Scott made this fabulous salad for dinner on Monday night; a quick meal before I left for school. It was very fast to put together and was so flavorful. If we loved it this much in the winter I can only imagine how great it will be on a hot summers night.
Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad
Vegetarian Planet by Didi Emmons
4 to 6 garlic cloves
1 cup chopped and loosely packed cilantro
1/2 jalapeno or other fresh hot pepper, chopped (optional)
3 TB sugar
1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 limes)
3 TB Vietnamese or Thai fish sauce, OR 1 tsp salt
12 oz dried rice vermicelli
2 carrots peeled and cut into a thin julienne or grated
1 english cucumber halved, seeded and cut into thin slices
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
4 (we used much more) Napa cabbage leaves (optional)
1/4 cup dry roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped
mint for garnish
Place the garlic, cilantro and hot pepper in a food processor, process until coarsely chopped. Add the sugar, lime juice, and fish sauce or salt and blend again. Let sit while you chop the vegetables and cook the noodles.
Cook the rice noodles until just tender in boiling water. Drain and rinse with cold water until the noodles are cool. Place in a large bowl.
Toss the noodles with the vegetables and dressing. Garnish each serving with peanuts and additional mint.
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My fellow Babe and just all-around lovely person Astrid of Paulchens Food Blog is hosting this week's Weekend Herb Blogging, so I must send this salad full of cilantro and mint for her to include in the round up! See more details here.
