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Published: Nov 14, 2022 Last Updated: Mar 2, 2020 by Andrea Geddes

Vermicelli Noodle Salad with Mint

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This fresh and vibrant vermicelli noodle salad is a gorgeous combination of crunchy vegetables, fresh mint and vermicelli noodles, tossed together with a deliciously punchy dressing. Served cold, this easy Asian-style salad is perfect for meal-prep and makes a terrific addition to a weeknight meal or summer BBQ.

a bowl of vermicelli noodle salad topped with chopped vegetables and shallots.

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • So easy to make – quick, simple and perfect for a crowd! If you prepare the pickled veggies in advance, you can throw everything together in under 30 minutes, no cooking required!
  • Meal prep – everything can be prepared ahead of time, ready to assemble when you want to eat it.
  • Perfect for any occasion – serve it during a summer picnic, BBQ or dinner parties. Or as an addition to a regular weeknight meal alongside your choice of protein. It also makes a fabulously tasty light lunch!
  • So delicious – it’s such a light and refreshing salad. Loaded with fresh mint, crispy textures, warmth from the chilli and a gloriously punchy dressing.
  • Pairs with just about anything – bright, zingy and loaded with flavour. This refreshing cold noodle salad pairs perfectly with grilled or roasted chicken, slow cooked pork belly, vegetable spring rolls, BBQ meats, prawns and fish. Or just about anything you want to serve with it!
Contents hide
1 Why you’ll love this recipe
2 Ingredients you will need
3 Step by step instructions
4 Expert tips
5 FAQs
6 Related recipes
7 Vermicelli Noodle Salad with Mint

Ingredients you will need

** This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. The photo above is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!

ingredients for vermicelli noodle salad, laid out on a table.
ingredients for pickled vegetables, laid out on a table.
  • Vermicelli rice noodles – a thin noodle made from rice flour and water. Part of several Asian cuisines, vermicelli noodles are commonly used in soups, stir fries, spring rolls and salads. Prepare them per the packet instructions. Usually they can be cooked through simply by soaking them in a bowl of boiling water for a couple of minutes. You will find them packaged in dried bundles at supermarkets and Asian grocers. They may be labelled as ‘rice noodles’ or ‘rice stick’. Alternatively, use glass noodles (bean thread).
  • Fresh herbs – a generous amount of fresh mint and dill are added to the salad for incredible fresh flavour and aroma. Vietnamese mint or regular mint can be used.
  • Vegetables – carrot and cabbage are soaked in an aromatic ‘quick pickle’ liquid to add crunch, depth and vibrance to the salad. And fresh cucumber adds freshness. You can also add any other crunchy veggies you have in the fridge. Anything that can be sliced into thin strands are best.
  • Rice wine vinegar – also called rice vinegar, rice wine vinegar is made by fermenting sugars in rice into alcohol and then into acid. It is commonly used in Asian cuisines, in salad dressings and marinades. And for this recipe, it is used for pickling vegetables. Compared to regular white vinegar, rice vinegar is less acidic and has a more mild and sweet flavour. Bottled rice wine vinegar can be found in supermarkets and Asian grocers. Substitute for apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.
  • Aromatics – whole star anise, ginger and chilli are used to add flavour to the pickled veggies and add depth to the salad. Keep the chilli out if preferred.
  • Salt – the first step in making pickled vegetables is to cover them in salt, which helps to draw the moisture from the vegetables. This process helps the vegetables stay crisp for longer. It is important to add a full tablespoon of salt as per the recipe, because the proportion of fresh vegetables to salt and the other ingredients will affect the final flavour.
  • Peanuts – crushed or chopped peanuts add crunch and flavour. Use unsalted peanuts, or even cashews or slivered almonds. Keep them out if you require the salad to be nut-free.
  • Fish sauce – the salty element that balances the sweet and sour flavours. I highly recommend keeping it in, but it can be swapped for light soy sauce or vegetarian fish sauce if required.
a jar of shredded vegetables in a pickling liquid.

