The veggie-packed low-calorie Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad is one very healthy, filling, and yummy meal. It is packed with tons of veggies and tossed in sweet and savory dressing. The meal is made with rice noodles, carrot, cucumbers, basil, and cilantro while for the dressing you’ll use soy sauce, lime juice, and rice vinegar. You can add chicken, shrimp, or tofu for a feel of protein.
This salad is under 200 calorie meals.
Ingredients
Vietnamese Salad Dressing
This Vietnamese dressing is spicy, sweet, and savory. The basic recipe for the dressing is stated below.
- 4 tbsp. lime juice
- 2 tbsp. soy sauce (or a mixture of half soy and fish sauce)
- 2 tbsp. brown sugar (or honey)
- 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 Thai red chili pepper (or 1 serrano pepper, seeded and minced)
- Optional: Add some fresh or dried cilantro, mint, and basil
- Creamy version: Add 1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter or almond butter
Just make a mix of everything and keep tasting it to ensure it is as sweet or spicy as you want it. The dressing can be preserved in the fridge for about 120 to 168 hours.
Rice Noodles
- 6 oz. rice noodles
- 1 cup carrots, shredded
- 1 cup cucumber, julienned or sliced thin
- 1 red pepper, julienned or sliced thin
- 1/2 red onion, sliced thin
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup basil (or Thai basil), chopped
- 4 tbsp. lime juice
- 2 tbsp. soy sauce (or a mixture of soy and fish sauce)
- 2 tbsp. brown sugar (or honey)
- 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 Thai red chili pepper (or 1 serrano pepper, seeded and minced)
- 1/4 cup peanuts, chopped.
Instructions
- To start with, cover the rice noodles in cold water and leave it to soak for 10-15 minutes or prepare according to package directions.
- While the rice noodle us soaking, prepare the vegetables and the dressing.
- Drain the water off the rice noodle when it is soft enough.
- Mix the noodles with the vegetable and dressing. You could make a topping with peanuts too.
The 183 calories meal takes a total of just 20 minutes, to get fixed. 15 minutes for prepping and 5 minutes to cook.
| Amount Per Serving | |
| Calories from Fat | 30% |
| Total Fat 3g | |
| Saturated Fat 1g | |
| Monounsaturated Fat 0g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 0g | |
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium 368mg | 16% |
| Total Carbohydrate 34g | 11% |
| Dietary Fiber 2g | 9% |
| Sugars 8g | |
| Protein 4g |
