Here is a riff that I like to do on Vietnamese “bún” – one of the original meals in a bowl! This is a cold salad of vermicelli rice noodles, chicken, fresh herbs and vegetables, and a tangy rice vinegar dressing.
How To Make a Great Noodle Bowl
Rice vermicelli noodles are now widely available at most grocery stores, or you can find them online. The two noodles look similar, but mung bean noodles tend to be sticky once cooked and are better suited to other dishes. Rice vermicelli separates into fine threads after cooking, which are easier to pick up with chopsticks or a fork. The meat for making bún is often grilled, but for an easy weeknight meal, I like to just cook it in the oven. First I coat the chicken with a mix of oyster sauce and hoisin (a combination that I like), then I bake it covered with foil. This helps keep the chicken moist as it cooks. When it’s done, I sear the breasts quickly in a skillet to caramelize the outside and add some charred flavor. By the way, if you do want to grill your chicken, I recommend using bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. Cook it without sauce over high heat, then transfer to low heat, baste with the sauce, and finish cooking. The chicken noodle bowls are finished with a simple rice vinegar dressing seasoned with ginger, and garnished with fresh mint, cilantro, scallions, and chopped peanuts. (Many bún recipes use lime in the dressing, but I like squeezing fresh lime over the top instead.) You get crunch and sweetness, a hit of vinegar, a soft pillow of noodles, and bites of caramelized chicken – all in one bowl. This is a “meal in a bowl” at its best!
Easy Recipes To Serve With Noodle Bowls
Vietnamese Style Sticky Chicken Skewers Miso Glazed Chicken Wings Shrimp Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce Sweet Potato Pancake Lettuce Wraps Jamu (Indonesian Turmeric Ginger Drink)
This recipe calls for seasoned rice vinegar, which includes sugar and salt. If you are using unseasoned rice vinegar, the dressing will taste very tart. You may need to add up to 8 teaspoons of additional sugar. Keep adding it a little at a time until it tastes nicely balanced. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. With a slotted spoon, remove and discard the ginger and garlic. Taste the dressing for seasoning and add more sugar, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, if you like. The dressing should be a nice balance of vinegary and sweet. This can be prepared several days in advance; keep refrigerated. Arrange the chicken in an 8x8 baking dish in one layer. Cover with foil and cook for 35 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the middle of the breasts registers 165°F. Drain into a colander, rinse with cold water, and shake the colander to remove excess water. (If the chicken isn’t quite ready yet, cover the noodles with cool water to keep them from drying out. Drain before serving.) Remove from the pan, and allow to cool briefly. Slice the chicken thinly, keeping the slices together if possible.
