Vietnamese Noodle Salad Bowl with Spring Rolls (Bún Chả Giò) is one of my Top 10 ‘things to make if I have guests over’ meals. If you’re looking for a light yet satisfying meal that’s bursting with freshness and bold flavors, the Vietnamese Noodle Salad Bowl known as Bún is the perfect choice. This dish is a beautiful balance of textures and tastes, combining tender rice vermicelli noodles, crisp vegetables, fragrant herbs, and savory grilled protein, in this case, we are pairing this with spring rolls. It’s topped with crunchy roasted peanuts and finished with nước chấm, a classic Vietnamese dipping sauce made from fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, garlic, and chili. It’s sweet, sour, salty, and spicy all in one.
What makes Bún so beloved is its versatility. You can customise it with grilled lemongrass chicken, marinated pork, prawns, or spicy tofu to suit any dietary preference. It’s gluten-free, naturally dairy-free, and easily adaptable for vegans by using soy-based alternatives.
Vietnamese Noodle Salad Bowl with Spring Rolls (Bún Chả Giò) is ideal for warmer days when you want something refreshing but still crave something hearty. The cold noodles and crisp raw vegetables make it feel like a salad, but the protein and dressing bring satisfying depth. It also makes an excellent meal prep option – just store the components separately and assemble when ready to eat. You can also keep a big batch of the dressing in the fridge!
Vietnamese Noodle Salad Bowl
Ingredients
For the Bowl:
- 200g vermicelli noodles, cooked, rinsed under cold water and drained
- 1/2 cucumber, julienned
- 2 cups lettuce, shredded or mixed salad leaves
- 1 cup beansprouts (optional)
- 1/2 brown onion, sliced
- fresh herbs, mint, coriander, Thai basil
- crushed roasted peanuts
- pickled carrots and daikon,
- crispy shallots, (optional)
- lime wedges, for serving
- spring onion oil, neutral oil and spring onion microwaved for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Instructions
- Sauté onion and beansprouts until onions are slightly charred. Set aside. (optional topping)
- Combine pickle ingredients, full recipe for pickled carrots and daikon here.
- Combine fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, water, garlic, and chilli in a small bowl. Stir until sugar dissolves. Full recipe for the dressing here.
- Fry spring rolls until crispy golden brown.
- In a large bowl, layer noodles, lettuce, herbs, cucumber, carrots, onion and bean sprouts. Cut the spring rolls into bite-sized pieces, drizzle with nước chấm, and sprinkle with peanuts.
- Serve immediately with extra herbs, lime wedges, and more sauce on the side.
Notes
- Authentic Thai fish sauce
- Made from fresh anchovies and salt
- Naturally fermented for 18 months to achieve quality fish sauce
- Can be used for stir-frying, marinating and also for dipping
