Vietnamese Noodle Salad (Bun)

Sunny San Diego--already 75 degrees at 8:30 a.m.

Get a job, losers!

It's a scorcher! 85 degrees at the coast and thank goodness I don't live inland. My walking partner Kelly tortured me today with a 2-hour walk that included hills and all the beach access stairs. I love her.

Came home dying from the heat and craving my favorite Vietnamese dish, Bun (pronounce it "boon"). Light and fresh and not an ounce of fat except for the egg rolls which I baked, so cut me some slack, Jack. You can use any meat you want or leave it out altogether.

Things I cannot live without

Bun with Grilled Shrimp and Egg Rolls
For the dressing (nuoc cham), I've adapted about 10 recipes into the one that suits my taste, though you can easily add or reduce anything you want.


Nuoc Cham
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
3 Tbsp. fish sauce (Don't leave this out!)
Juice from 1 lime
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp. Sriracha hot sauce

Whisk all ingredients together and chill.


Bun
1 package thin rice noodles
1/2 lb. shrimp, marinated in 2Tbsp. soy sauce, 2 Tbsp. chopped onion, 1 clove minced garlic, then grilled
Egg rolls (I used Trader Joe's brand), cooked and sliced
Thinly sliced lettuce, carrot, cucumber, and bean sprouts

Prepare rice noodles. To do this, place dried noodles into a large bowl, then pour boiling water over them and let soak for about 2 minutes, until they're tender but still chewy. Drain and chill, then put about a cup of cold noodles into the bottom of your serving bowl. Add veggies on top and then top with shrimp and egg rolls. Pour nuoc cham over everything.

There you have it! A healthy, fresh lunch or dinner that's perfect on a hot day (or any day, for that matter).