Vietnamese Prawn Salad

3.80 (10)
⏱ 20 mins 🍽 Serves 2 🌶 vietnamese ✅ Easy 🏷 Main course

This vibrant salad takes inspiration from the Vietnamese dish Bun xao. It combines tender rice noodles with cooked tiger prawns, crisp matchsticks of cucumber and carrot, and fresh herbs. A dressing of lime juice, garlic, chilli and sugar brings it all together with a sweet and tangy flavour. Topped with roasted peanuts, it's a light yet fulfilling meal that comes together in about 20 minutes.

Vietnamese Prawn Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 small garlic clove finely chopped
  • 1 small red chilli deseeded and finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp golden caster sugar
  • juice 2 limes
  • 250g thin rice noodles
  • 150g pack cooked tiger prawns halved along their spine
  • 1/2 cucumber peeled, deseeded and cut into matchsticks
  • 1 carrot cut into matchsticks or grated
  • 6 spring onions shredded
  • handful coriander and/or mint leaves
  • 1 tbsp roasted peanuts chopped

Method

  1. For the dressing, use a pestle and mortar to mash the garlic, chilli and sugar together.
  2. Stir the lime juice and 3 tbsp water into the mashed mixture, then set it aside.
  3. Boil a kettle of water and place the noodles in a bowl.
  4. Cover the noodles completely with the boiling water and let them stand for 10 mins until tender.
  5. Drain the softened noodles and share them equally between two serving bowls.
  6. Combine the prawns with the cucumber, carrot and spring onions in a separate bowl.
  7. Divide the prawn and vegetable mixture between the two bowls of noodles.
  8. Scatter the coriander and mint leaves over each salad.
  9. Finish by sprinkling the chopped peanuts on top.
  10. Pour the prepared dressing over the assembled salads just before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories579 kcal
Fat4 g
Saturates3 g
Carbs117 g
Sugars14 g
Fibre2 g
Protein27 g
Sodium664 mg
Salt1 g

Recipe details

Skill levelEasy
CategoryMain course
Cuisinevietnamese
DietDairy-free, Gluten-free