Step by step instructions

Full recipe quantities and instructions can be found in the detailed recipe card below.

Step 1 – Make the pickled vegetables;

* It is recommended to prepare this step the day before, where possible.

Place the rice wine vinegar and sugar in a jug and stir until the sugar has mostly dissolved. Add the star anise, chilli (optional) and ginger and set aside.

pickling liquid in a jug with star anise and chilli.

Add the carrot and cabbage to a bowl and cover with the salt. Mix and set aside for 30-60 minutes. Salting helps to pull the moisture from the vegetables, which helps them to stay crisp for longer.

shredded carrot and cabbage in a glass bowl.

After 30-60 minutes, you will notice that liquid has released from the vegetables into the bowl.

shredded vegetables in a bowl with salt.

Squeeze and discard as much liquid from the vegetables as possible and place them into a dry bowl or jar.

hands squeezing liquid from cabbage and carrot mixture.

Top the vegetables with the vinegar mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until needed.

Tip: If you have time to make the pickled veggies 1-2 days in advance, your taste buds will thank you! Making them ahead gives the flavours time to mingle and develop and also helps to save time when it comes to preparing the rest of the salad.

pickled vegetables in a bowl.

Step 2 – Prepare the noodles;

Prepare the rice vermicelli noodles according to their packet instructions. This usually involves placing them in a bowl and covering them with boiling water and soaking until soft.

Once the noodles are cooked, place them into a sieve and run them under cold water to prevent them from cooking further.

Drain the noodles and place them into a salad bowl.

Step 3 – Make the salad;

Reserve ⅓ cup of the pickling liquid and set aside. Drain the pickled vegetables (once you have reserved ⅓ cup of liquid to use later). Some of the chilli slices from the pickling liquid can also be used in the salad, if desired.

Place the pickled vegetables, ⅓ cup reserved pickling liquid, cucumber, mint, dill and the remaining salad ingredients into the bowl with the noodles and mix until completely combined. This salad is best served cold, so chill until ready to eat.

When ready to serve, give the salad another stir (the liquid will settle in the bottom) and top with the crispy fried shallots.

vermicelli noodle salad ingredients together in a bowl.
hands stirring a bowl of noodle salad with vegetables.
a fork holding vermicelli noodles and salad, over a bowl.

Expert tips

  • Make the pickles ahead of time, for maximum flavour. At a minimum, they can sit for as little as 30-60 minutes in the fridge. But the longer you leave them, the more flavour they will have. They can be made 1-2 days in advance, or kept in the fridge for as long as 2-3 weeks. Making them in advance also makes the rest of the salad prep much easier, as this is the most time-consuming step.
  • Meal prep – the elements of the salad (pickled veggies, chopped fresh ingredients and garnishes) can all be made ahead and stored in airtight containers in the fridge, ready to assemble and eat in no time at all. I do recommend preparing the noodles fresh when you are ready to eat to keep them fresh.
  • Cool the noodles by running them under a cold tap, to prevent them from continuing to heat and become too soft.
  • This salad is best served cold. So chill it in the fridge until you are ready to serve! Keep the fried shallots out until you are ready to serve, to prevent them from going soggy.
  • Serving suggestions – turn this salad into a complete meal by adding some poached/grilled/roast chicken, BBQ/char siu pork, grilled salmon, prawns or your favourite protein.
  • To make it vegetarian, swap the fish sauce for light soy sauce or vegetarian fish sauce.
  • For extra crunch, add some bean sprouts or thinly sliced celery.
  • For convenience, you can swap slicing the carrot and cabbage for a bag of pre-cut coleslaw.
  • To make it easier to eat, the softened noodles can be cut into smaller strands before adding them to the salad.
  • Storage; keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
  • Salt the vegetables and let them sit for at least 30 minutes, to allow the salt to draw the moisture from the vegetables. This step helps to keep them fresh and crisp and preserve their texture in the pickling liquid.

