Vermicelli Noodle Salad with Mint

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

5 from 6 votes

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.

Prep Time30

Cook Time0

Pickling Time1

Total Time1 30

Course: healthy, Main Course, Salad

Cuisine: Australian, Chinese

Servings:

Calories: 281kcal

Author: Andrea Geddes

Ingredients

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

Metric - US Customary

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

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.
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.
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.
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.
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