Lemongrass Shrimp Noodle Bowl

More than ever, we are cooking our meals at home. Vietnamese noodle bowls make for an easy, quick and healthy lunch or dinner. This version has grilled shrimps marinated with lemongrass and fish sauce. This recipe is easy to make ahead and requires whatever vegetable that you have on hand to complete the dish.

Difficulty: Easy / Servings: 4 / Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pound of jumbo shrimps (deveined and without shell)

2 and 1/2 tablespoons garlic

3 tablespoons minced lemongrass (If you don’t have lemongrass, you can still marinate the shrimps with the remaining ingredients. It won’t be as fragrant, but it will still be tasty. Squeeze some lime juice onto the shrimp before eating to mimic the refreshing citrus notes of lemongrass.)

2 tablespoons of diced onion

3 tablespoons + 1/2 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon +3 tablespoons of fish sauce

1/2 teaspoon of soy sauce

1 cup of Coco Rico soda (coconut soda) – (This is for the vinaigrette sauce. If you do not have coconut soda, I have also provided an alternative for this recipe below.)

1 minced Thai chilies

1 teaspoon of chili paste (optional)

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1/8 teaspoon of salt

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of sugar

1/2 teaspoon lime juice

1 package of vermicelli noodles or rice noodles cooked according to directions on the package.

Toppings (suggested or use what you have in the fridge):

1 to 2 cups of romaine lettuce, julienne

1 cucumber, julienne

A handful of mint leaves

A handful of parsley, rough chopped

Directions:

Marinate the shrimps for 5 minutes with the following ingredients:

1 tablespoon of diced onion, 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of minced lemongrass, 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper, 1/8 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of fish sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of oil.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil with 1 tablespoon of diced onion and 1 tablespoon of minced lemongrass on high until the onions become translucent.

Saute the shrimps until they turn pink and the flesh are firm. This will only take a few minutes.

Cook the rice noodles according to the directions on the package. A trick that I used to cook rice noodles quickly is to soak them in cold water while I prepare the dish. This will shorten the cooking time to just a few minutes.

Make the sauce:

Option 1: Combine 3 tablespoons of fish sauce, 1 cup of coconut soda, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon lime juice, 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of garlic, 1 minced Thai chili and 1 teaspoon of chili paste (optional).

Option 2:

If you do not have coconut soda, you can make the sauce by combining 3 tablespoons of fish sauce, 4 tablespoons of sugar, 1 cup of lukewarm water, 1/2 teaspoon lime juice, 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of garlic, 1 minced Thai chili and 1 teaspoon of chili paste (optional).

In a bowl, combine cooked vermicelli noodles, julienne lettuce and cucumber, mint and parsley. Top the bowl with shrimps and pour the sauce over everything. Mix well and enjoy.