Vietnamese Shrimp Bún (Vermicelli Salad)
Bún has always been my go-to Vietnamese entrée when it’s warm outside – it’s fresh, tangy, and filling. This recipe, also known as Bun Tom Heo Nuong is topped with freshly cooked shrimp (typically barbecued, but I sauté them), lettuce, fresh herbs, and pickled veggies. The ingredients for this recipe should be easy to source from the Asian section of your local grocery store.
This recipe requires a bit of prep work and has a lot of parts, but once all the chopping and stirring is out of the way, it’s insanely easy and tasty to prepare. It may seem daunting at first, but you’ll need about thirty minutes to marinate the shrimp and pickle the vegetables which gives you the perfect amount of time to prep all the veggies and make the sauce. After that, it’s just a matter of combining everything really!
Ingredients
Quick-Pickled Veggies
2 carrots
2 small radishes (daikon, purple, or watermelon)
1/2 a seedless cucumber
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup white sugar
Dash of salt
Sautéed Shrimp
14 large shrimp
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon fish sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste
Vegetable oil
Bún
6 oz rice vermicelli
1/3 cup lettuce leaves
Fresh mint, fresh cilantro to taste
Optional: Nuoc Cham (Dipping Sauce)
Juice from 1 large lime
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce (optional)
Instructions
Prep Your Ingredients: Prepare the noodles according to the package instructions and divide into two bowls. Start with the quick-pickled vegetables: in a small bowl, combine the distilled white vinegar, sugar, warm water, and salt. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Taste and add more sugar if you’d like the vegetables to be a bit sweeter. Julienne the carrot and cucumber and thinly slice the radishes. Add to the liquid mixture and refrigerate. Next, marinate the shrimp: peel and wash the shrimp, leaving on the tails and pat dry. In a small bowl, combine turmeric, fish sauce, and salt and pepper. Add the shrimp to the bowl with the marinade and toss to coat. Set aside for 30 minutes. While the veggies are pickling and the shrimp are marinating, begin prepping the rest of the veggies. First, thinly slice the lettuce leaves and mint leaves. Roughly chop the cilantro. Make the nuoc cham: combine all ingredients and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
1. Make the shrimp. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a skillet until very hot (the oil should be shimmering but not quite smoking). Add the shrimp in an even layer (being careful not to overcrowd; cook the shrimp in batches if need be). Cook without moving until the shrimp are beginning to crisp up on the bottom (about 2-3 minutes). Flip the shrimp and cook an additional minute or so on the other side or until the shrimp are cooked through and opaque. Set aside and keep warm.
Plate it up: Divide the lettuce between the two bowls, tucking the lettuce leaves below the noodles slightly. Top with cilantro and mint leaves. Add the quick-pickled veggies, being careful to drain additional liquid before adding to the salad. Top with the sautéed shrimp. Serve with nuoc cham, sriracha, hoisin, or soy sauce (or all of the above).
Recipe adapted from Rasa Malaysia.