Craving something filling but refreshing and light? Try this noodle salad inspired by Vietnamese ingredients and flavors. This salad is packed with caramelized chicken thighs marinated for extra flavor, lots of fresh, piquant herbs, tangy pickled veggies, bouncy rice noodles, and is dressed in a savory soy-and-fish-sauce vinaigrette with bright hints of citrus.
What is Vietnamese noodle salad?
This Vietnamese noodle salad recipe is not a traditional Vietnamese dish, but don’t get me wrong it’s still delicious! It’s an adaptation and a salad-ified take on bún thịt nướng. Meaning this salad is a bit easier to eat with chopsticks or a fork, and incorporates some common Vietnamese herbs and flavors into a dish where you may not often see them combined.
Ingredients in Viet noodle salad
This Vietnamese noodle salad is packed with lots of fresh ingredients and textures:
- Rice noodles are the carb in this salad, and we prefer using vermicelli rice noodles because they’re thinner and less bulky to eat. We used the Grand Harvest brand rice stick noodles, about 1 mm thick, from 99 Ranch.
- Fresh leaf lettuce is chopped into small pieces to make it easier to eat with the noodles. You can also use thinly sliced cabbage, romaine lettuce, or other variants.
- The mountain of herbs in this salad is a major flavor component, so don’t skimp. We use a combination of cilantro, rau ram, mint, and Thai basil. Make sure to chop the pieces up small enough to be bite-sized.
- Other veggies, like cucumber and đồ chua (Vietnamese pickled daikon and carrots), add a good crunch and tanginess to the salad.
- Toppings like green onions, fried shallots, and roasted peanuts add more layers of texture and flavor. You can also add other ingredients like roasted sesame seeds, cashews, pistachios, or fried garlic slices, too.
Protein & marinade
I like having a protein in all my salads, and this Vietnamese noodle salad uses chicken thighs marinated in a similar marinade to the one I use for Vietnamese pork chops (sườn nướng), except without the lemongrass.
- Chicken thighs are the main protein in this dish, and it’s necessary to marinate for as long as you can (ideally 8 hours minimum, up to 12 hours). We prefer chicken thighs with the skin for extra flavor and boneless for easy marinating and shredding.
- Fish sauce adds umami flavor and tenderizes the chicken.
- Nước màu, or caramel color, is an ingredient in Vietnamese dishes (thịt kho) that brings out a rich and sweet flavor from caramelized sugar and water. If you use premade nước màu, it may also include coconut juice as a main ingredient.
- Granulated cane sugar is also added for more sweetness.
- Other ingredients include minced shallot, garlic, and round black pepper, which add layers of more aromatic flavor.
- A neutral oil helps bind all the ingredients together and helps the chicken roast in the oven.
Dressing ingredients
The dressing for this Vietnamese noodle salad differs from other dressings we’ve used before: it’s similar to a traditional Western vinaigrette, but it’s Asian-inspired, with fish sauce, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. It’s meant to be savory, but light when coating the salad.
- Regular soy sauce provides most of the saltiness and flavor in this dressing.
- Fish sauce is a Vietnamese staple that adds umami to the dressing.
- Rice vinegar gives the dressing acidity and a tangy flavor. You may substitute other lighter styles of vinegar, such as apple cider or white wine vinegar.
- Neutral oil is the base for this vinaigrette, and make sure to use a neutral oil so it doesn’t change the flavor, like avocado oil.
- Honey adds sweetness to balance out the savory and tangy flavors. You can also use other sweeteners, such as agave or brown sugar. Taste-test as you add sugar to adjust to your preference.
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds brightness to the dressing. You can also use other citrus, like lime, just make sure it’s freshly squeezed juice because bottled juice will not give you the same flavor.
- Minced garlic gives the dressing a spicy, aromatic flavor. You don’t need too much to create a nice layered flavor.
How to assemble & serve
Wait until just before serving to add the dressing. When assembling the dish, toss the shredded chicken, noodles, lettuce, herbs, and veggies with the dressing to ensure full coverage. Sprinkle the salad with sliced green onions, fried shallots, and roasted peanuts on top before serving.
Serve this Vietnamese noodle salad immediately if you can! It doesn’t store well because the noodles get a bit hard in the refrigerator, and you may lose the crunchiness of the lettuce and cucumbers, as well as the freshness of the herbs.
Making ahead & storage
While we recommend eating this Vietnamese noodle salad immediately, you can store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days. You will have softer textures from storage, but it still tastes good! We do recommend microwaving the salad for 30-second intervals until it’s warm enough to soften the noodles.
Vietnamese Noodle Salad (w/ chicken)
Ingredients
Meat
- 12 oz chicken thigh with skin, boneless
- 1.5 tbsp minced shallot
- 1.5 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1.5 tbsp neutral cooking oil
- 3 tsp fish sauce
- ¾ tsp caramel color
- ¾ tsp ground black pepper
Noodle salad
- 6 oz rice noodles
- 2 c thinly chopped green leaf lettuce
- 1 c thinly chopped herbs cilantro, rau ram, mint, Thai basil
- ⅓ c chopped cucumber
- ½ c pickled daikon and carrots
- ¼ c sliced green onions
- fried shallots topping
- chopped roasted peanuts topping
Dressing
- 1 tbsp regular soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp honey
- ½ tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp minced garlic
Equipment Used
- measuring cups and spoons
- knife and cutting board
- storage container with lid
- sheet pan
- large mixing bowl
- small bowls
Instructions
Meat
- In a bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients: 1.5 tbsp minced shallot, 1.5 tbsp minced garlic, 2 tbsp granulated sugar, 1.5 tbsp neutral cooking oil, 3 tsp fish sauce, ¾ tsp caramel color, and ¾ tsp ground black pepper. Whisk the ingredients well until the sugar is dissolved.
- Transfer the 12 oz chicken thigh to a storage container. Pour the marinade over the chicken, making sure all areas are covered. Cover with a lid and marinate in the fridge for at least 8 hours and not more than 12 hours.
- One hour before baking, remove the chicken from the fridge and let it sit on the counter to come to temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Transfer the chicken to a sheet pan and pour the remaining marinade over it.
- Bake until the center reaches 165°F with a probe thermometer, about 10 minutes.
- Broil the chicken on high until the top is caramelized, about 2-4 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes before shredding it into bite-sized pieces. Set aside until serving.
Noodle salad
- Prepare the 6 oz rice noodles based on the instructions on your packet.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the salad ingredients: cooked 6 oz rice noodles, 2 c thinly chopped green leaf lettuce, 1 c thinly chopped herbs, ⅓ c chopped cucumber, ½ c pickled daikon and carrots, and ¼ c sliced green onions. Mix thoroughly.
- In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients: 1 tbsp regular soy sauce, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp neutral oil, 1 tsp fish sauce, 1 tsp honey, ½ tbsp lemon juice, and ¼ tsp minced garlic. Whisk until dissolved.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and mix.
- Top with shredded chicken, fried shallots, and chopped roasted peanuts.
- Lightly toss and serve immediately.
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