A huge thank you to House Foods for sponsoring this post! When I traveled in Vietnam years ago, one of my favorite dishes to eat bún thjt nuóng, rice noodles with grilled meat. They were usually served at these curbside “restaurants” with short tables set up on the sidewalk adorned with small mismatched plastic chairs. The menus weren’t extensive, but what they actually served was done very well. What you got was a plate full of rice noodles with pickled vegetables and fresh herbs topped with meat fresh off the grill. My goodness, that stuff is good. This lemongrass chicken noodle salad is inspired by the bún thjt nuóng I ate in Vietnam. I marinated chicken with a lemongrass and coconut sauce and quickly pan-fried them. Instead of the traditional rice noodles, I used House Foods’ fettuccine-shaped tofu shirataki noodles that are low in calories and carbs. I LOVE using these noodles for summer salads because they’re light yet they still fill me up. I paired the noodles with some crisp vegetables and dressed the salad with fish sauce, lime juice, a light drizzle of sesame oil, a tiny bit of sugar, and a pinch of salt. The entire dish comes together pretty quickly, and it’s perfect for dinner! The leftovers are great for lunch the next day, too!
MASTERING MY MISTAKES / COOKING NOTES
Grating Lemongrass: For this recipe, I suggest grating your lemongrass instead of chopping it. Lemongrass is quite stringy and doesn’t break down that easy. The first few times I tried this recipe, I blended sliced lemongrass with the other ingredients, and the marinade didn’t turn out as smooth as I would have liked. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t grate the lemongrass. Just mince with your knife. However, you might notice a few bits of lemongrass in your chicken when you cook it.Marinating the Chicken: To make sure that the chicken soaks up enough flavor from the marinade, make sure to leave it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Better yet, marinate the chicken overnight!Variations: For a vegetarian version, used extra-firm tofu. Just chop the tofu into cubes before marinating it.
Disclosure: This recipe is sponsored by House Foods. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep me inspired in the kitchen! To learn more about House Foods products and recipes, check them out at their website or follow them on Facebook!
