Vietnamese-Style Shrimp Rice Noodle Salad with Tomato-Corn Nuoc Cham

Bun-style noodle salads are a Vietnamese lunchtime classic, cooled with rice vermicelli and bright nuoc cham. Seared shrimp, sweet corn, and heirloom tomatoes meet fish sauce–lime dressing for a fresh, herb-laced bowl.

Serves 4 · 25 min prep · 12 min cook

Estimate for one serving

• 390 cal
• 28g protein
• 52g carbs
• 8g fat

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Ingredients

• 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 8 oz rice vermicelli noodles
• 1 lb heirloom tomatoes
• 1½ cups fresh sweet corn kernels
• 1 head butter lettuce leaves
• 1 large carrot
• 1 cucumber
• ½ cup fresh mint leaves
• ½ cup fresh cilantro
• 3 Tbsp fish sauce
• ¼ cup lime juice
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tsp Thai chili or red pepper flakes
• 1 Tbsp neutral oil

Instructions

1. 1Cook the rice vermicelli in boiling water according to package directions until just tender, usually 4–5 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and toss with a drop of oil so the strands stay separate.
2. 2Pat the shrimp dry. Heat a skillet over medium-high with the oil and cook the shrimp 2 minutes per side until pink and lightly curled; season with salt and set aside.
3. 3Whisk together fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, minced garlic, and chili until the sugar dissolves to create the nuoc cham dressing. Stir in half the diced heirloom tomatoes and half the corn so they lightly pickle.
4. 4Julienne the carrot and cucumber into thin matchsticks. Tear the butter lettuce into bite-size pieces.
5. 5Divide the cooled noodles among four bowls or containers. Arrange lettuce, carrot, cucumber, remaining raw tomato wedges, remaining corn, mint, and cilantro the noodles.
6. 6Top each portion with the cooked shrimp. Spoon the tomato-corn nuoc cham generously over everything just before eating so the herbs stay bright.
7. 7For meal prep, keep the dressing separate until lunchtime; the salad holds well refrigerated for 2 days and tastes even better once the flavors mingle.