FAQs

Can I make it in advance?

The salad is best eaten fresh on the day that it is made, but you can make it in advance, or store the whole salad for 2-3 days.
 
To make it ahead, prepare the pickled veggies and keep them in a jar in the fridge. The cucumber and other vegetables can be chopped and stored in an airtight container covered with wet paper towel for 2-3 days. When you are ready to prepare the salad, simply soak the noodles and run them under a cold tap before draining. Then, toss everything together when you are ready to serve.
 
Alternatively, assemble the entire noodle salad (keep out the fried shallots until ready to serve or they will become soggy) and cover it with plastic wrap. Keep it in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.

Can I use other noodles?

I recommend vermicelli rice noodles, but you can also use bean thread ‘glass noodles’.

a bowl of vermicelli noodle salad topped with chopped vegetables, mint and shallots.

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a bowl of salad with vermicelli rice noodles, vegetables and mint.

Vermicelli Noodle Salad with Mint

This fresh and vibrant vermicelli noodle salad is a gorgeous combination of crunchy vegetables, fresh mint and vermicelli noodles, tossed together in a deliciously punchy dressing. Served cold, this easy Asian-style salad is perfect for meal-prep and makes a terrific addition to a weeknight meal or summer BBQ.
5 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: healthy, Main Course, Salad
Cuisine: Australian, Chinese
Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes minutes
Pickling Time: 1 hour hour
Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 281kcal
Author: Andrea Geddes
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients 
Metric – US Customary
 

For the pickled vegetables

  • ⅔ cup rice wine vinegar
  • ⅔ cup white sugar or caster sugar
  • 2 star anise whole
  • ½ red chilli thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon ginger peeled and finely grated
  • 2 carrots peeled and cut into very thin matchsticks
  • 2 cups green cabbage shredded (approx 300g)
  • 1 tablespoon salt regular table salt

For the salad

  • 200 grams vermicelli noodles dry
  • 2 shallots peeled and finely diced
  • 3 spring onions chopped
  • 2 cucumbers small, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup dill fresh, chopped
  • 1 cup mint fresh, chopped. Regular or Vietnamese mint can be used
  • ¼ cup fish sauce
  • ⅓ cup unsalted peanuts roughly chopped
  • ⅓ cup reserved liquid from the pickled vegetables see steps below
  • reserved chilli from the pickled vegetables optional

To serve

  • ⅓ cup fried shallots

Instructions

For the quick pickled vegetables

  • This step is best prepared the day before, if possible.
  • Place the rice wine vinegar and sugar into a jug and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the star anise, chilli and ginger. Stir and set aside.
  • Place the sliced carrot and shredded cabbage into a separate bowl and cover with the salt. Mix and set aside for at least 30 minutes. During this time, the salt will draw the excess moisture out of the vegetables.
  • Squeeze and discard the excess liquid from the vegetables and place them in a dry jar or bowl. Pour the pickling liquid over the top of the vegetables and cover. Place into the refrigerator for at least 30-60 minutes (but overnight is best).

For the salad

  • Prepare the noodles according to the packet instructions. This should involve placing them in a bowl and covering in boiling water until they are soft and tender.
  • Once the noodles have softened, place them in a sieve and run them under a cold tap to stop them softening further. Drain and place the noodles into a salad/serving bowl.
  • Reserve ⅓ cup of the pickling liquid from the vegetables and discard the rest by draining the vegetables. Keep some chilli slices for the salad, if desired, but discard the star anise.
  • Place the vegetables, ⅓ cup of the reserved pickling liquid and all of the other salad ingredients (shallots, spring onions, cucumber, dill, mint, fish sauce, peanuts and chilli) into a bowl and mix until completely combined.
  • Cover and chill in the fridge until ready to serve. The pickling liquid will settle at the bottom, so stir when ready to serve.
  • When ready to eat, sprinkle the salad with the crispy fried shallots and serve.

