[ID: A large bowl filled with rice noodles, julienned carrot and cucumber, piles of herbs, and grilled 'chicken' strips; a bowl of sauce with minced chili and garlic is to the side. End ID]
Bún sườn nướng chay (Vietnamese rice noodle salad)
This is a vegetarian ("chay") version of bún gà nướng, a Vietnamese rice noodle ("bún") salad with grilled chicken ("gà nướng"). Chewy rice noodles, fresh vegetables and herbs, and a tangy, slightly spicy sauce combine with grilled or pan-seared 'chicken' to create a rich, flavorful, well-rounded dish. A marinade of lemongrass, sugar, garlic, and vegetarian fish sauce caramelizes around the 'chicken' as it sears, creating a sweet-and-savory crispy coating that perfectly complements the bright, herbacious salad. This dish can be made with Vietnamese sườn non chay, or with any meat substitute you have on hand.
Recipe under the cut!
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Serves 4.
Ingredients:
For the nước chấm (dipping sauce):
1/2 cup water
Juice of 1 lime (2 Tbsp)
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/4 cup vegan fish sauce
3 Tbsp sugar
1 red chili (de-seeded and sliced)
3 cloves garlic, minced
Fish sauce doesn’t take “like” fish, merely fermented and intensely salty. You can buy a bottle of ready-made vegan fish sauce from a Southeast Asian brand such as Au Lac, or you can make your own by combining the following ingredients:
For the vegan fish sauce (nước mắm):
3 Tbsp liquid from a jar of fermented bean curd
1 Tbsp white miso paste
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt
For the chicken (gà):
300g vegan chicken substitute (I used Gardein), or 100g sườn non chay
2 cloves garlic
1 stalk lemongrass (or substitute lemon zest or a bit of preserved lemon pulp)
Juice of 1 lime (2 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp vegan fish sauce
1 Tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
1 Tbsp Vietnamese soy sauce
2 tsp vegetarian 'chicken' broth concentrate, or bột nêm chay (optional)
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp neutral oil
Sườn non chay may be found in bags online or at your local Asian grocery–the bags will be labelled “sườn non chay” as well as “vegan meat slice,” “textured soy bean protein,” “vegetarian food,” or “vegan food.”
Bột nêm is a Vietnamese seasoning sold in powder or granule form. Vegetarian (“chay”) versions of the seasoning may contain shiitake mushroom, lotus seeds, carrots, tomatoes, and kohlrabi, as well as salt and MSG. It can be purchased in pouches or boxes from an Asian grocery store, or you can use any other vegetable stock powder.
For the salad:
300g vermicelli rice noodles
2 cups bean sprouts
1 large carrot (julienned)
1 seedless cucumber (julienned)
6 leaves romaine lettuce (julienned)
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 bunch fresh rau răm (Vietnamese mint), or mint
2 stalks green onion, sliced
Handful of peanuts
Fresh Vietnamese herbs can be found in the refrigerator section of an Asian grocery store, particularly one that specializes in southeast Asian food. You can also experiment with whatever leafy herbs you have on hand.
Instructions:
For the chicken:
1. (If using sườn non chay:) soak meat slices in cool water until rehydrated. Squeeze out excess water and cut each slice in half along its shortest dimension, to get two blocks of the original height and width.
2. Slice lemongrass. Peel away any tough, dry outer leaves to reveal the yellow-green leaves within. Remove the root end of each stalk, as well as the tough green portion at the top of each stalk (reserve this latter to boil in stocks). Thinly slice the tender yellow portion of each stalk.
3. Mix all marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Marinate chicken for 20-30 minutes while you prepare the nước chấm and vegetables.
4. Remove the chicken from the bowl, leaving any excess marinade behind. Heat a couple teaspoons of oil on medium in a large pan then sear the chicken, turning once, until deeply golden brown on both sides (or use a charcoal grill). (If using a pan) filter marinade to remove lemongrass slices, then pour extra marinade over the chicken and cook, stirring often, until coated.
5. Cut chicken into strips, or as desired.
For the nước chấm:
1. Mix vinegar, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Remove from heat and add minced garlic and chili. Pour into a bowl and allow to cool.
For the salad:
1. Boil the vermicelli according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cool water to halt cooking. Toss with a little bit of neutral oil to avoid sticking.
2. Roast peanuts in a dry pan on medium-low, stirring often, until golden brown and fragrant.
3. Julienne carrot, cucumber, and lettuce. Roughly chop herbs.
4. Plate vermicelli followed by vegetables, herbs, chicken, and peanuts. Spoon some nước chấm over the salad and set remainder to the side to serve.
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