Basically everyone has heard of Pho, but a lesser known Vietnamese classic (and my personal favorite) is Vietnamese noodle bowls! These bowls are great for summer because they are super refreshing! And the Nuoc Cham, a widely used Vietnamese dipping sauce, brings all the flavor.
INGREDIENTS
-1/4 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
-2oz rice vermicelli noodles
-1/4 cucumber, cut into matchsticks
-1/4 cup matchstick carrots
-1 scallion, thinly sliced
-Juice of 1 lime
-1 tablespoon fish sauce
-1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
-1/2 tablespoon sugar
-1/2 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
-1 clove grated garlic
DIRECTIONS
1. Bring a medium pot of water to a bowl. Once water is boiling, remove from heat, add the rice noodles, and let the noodles soak for 10 minutes.
2. While the noodles soak, heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Season the shrimp on both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook shrimp 2-3 minutes per side.
3. While shrimp cooks, prepare the Nuoc Cham. Add the lime juice, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar, chili garlic sauce, and garlic to a bowl.
4. Add the cooked noodles to a bowl and add the following on top of the noodles in groups: matchstick cucumbers, matchstick carrots, scallions, and cooked shrimp. Right before serving, heat the sauce in the microwave for about 30 seconds and serve on the side. Pour as much Nuoc Cham over the noodle bowl as you like!