Thursday 19 May 2016

Bún Chay (Vietnamese Veggie Noodle Salad)


Bún Chay is one of those dishes that will never get boring. The combination of fresh aromatic herbs along with crunchy fresh veggies, crispy sesame tofu and sweet/salty/sour sauce will keep me coming back to this recipe time and time again! This dish is so quick to throw together and is perfect for warm summer evenings. 

I used carrot and cucumber for this particular bowl but you can throw in whatever needs used in your fridge - I usually add some beansprouts too but I forgot on this occasion! Fresh bell peppers, sugar-snap peas and radishes will all work a treat in this dish.

The herbs are what give this dish such a fresh and interesting flavour - so don't be shy when adding them! 

Noodles/Tofu/Salad/Herbs
  • 2 servings of dried rice vermicelli
  • 225g pack of Clearspot Naturally Smoked Tofu (or a firm tofu of your choice)
  • Sesame oil
  • A few handfuls of chopped lettuce
  • A handful of beansprouts
  • Half a cucumber sliced into sticks
  • 2 carrots sliced into sticks
  • One handful each of fresh chopped basil, coriander and mint - plus some sprigs left over for decoration
  • Chopped salted peanuts to top (I had none so I used toasted sesame seeds instead - still good!)
Sauce
  • 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp liquid aminos (you can also use soy sauce)
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 grated clove garlic
  • 1 tsp coconut sugar

Method
Start by making your sauce - whisk all ingredients together and set aside. 

Cut your tofu block into squares about half an inch in thickness. Press these with some kitchen towel to remove excess water. Add a tbsp of sesame oil to a pan and heat on med-low heat then add tofu squares and fry for about 10 mins. Once this time is up, turn over and fry the other side for about 5 mins (or until nice and crispy). Remove from pan and allow to cool for a few minutes - once cool, chop into cubes and set aside. 

While your tofu is frying prepare your rice noodles per the package instructions. Once these are ready, rinse with cold water and set aside.

Arrange your lettuce, carrots, cucumber, beansprouts and fresh herbs in bowls. Add rice noodles to each bowl and pour over sauce. 

Add tofu cubes and garnish with chopped peanuts and leftover herb sprigs.


ENJOY :) 


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