Vietnamese Noodle Salad

I wanted to include quick and tasty salads in my lunch options, this one is super simple but the dressing brings it all to life. You can either have this completely veggie or it would be cracking with prawns or chicken. I was inspired by one of my favourite dips that comes with the crispy squid at Pho, a Vietnamese street food restaurant. Punchy and tangy, the perfect balance of sweet and sour. You can even add a hotter chilli if you are brave enough. It would be the perfect accompaniment to dip crispy chicken in. If you aren't a fan of udon noodles like my Husband, it would be lovely with vermicelli. The dressing is packed full of flavour, so you will only need about 2 teaspoons per serving. You also won't need any added salt as you get enough from the fish sauce.

Ingredients, Salad

• Udon Noodles or noodles of your choice
• 2 Pac Choi
• 1 Carrot
• Mangetout
• 1 red chilli
• Coriander

Directions, Salad

1. Blanch pac choi and mangetout in a frying pan with a little water for 5-6 minutes, leave with a bit of a bite.
2. Using a peeler, create strips of carrot.
3. Chop red chilli finely.
4. Cook your noodles in water for a few minutes or cheat and buy ready to go ones you simply heat up.
5. Drain everything and mix together in a bowl.

Ingredients, Dressing

• 50ml of lime juice
• 40ml of fish sauce
• 2 tsp of rice vinegar
• 2 tsp of caster sugar
• 1 finely chopped clove of garlic
• 1/2 a finely chopped red chilli
• 1/2 a finely chopped shallot
• Bunch of chopped coriander

Directions, Dressing

1. Finely chop chilli, shallot, garlic and coriander.
2. In a bowl, mix lime juice, vinegar, sugar and fish sauce.
3. Add chilli, shallot and coriander and mix well.