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This is the archived version of the Milk Street website and is no longer up to date.

Please visit 177milkstreet.com to see the current website with all of the latest recipes!

Rice Noodle, Cucumber and Herb Salad

4 Servings

30 minutes

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This refreshing noodle salad is our take on a dish that we tasted in Cambodia combined with a recipe from “The Elephant Walk Cookbook” by Longteine de Monteiro and Katherine Neustadt. Thin rice noodles are tossed with cucumber, peanuts and tons of fresh herbs, then dressed in a punchy salty-sweet fish sauce-based dressing. Dried shrimp, soaked in hot water to soften, then chopped, adds unique, umami-rich flavor and texture to the salad, but it’s an optional ingredient (the dish is delicious even without it). Rice vermicelli are thin, wiry noodles; they’re sometimes labeled as maifun or thin rice sticks; don’t confuse them with wide, flat rice sticks used in pad thai or pho. We think the salad is a perfect companion to rich, fatty roasted pork or nicely charred grilled pork skewers.

4

Servings

Tip

Don’t serve the salad immediately after tossing the noodles and cucumbers with the dressing. A 15-minute rest allows the noodles to absorb the flavors and the cucumbers to soften slightly.

30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4

    ounces rice vermicelli (see headnote)

  • ⅓

Directions

Reviews
Hanna T.
August 14, 2025
Wonderful cool noodle salad for hot summer days
I made this with 6 oz of ramen (didn't have enough vermicelli handy) and it turned out great. Will make again!
Deborah W.
June 20, 2025
Fast, easy and delicious
I added thinly sliced tomatoes and cabbage. Perfect summer lunch!

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