Fresh Vietnamese Salad (bun cha gio)

My version of this Vietnamese salad, better known as bun cha gio, is made up of crunchy carrots, cucumber and lettuce, juicy prawns, fresh herbs, fish sauce dressing, and topped with roasted chopped peanuts. The dressing is packed full of flavor, adding a sweet and tangy element to the dish, which comes together super quickly with little to no cooking! Its the perfect meal if you’re craving something healthy and light for lunch or dinner. This fresh Vietnamese salad is one of my favorites, and the best part is you can mix it up with different vegetables and proteins, depending on what you have in the fridge!

Notes

Although traditionally bun cha gio includes spring rolls, I’ve decided not to add them as to make the dish a little easier and healthier (spring rolls are delicious, but cooked in a lot of oil). Feel free to add some if you want to bulk up the meal! This dish is not so much defined by the ingredients, but the elements! Crunch from the vegetables/fresh lettuce, cold noodles, choice of protein, and the delicious fish sauce. You can get really creative with your ingredients. Beef or chicken will work great!

I also love this dish because it’s naturally gluten free! You can use two types of noodles for this recipe, vermicelli (traditional option) or in my case, sweet potato noodles (these are what I had in the cupboard lol). Sweet potato noodles, also know as glass noodles, are actually traditionally Korean, but they work really well in this dish! They are both so yummy, so grab whichever is more accessible for you. You can even use egg noodles if that’s all you can get/prefer, they will work just fine! I have linked my two favorite vermicelli and sweet potato noodles below!

https://www.amazon.com/Asian-Best-Premium-Vermicelli-Packs/dp/B00ZD8EZA0/ref=sr_1_5?crid=3RAT8TH5Y75PT&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.o3v8YtGrAxkuUcCJp9p965lOgCSaNOeBNDYg4r6peVWZlcLVvJF5tzN-vGHdqWjFGZGXGczEl55KtlxfJIxEJKqt_1l3jWKV-XGgpj9BaOFEkMI3NRj5VK74Imlf6jXDX6raBMFIfiwvHiqMGzF8FQ.cIrjyme6BjQO4l8RdiwDKAvMXM_QBhKAX0nKGubSt_8&dib_tag=se&keywords=vermicelli+rice+noodles&qid=1705244054&sprefix=vermachelli+%2Caps%2C81&sr=8-5

https://www.amazon.com/Korean-Noodles-Healthy-Alternative-Perfect/dp/B083THKYH4/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=NDGGSHA94DDO&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.COlrhp-Q8WpkmZ7FQTKzgW_xfKvxv6xqw858aZS3NEP0mnhipuICdgWgQYqme5BpdqH0H_KyKyEl1uc_saSVIn0NfvWu4DiAfNPAk_SVhl-UQMMJkgb261jUR4JL7ErbDE_fFuzGNYT1JWbgctSqyw.7kgsKQ2Dc2kdYgS1KiLVXqllRJ0KYubihDTmsVmCbKg&dib_tag=se&keywords=sweet+potato+noodles&qid=1705244154&rdc=1&sprefix=sweet+noodles%2Caps%2C214&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

Ingredients you’ll need

Sauce

• 1/2 cup water 
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar 
• 1.5 tbsp fish sauce 
• 2-3 tbsp brown sugar (organic if you can)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 fresh lime juice 
• chili flakes (optional) 

Bowl

• 1/4 cup cashews, toasted and roughly chopped 
• 3 x handfuls finely chopped lettuce (iceberg or romain)
• julienned carrots, roughly 3/4 cup per bowl
• julienned cucumber, roughly 3/4 cup per bowl
• shrimp, cooked, peeled, deveined – 5 to 6 pp depending on the size
• vermicelli or glass noodles, 3 x portions 
• cilantro to serve, leaves and stalks 
• finely chopped mint to serve

Fresh Vietnamese Salad (bun cha gio)

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5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Administrator
• Total Time: 35
• Yield: 3 1x

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Description

Healthy and fresh Vietnamese salad bowl, served with cold noodles, fresh lettuce/vegetables, juicy prawns and tangy fish sauce

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Sauce

• 1/2 cup water 
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar 
• 1.5 tbsp fish sauce 
• 2–3 tbsp brown sugar (organic if you can)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 fresh lime juice 
• chili flakes (optional) 

Bowl

• 1/4 cup cashews, toasted and roughly chopped 
• 3 x handfuls finely chopped lettuce (iceberg or romain)
• julienned carrots, roughly 3/4 cup per bowl
• julienned cucumber, roughly 3/4 cup per bowl
• shrimp, cooked, peeled, deveined – 5 to 6 pp depending on the size
• vermicelli or glass noodles, 3 x portions 
• cilantro to serve, leaves and stalks 
• finely chopped mint to serve

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Instructions

1. Add all ingredients for the sauce into a bowl and let the flavors marinade together while you complete the rest of the bowl.
2. Cook your choice of noodles according to packet instructions, and be careful to not overcook (they tend to cook much faster than traditional pasta)
3. Prepare all the julienned vegetables and lettuce ready to serve, as well as make sure the shrimp is defrosted (if bought from frozen). You can toss the shrimp in a frying pan to warm them up if you like, I normally do.
4. Toast the cashews and toughly chop. 
5. Assemble your bowl with the lettuce, julienned vegetables, prawns, topping with the toasted cashews, fresh mint and coriander. Serve with the delicious tangy fish sauce and enjoy – super simple!

Notes

Although traditionally bun cha gio includes spring rolls, I’ve decided not to add them as to make the dish a little easier and healthier (spring rolls are delicious, but cooked in a lot of oil). Feel free to add some if you want to bulk up the meal! This dish is not so much defined by the ingredients, but the elements! Crunch from the vegetables/fresh lettuce, cold noodles, choice of protein, and the delicious fish sauce. You can get really creative with your ingredients. Beef or chicken will work great!

I also love this dish because it’s naturally gluten free! You can use two types of noodles for this recipe, vermicelli (traditional option) or in my case, sweet potato noodles (these are what I had in the cupboard lol). Sweet potato noodles, also know as glass noodles, are actually traditionally Korean, but they work really well in this dish! They are both so yummy, so grab whichever is more accessible for you. You can even use egg noodles if that’s all you can get/prefer, they will work just fine.

• Category: Lunch/Dinner
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Vietnamese