Fresh Vietnamese Veggie and Sprout Salad

This Fresh Vietnamese Veggie and Sprout Salad is such a great summer salad. It is loaded with fresh veggies and sprouts and the perfect combo of flavors and textures! It is also so simple to throw together and no oven is needed on these hot summer days!

Ingredients

• Vermicelli Rice Noodles- I couldn't find them when I decided to photograph this salad, but prefer them as they are so much thinner. The noodles are pretty easy to find though, don't worry.
• Veggies- And lots of them! I used between 6-8 cups when making this salad. You can use your vegetables of choice, my favorites are cabbage, radish, cucumbers, bell peppers, carrots, etc.
• Sprouts- I used alfalfa, but any sprout or microgreen work well.
• Fish Sauce- This is a must in most Vietnamese dishes, and it is here as well. Fish sauce adds a great depth of flavor to the sauce.
• Rice Wine Vinegar- Another must in Asian-style recipes. It is very common and can be found in most grocery stores.
• Garlic- Another essential ingredient. I mean, you could leave it out... but should you? I don't think so.
• Chili Sauce- You can use just a little or more when it comes to this sauce. We always love a little heat, so we might add in a little more than most. Adjust as needed. This chili sauce is another ingredient that is pretty easy to find.
• Honey or sugar- I think both are good in this recipe, it is up to you which you prefer to use.
• Peanuts- Not essential, but I love the flavor they add!

How To Make

The most time-consuming part of this salad is prepping the veggies. Don't let that intimidate you though, it really isn't too hard, just plan about 10 minutes of cutting time and for the salad dressing.

I prefer bite-size pieces here, but you can always cut to the size you prefer.

I was looking for a shorter and thinner noodle to use, like vermicelli, but the best I could find in our small town was a pad Thai noodle. So I broke them into smaller sections and called it good.

Cook the noodles according to the directions on the package. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain again. Add to the salad. Last step is the dressing.

The Dressing

This dressing is very simple to make. Add all the ingredients to a bowl or mason jar (I prefer using this). Mix them well.

Now that all your veggies and sprouts are in your bowl, pour the dressing over top. Mix well to combine and that's it. Ready to go. I like to top with a little more sprouts, peanuts, and green onions, but that is up to you!

Notes

This is a simple salad to assemble, but let me share a few tips for creating the best salad.

• I showed my recommended ingredients, but just know you can make this your own. You can add in any veggies you like. If you want more protein, you can add in tofu, chicken, or shrimp. All are delicious in this yummy salad!
• You can use any rice noodle you like for this recipe. There are a lot of options.
• While many salads will hold well for several days, this is not one of those salads. The sprouts especially make this a salad that needs to be eaten within 24 hours. Otherwise they get soggy and limp.
• The dressing can be made up to 2 days in advance. If you are trying to save time, make this ahead of time. Then when you make up the salad, everything is ready to go.

Other Options

Looking for a little more meat in your life? These teriyaki chicken burgers would pair perfectly with this salad! Salmon Fritters are also a really popular recipe on the blog, they would be so good with this Fresh Vietnamese Veggie and Sprout Salad!

If you are looking for another salad idea, I have plenty! Check these out.

• Salads
• Side Dishes
• Sprouted Grains