Vietnamese spring noodle salad
6 Servings
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| Water for boiling | ||
| ½ | pounds | Quarter inch rice sticks (imported from Thailand)* |
| 2 | cups | Fresh snow peas; trimmed |
| 16 | mediums | Shrimp; shelled |
| 1 | Clove garlic; minced | |
| 1 | Shallot; minced | |
| ⅔ | cup | Fresh lime juice |
| ½ | cup | Fish sauce* |
| ½ | cup | Water |
| 4 | tablespoons | Sugar |
| ½ | teaspoon | Red pepper flakes |
| 2 | Bibb lettuce heads; leaves separated, rinsed and patted dry | |
| 3 | Carrots; peeled and grated | |
| 3 | cups | Fresh mung bean sprouts |
| 1 | cup | Diced cucumber |
| 2 | Scallions; trimmed and thinly sliced | |
| 1 | cup | Fresh mint leaves |
| ¼ | cup | Fresh cilantro; roughly chopped; 1/4 to 1/2 cup |
Directions
* Available in Asian grocery stores Bring one large pot and one medium-size pot of water to a boil. Drop the snow peas into the medium-size pot and cook for about 10 seconds (they will turn bright green). Remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon and rinse under cold water.
When the water in the medium-size pot has returned to a boil, add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes, or until opaque. Drain, and rinse shrimp under cold water. Set aside.
Add the rice noodles to the large pot of boiling water. Boil for 4-5 minutes, drain, and rinse under cold water.
In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, shallot, lime juice, fish sauce, ½ cup water, sugar, and pepper flakes until the sugar is dissolved. Divide the dressing into four small bowls.
Pile the lettuce leaf "cups" in the center of a large platter.
Surround the lettuce with separate mounds of carrot, bean sprouts, cucumber, scallion, mint. cilantro, snow peas, noodles, and shrimp.
Give each person a plate upon which to put a lettuce leaf cup. Fill each lettuce cup with a tiny bit of ingredient, drizzle with the dressing, and roll up in the shape of a cylinder.
Serves 4-6. 289 calories per serving; 5% calories from fat; 2g total fat; 1g saturated fat; 35 mg cholesterol; 14g protein; 57g carbohydrates; 805 mg sodium; 5g fiber.
"MealMasterized" by Mary Ann Young from June 1995 issue of _Walking_ by food writer Victoria Abbott Riccardi.