Now that spring has finally arrived, it’s time to say goodbye to comforting soups and pastas and hello to fresh, bright dishes to get us through the hot Charleston days. For this recipe, I was inspired by a dish that pretty much got me through college, the Saigon Noodle salad from Fire Street Food. Their salad has rice noodles, crunchy cucumbers, grilled chicken, and a sweet and spicy dressing that makes it a light, yet satisfying meal. I don’t live as close to Fire anymore, so I decided I needed to try and make this dish at home, with a few twists of my own. My shrimp noodle bowl is fresh, bright, and perfect for a light lunch.
WHAT YOU NEED
For the dressing:
Makes 3 to 4 servings
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 1 in knob of ginger
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- ½ cup canola oil
For the bowl:
1 serving
- 6-8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- ½ cup rice noodles (about ¼ of the package)
- ½ a red bell pepper, diced
- Handful of sugar snap peas
- Salt and pepper to taste
For garnish:
- 1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
MIX IT UP
Start by boiling the noodles according to package instructions. The brand I used was from Harris Teeter and only took about 1-2 minutes to cook, so make sure you keep an eye on them.
Next, prepare the shrimp. I usually use frozen shrimp and defrost only one serving at a time to ensure they stay fresh. When your shrimp are defrosted and deveined, add the coconut oil to a medium saute pan on medium-high heat. Once the coconut oil is melted, add in the shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Flip the shrimp, season the other side, and cook them until they turn pink.
Once the noodles and shrimp are cooked, we can start on the dressing. I make the dressing in my Magic Bullet, but you could also make it in a blender or a food processor. Add in all the ingredients and blend until smooth. If it doesn’t seem to be getting smooth, add a touch more canola oil.
All that’s left to do now is chop up the bell pepper and assemble the bowl. After your bell pepper is chopped, mix the dressing with the noodles before adding the other ingredients because the noodles tend to stick together otherwise.
Once the noodles are properly dressed, add in the rest of the ingredients. I made it look pretty for the photos, but in reality I usually just throw in the ingredients, add a little more dressing, and stir it up. If you’re looking to add spice, you can drizzle sriracha over the top.
Mix it all up and enjoy for a light lunch on-the-go or keep it in the fridge until you need your noodle fix. This recipe is perfect for pasta lovers like me who are looking to lighten it up a little bit and also cool it down now that the weather’s getting warmer. Hope y’all like this recipe and leave a comment if you decide to try it!
