Well done!

[ann]

I finally saw evidence that spring is on its way in the form of a few brave flowers this weekend. It was lovely. I love "bun" too. My absolute favorite Asian noodle. Thanks for the recipe!

[Jessica]

I just wrote about Pho and Bun, as well - I only had it for the first time a couple months ago and have become completely hooked. It's delicious, healthy, cheap & fast (our local Vietnamese place serves it under 5 minutes).

[Danielle Noble]

I made this today. I had some extra time in the kitchen for chopping and prepping andlistened to a podcast of Lynn's recent show about Mexico while prepping.

I made a few changes, most notably substituting firm tofu for the chicken. I marinated tofu cubes in the dressing for about two hours and then fried them in canola oil. Yum. The dressing fully permeated the tofu and the canola oil added just a touch of weight to the dish. I saved the marinade and used it as dressing for the finished dish. I also used Chinese cabbage and steamed the stalks and leaves. Next time I'm going to add manderian oranges and increase the sugar (I only used 1/4 a cup), as it was just a bit tart.

Thanks so much! This dish was far better than the pho I had for lunch.

[JN]

As soon as you posted this, I knew I had to have it that night. It was divine! I love the combination of the lime, the cilantro - so fresh tasting, so delicious! After putting 3 chilis in there, I still needed more of a chili kick so added some chili garlic paste, which did the trick nicely.

Thanks so much - you've never steered me wrong!

[Erin]

YUM, this is so my dinner tonight. Thank you! Your recipes are amazing.

[Mary]

I love having pieces of fried spring rolls on this dish! Also, avocado goes really well too.

[Emily]

So I finally made this dish and oh my word is it delicious!

I have to say that after tasting the dressing alone, I was a bit worried. I think it was too fishy for my taste. But once I took the plunge and tossed it in, it's delicious!

I halved the recipe, used angel hair shirataki noodles and most of my cilantro and mint was dead, so my version could definitely use more. I also tossed in some thawed precooked shrimp I had sitting in my freezer from Trader Joe's. But to be perfectly honest, I would have been happy to slurp down the whole bowl pre-shrimp. It's so delicious. It made a ton of dressing, so I KNOW I'll be making this again, very soon!

[Jill]

This was an amazing dinner. I made it last night and it was just the thing for spring (seeing as it was almost 60 and sunny in DC, yay!)I used the wrong noodles (wide ones) but it was still fantastic. definitely a keeper!

[chinesefoodrecipes]

hello,you articles are so cool,i really like rice noodles very much.I am also a chinese food amateur and have collected a little rice noodle recipes in my site with many pictures.If you like it,please feel free to contact me,'cause I wanna make friend with you:)

[hannah]

I am making this, tonight. MMMMMMM.

[Lissie]

We used to eat this a lot at a restaurant in Atlanta. There are lots of authentic Vietnamese restaurants on Buford Hwy near Shallowford road. I look forward to trying your fish sauce dressing as I have not found one that I can make that comes close to the sauce at the restaurants. They also added fresh bean sprouts and cilantro. A Vietnamese coworker said to try coconut soda instead of water in the dressing. We'll see how that works.

[ioLite]

I am not a huge fan of salads because I never feel like I leave and I'm full.. fortunately this doesn't look like the case for this salad! Looks amazing! And very filling. Can't wait to throw one together for lunch. Yum.
-Sunny