Hands down, without a doubt, this is one of my favorite recipes I’ve made so far this month. And trust me, that’s really saying something. Behind the scenes I’ve cooked/baked more recipes than you could probably ever guess. So much cooking. But this salad! It’s truly one of those extra special recipes. It’s fresh, beautiful, full of so many textures and flavors, and every last bite is so delicious. I already know I’ll be making this salad from now throughout the summer. Yes, it’s really that good, and what’s most exciting is that this is a salad that just doesn’t get boring. Way too much going on for this salad to ever be boring… Vegetables, rice noodles, marinated grilled mushrooms, crispy shallots, and the most addicting spicy peanut lime vinaigrette. Absolutely nothing boring about that. Here’s the story. My brother Brendan, and (soon to be) sister-in-law Lyndsie, have been down in Round Top, Texas antique shopping for work. They’ve been searching high and low for all the best antique furniture. And in the process, they’ve also been eating some damn good Texas food… Enter this salad. Lyn’s text me the other day saying, what about a “Vietnamese cold rice noodle salad with an Asian marinated Portobello”? The second that text message flew across my screen I knew immediately I’d be making my own version. And I did, that the very next day. And here it is today! My picture perfect spring time salad that I LOVE so very much. Again, it’s a good one. PS. It seems some of my favorite recipes start with “my brother and (soon to be) sister-in-law”…love these two! The details. I know this salad has a long ingredient list, and for that I am so sorry. But hear me out… This is not a hard salad and it’s not time consuming. It’s just full of vegetables and a really delicious vinaigrette, so the ingredients add up. If you’re a good HBH reader, then you already have your pantry stocked with most of these ingredients. And if that’s the case this recipe will be a breeze. First up, marinate those mushrooms. You need a little oil, a little soy sauce, garlic and ginger. Let the mushrooms marinate a few minutes or up to 1 day. While the mushrooms marinate, toss together everything for the salad and make the vinaigrette. The salad is a mix of lettuce, so many carrots, other vegetables, herbs, and rice noodles. The noodles are key. They add that something special to this salad that most salads lack. The noodles, the mushrooms, and the vinaigrette, these are that “something special” component of the salad. The vinaigrette is spicy, tangy, and just a touch peanutty, so all of my favorite things. Honestly, it’s addicting, and can be used in many other recipes. I’m talking peanut noodles, sauce for chicken or steak, or served up with my homemade potstickers. Once you put the salad together and make the vinaigrette, grill up the mushrooms, crisp the shallots, and put everything together. I highly recommend going heavy on the vinaigrette…but that’s just me. I love everything extra saucy, just like my dad. Now, I realize this is not the quickest salad recipe out there, but I promise any extra effort is VERY worth your time. My tip? Double up on the ingredients and do a little meal prep as you are making this. The undressed salad will keep well in the fridge for a few days. It’s just as delicious right out of the fridge as it is warm. So, dinner tonight can be lunch tomorrow, and possibly even for the week, depending on how much you make. With that extra bonus, I hope I’ve now convinced you that you really need to make this salad. Preferably soon because I know once you try it, you too will be making it weekly! And yes, this salad is 100% vegan and gluten free. I don’t know how I did that without even trying, but I did! If you make this Vietnamese rice noodle salad, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
