Vermicelli Salad with Grilled Shrimp & Ginger-Peanut Butter Dressing
If I had to pick a last meal, there’s a fifty-fifty chance I’d pick Vietnamese food. (It’s either that or pizza.) I’m obsessed with the simplicity of the ingredients, the liberal use of fresh herbs and vegetables, and the salty-spicy-sweet combination of flavors.
For this dish, I’ve combined all of the things I love so much about Vietnamese food in a refreshing summer salad. It’s got it all – the slippery rice stick noodles, the crunchy fresh vegetables, the bright fresh herbs, and a tangy ginger and peanut butter dressing that does double-duty as a marinade for the grilled shrimp that sit atop it all. It’s an absolutely delicious and refreshing recipe that’s perfect for warmer weather headed our way.
- Yield:4 servings
- Prep Time:15 minutes
- Cook Time:15 minutes
- Total Time:30 minutes
Ingredients
For Ginger-Peanut Dressing:
1/4 cup Peanut Butter & Co. Smooth Operator
3 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 t tbsp honey
1 tbsp lemongrass paste
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp water
For Vermicelli Salad:
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 oz rice stick noodles
1 English cucumber, cut into small matchsticks
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh mint leaves, for garnish
Directions
Make the Ginger-Peanut Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, rice vinegar, lime juice, honey, lemongrass paste, ginger, soy sauce and water.
Prepare the Vermicelli Salad: In a large zip-top plastic bag, combine the shrimp with half of the dressing. Toss to coat, then transfer to the refrigerator to marinate for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water as per package directions. Drain well and run under cold water to stop the cooking process.
Preheat a lightly oil gas or charcoal grill (or a lightly oiled grill pan, if you don’t have an outdoor grill.)
Remove the shrimp from the marinade and thread onto four metal skewers. Arrange on the hot grill and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until the shrimp are pink and barely opaque all the way through.
In a large mixing bowl, toss together the noodles with the cucumber, red pepper, green onion and bean sprouts. Pour over the remainder of the dressing, and toss to coat evenly.
To assemble, divide the noodle salad between four serving bowls, and top each one with a skewer of grilled shrimp. Serve immediately.
Tags: asian Dinner Lunch Noodles Pasta Peanut butter Peanut Butter & Co. Savory Shrimp Smooth Operator Uncategorized Vegetables