Video

Notes

  1. Make the pickles ahead of time, for maximum flavour. At a minimum, they can sit for as little as 30-60 minutes in the fridge if you need them right away. But the longer you leave them, the more flavour they will have. They can be made 1-2 days in advance, or kept in the fridge for as long as 2-3 weeks. Making them in advance also makes the rest of the salad prep much easier, as this is the most time-consuming step.
  2. Meal prep – the elements of the salad (pickled veggies, chopped fresh ingredients and garnishes) can all be made ahead and stored in airtight containers in the fridge, ready to assemble and eat in no time at all. I do recommend preparing the noodles fresh when you are ready to eat for best texture.
  3. Cool the noodles by running them under a cold tap, to prevent them from continuing to heat and become too soft.
  4. This salad is best served cold. So chill it in the fridge until you are ready to serve! Keep the fried shallots out until you are ready to serve, to prevent them from going soggy.
  5. Serving suggestions – turn this salad into a complete meal by adding some poached/grilled/roast chicken, BBQ/char siu pork, grilled salmon, prawns or your favourite protein.
  6. To make it vegetarian, swap the fish sauce for light soy sauce or vegetarian fish sauce.
  7. For extra crunch, add some bean sprouts or thinly sliced celery.
  8. For convenience, you can swap slicing the carrot and cabbage for a bag of pre-cut coleslaw.
  9. To make it easier to eat, the softened noodles can be cut into smaller strands before adding them to the salad.
  10. Storage; keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
  11. Salt the vegetables and let them sit for at least 30 minutes, to allow the salt to draw the moisture from the vegetables. This step helps to keep them fresh and crisp and preserve their texture in the pickling liquid.
  12. Please note that the nutrition information is based on the ingredients being divided into 6 serves. The nutritional information is an estimate only and does not take into account any additional toppings or sides served with the salad.  
  13. This recipe is made using Australian cups and spoon measurements. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.

Nutrition

Calories: 281kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 2036mg | Potassium: 465mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 4211IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 2mg
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Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in January 2019, but was re-published with new information, helpful tips and photos in November 2022.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Pietilä Annukka says

    June 27, 2024 at 9:36 pm

    5 stars
    So good- adding star anis is genious. I make this kind mixed veggie mint noodle salad every week, but the pickeling of cabbege and carrot makes a difference. They become softer and make a perfect combination with noodels. I use lonqu-soy vermicellis because they bind the salad delicately together.
    This cookingcollective is great insperation- thank you.

    Reply
  2. Marie says

    November 10, 2022 at 10:01 am

    5 stars
    I love this salad. It’s so fresh and tasty and the pickled vegetables is a game changer – I could devour those alone!

    Reply
    • Andrea Geddes says

      November 11, 2022 at 8:39 am

      Hi Marie! Thank you so much, I’m so glad that you loved it. I do love those pickled veggies. They definitely take this salad to the next level!

      Reply
  3. Iwik says

    October 08, 2021 at 10:29 am

    5 stars
    Such an easy dish to prepare. Stored pickled veggies in the fridge for two days and then put together the vermicelli salad which I served with Vietnamese Baked Chicken. Clean crisp and tangy the combination left nothing to be desired. A satisfying meal.

    Reply
    • Andrea Geddes says

      October 12, 2021 at 8:45 am

      Hello! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment and let me know what you think. I’m so happy that you enjoyed it! It is such a refreshing salad, and that chicken sounds delicious! Great pairing. Andrea 🙂

      Reply
  4. Kirsty says

    December 22, 2020 at 7:16 pm

    Hi!
    Do you use standard cabbage in the pickled vege mix or asian wombok cabbage?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Andrea Geddes says

      December 23, 2020 at 3:46 am

      Hi Kirsty! I use regular, green or purple cabbage when I make this salad, but you could swap for wombok if you prefer! Let me know how it goes! Andrea x

      Reply
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