VIETNAMESE RICE NOODLE SALAD

Ingredients

• 4 oz (125 g) vermicelli rice noodles
• Boiling water
• 1 tbsp salted butter
• 1 lb (500 g) frozen peeled raw shrimp, thawed and rinsed
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup thinly sliced iceberg lettuce
• 1 cup julienned carrots
• 1 cup julienned cucumber
• 1 cup diagonally sliced green onions
• Lime wedges
• Fresh cilantro or basil leaves
• Spicy Vietnamese Dressing*

Directions

1. Place noodles in a bowl. Pour boiling water over noodles to cover. Let stand until noodles are tender, about 8 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large non-stick frypan over medium-high heat. Add shrimp, lime juice, salt and pepper; cook, stirring frequently, until shrimp are pink and opaque, about 3 minutes. Set shrimp aside.
3. Drain noodles.
4. Divide lettuce among 4 large soup bowls. Top with noodles, shrimp, carrots, cucumber and green onions, dividing equally. Garnish with lime wedges and cilantro. Serve immediately with Spicy Vietnamese Dressing.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/3 cup fish sauce
• 1/4 cup packed golden brown sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tbsp chopped shallot
• 1 Thai red or green chile pepper, halved, seeded and chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2 tbsp shredded carrot

Yield: Makes 1 1/4 cups.

Directions

1. Place all ingredients except carrot in a blender; blend until combined. Let stand for 20 minutes.
2. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Stir in carrots. May be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Stir before using.