Description
This vibrant Vietnamese prawn and noodle salad combines tender rice noodles, succulent prawns, and fresh herbs, all tossed in a tangy lime and fish sauce dressing. Topped with crunchy homemade crispy shallots and roasted peanuts, this refreshing dish offers a delightful balance of textures and flavors, perfect for a light lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 200g thin rice noodles
- 200g large cooked, peeled prawns
- 1 small red onion, halved and sliced
- 1 small red chilli, sliced
- 1 small cucumber, shaved into ribbons (use a peeler)
- 1 large handful coriander leaves
- 1 large handful mint leaves
- 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
Dressing
- Juice of 3 limes
- 1 tbsp soft brown sugar
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
Crispy Shallots
- 5 shallots, thinly sliced
- Vegetable oil, for frying (around 5cm depth)
- Flour, for dusting
- Salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Prepare the crispy shallots: Heat approximately 5cm of vegetable oil in a wok until hot. Test the oil by dropping a sliced shallot in; it should sizzle immediately. Toss the thinly sliced shallots with flour and shake off the excess. Fry the shallots in batches in the hot oil for about 1 minute or until golden brown. Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle with salt and set aside.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine the juice of 3 limes, 1 tablespoon soft brown sugar, 2 teaspoons fish sauce, and the crushed garlic clove. Stir well until the sugar dissolves. Set the dressing aside to allow flavors to meld.
- Cook and prepare the noodles: Place the rice noodles in a large mixing bowl and pour boiling water over them. Let the noodles soak for 2 minutes or until just cooked. Drain the noodles in a sieve and rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Shake the sieve multiple times to remove excess water before returning the noodles to the mixing bowl.
- Assemble the salad: Add the cooked prawns, sliced red onion, sliced red chilli, cucumber ribbons, coriander, and mint to the noodles. Pour over the prepared dressing and toss everything together gently to combine the flavors evenly.
- Add toppings and serve: Sprinkle the salad generously with the crispy shallots and chopped roasted peanuts. Serve immediately for the best texture contrast and freshness.
Notes
- For extra heat, add more red chilli or include some chopped fresh bird’s eye chilli in the dressing.
- If you prefer a vegetarian version, substitute prawns with firm tofu and replace fish sauce with soy sauce or a vegetarian fish sauce alternative.
- Use gluten-free rice noodles and ensure fish sauce is gluten-free if needed to adapt this recipe for gluten sensitivity.
- Crispy shallots are best eaten fresh; store separately if not serving immediately to keep them crunchy.
- If unable to find roasted peanuts, use raw peanuts lightly toasted in a dry pan.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
Keywords: Vietnamese prawn salad, noodle salad, crispy shallots, fresh herbs, lime dressing, easy summer salad, quick asian salad
