NOODLES-Vietnamese Chicken/Pork/Beef or Seafood Noodle Bowl

By Unblond1

Easy light, healthy noodles topped with tasty marinaded meat, fresh vegetables and herbs, drizzled lightly with a zingy sauce. The marinade is extremely versatile - if you just use this recipe as a guide, you can tailor it to your own taste. Don't be daunted by the list of ingredients - the ingredients for the marinade and sauce are largely the same.

Ingredients

• MEAT & MARINADE:
• 5 oz chicken thigh fillets (or pork, beef or any seafood)
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 tbsp lime juice (about 1/2 fresh lime)
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 stalk lemongrass, white part only, bruised theN sliced into pieces easy to pick out later (see notes)
• NUOC CHAM:
• 1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp white sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped (not minced with garlic crusher)
• 1/2 red birdseye chilli, finely chopped (or adjust quantity to your taste)
• 1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
• NOODLE BOWL:
• 1/2 tbsp oil
• 3 oz/85 grams rice vermicelli noodles, dried
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 1 cucumber julienned (with seeds removed)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• Small handful of mint leaves
• Small handful of cilantro/coriander
• Sliced chili (for garnish - optional)
• Lime wedges (to serve - optional)

Details

Servings 2

Preparation

Step 1

Combine Meat and Marinade ingredients and set aside for at least 20 minutes, or freeze.
Combine the Nuoc Cham ingredients and mix well to dissolve the sugar. Adjust to your taste (spiciness, lime, sweetness) and set aside.
Soak the vermicelli noodles in hot water for 3 minutes (or according to packet instructions), then drain and rinse under cold water to stop the noodles from sticking together.
Heat ½ tbsp oil in a fry pan over medium heat (or heat the BBQ). Place chicken in the pan and cook each side until dark golden brown and chicken is just cooked through - about 6 to 8 minutes in total. Remove from pan and set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Then slice into thin pieces.
To serve individually: Place noodles in bowl. Then either top or lightly toss through the vegetables and herbs, and top with chicken pieces. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of Nuoc Cham Sauce and serve with lime wedges.
To serve to share (my preferred way): Place meat and vegetables on a large platter with the sauce, and the noodles in a bowl, and let your guests help themselves.

Nutrition Facts
2 Servings

Calories 387.2
Total Fat 9.8 g
Saturated Fat 1.7 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.5 g
Monounsaturated Fat 5.6 g
Cholesterol 43.9 mg
Sodium 1,961.4 mg
Potassium 475.3 mg
Total Carbohydrate 55.2 g
Dietary Fiber 3.4 g
Sugars 13.2 g
Protein 23.4 g