Tucked into a takeaway box, noodle salads are a delicious meal to eat in your favorite park (or to wolf down right on the sidewalk). Healthy and fresh, these Spicy Chicken Noodle Vegetable Bowls don’t need to be eaten piping hot—perfect for a summer day!
Main squeeze
Lemongrass paste, garlic paste, and many pureed herbs are available in squeeze tubes in the refrigerated section of the produce department in most grocery stores. This format is convenient and perfect for using in marinades. It provides oodles of flavor without the worry of burning little bits when grilling.
Spicy Chicken Noodle Vegetable Bowls
Ingredients
Spicy chicken
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 Tbsp grapeseed oil
- 2 tsp low-sodium tamari
- 2 tsp lemongrass paste
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 large organic chicken breast (about 6 oz), skinned and boned
Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce)
- 2 Tbsp lime juice (or to taste)
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar, gluten free if desired
- 2 tsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp fish sauce (or to taste)
- 1 tsp finely minced bird’s eye chili
Noodle Bowls
- 3 oz dry rice vermicelli noodles
- 2 tsp grapeseed oil
- 1 cup finely shredded red cabbage, blanched and chilled
- 1 large carrot, finely shredded
- 1/2 unpeeled English cucumber, julienned
- 1 cup bean sprouts, blanched and chilled
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
- Lime wedges for garnish
- 2 green onions, diagonally sliced
Instructions
- In large bowl, combine all spicy chicken ingredients except chicken breast and whisk to blend. Add chicken breast and stir to evenly coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, or overnight for more tenderness.
- In small bowl, stir nuoc cham ingredients together. Add more lime juice or fish sauce to taste if you wish. Set aside.
- In bowl of hot water, soak noodles for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water to prevent them from sticking together. Set aside.
- In frying pan, heat 2 tsp grapeseed oil. Remove chicken from marinade and place in pan. Fry over medium heat until chicken is golden brown on both sides and a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion of the breast reads 165 F. Transfer chicken to cutting board to rest for 5 minutes. Slice crosswise into thin strips.
- Divide noodles between 2 bowls. Top with vegetables and drizzle with equal amounts of nuoc cham. Arrange sliced chicken over top and tuck cilantro and lime wedges on the side. Sprinkle with green onions. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
Per serving: 348 calories; 26 g protein; 13 g fat (2 g sat. fat); 34 g total carbohydrates (11 g sugars, 5 g fiber); 531 mg sodium