Vietnamese Shrimp Salad Recipe

Bright herbs, succulent shrimp, pungent fish sauce, and plenty of fresh vegetables—you could find a similar salad in many Vietnamese restaurants. And for good reason: it’s a winning combination. Serve a big bowl alongside grilled seafood for a southeast Asian dinner, or dole out smaller portions for a satisfying lunch.

Vietnamese Shrimp Salad

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Active Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the shrimp:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced

For the salad:
2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
Large handful mung bean sprouts
4 carrots, cut in matchsticks
1 english cucumber, cut in matchsticks
2 packages shirataki noodles, rinsed for 30 seconds and drained
1 cup mint leaves
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
Lime slices, to serve
1/3 cup roughly chopped cashews

For the dressing:
Juice of 2 limes
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon coconut aminos
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons sesame oil

Instructions

Cook the shrimp
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season shrimp with salt and pepper and sauté until cooked through. About 30 seconds before removing from pan, stir in garlic.

Assemble the salad
Arrange the romaine, sprouts, carrots, cucumbers, noodles, mint, and cilantro on a large platter. Top with shrimp and lime slices and sprinkle with cashews.

Dress and serve
Stir together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and spoon over the salad to serve.

Photo credit: Paul Delmont