• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Pups with Chopsticks logo

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Ingredients
  • How-To
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Asian Ingredients Guide
  • How-To
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Asian Ingredients Guide
    • How-To
    • About
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Asian Recipes

    Vietnamese Grilled Shrimp Vermicelli Noodle Bowl

    May 21, 2017 • Author: Joyce • 23 Comments • This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    5 from 7 votes

    Simple and quick to throw together, this Vietnamese grilled shrimp vermicelli noodle bowl is great for those hot and muggy days when you want a light and refreshing meal without slaving over the stove.

    Sunny warm weather sometimes mean hot and muggy days and on days like that, I lose my appetite for big heavy meals. On top of that, slaving over a stove is usually the last thing on my mind, that's for sure. Vermicelli bowl are awesome for days like that. It's cool, refreshing, light and you can switch up your meats and even go full veggies or even add fruit.

     

    The best part is if you are using the traditional thin vermicelli you don't even need to dirty up a pot to make the noodles. I like just soak them in a bowl with boiling water via kettle (or tap if you're lazy like me) and steam it! Just make sure that the water is REALLY hot if you choose to use tap water. Shrimp literally takes about 5 minutes on the grill (or stove) and just like that - food is ready!

     

    Vietnamese Grilled Shrimp Vermicelli Noodle Bowl

     

     

    INGREDIENTS

    For this Grilled Shrimp Vermicelli Bowl, most ingredients can be found at your local grocery store. I added my Quick Pickled Daikon Radishes to my vermicelli bowl for a bit more flavour but it is completely optional.

    If you have  hard time finding the vermicelli noodles, they can usually be found at a local grocery store or specialty grocery store.

     

    For the lettuce, I like to use the leafy green lettuce over the iceberg lettuce because it has more flavour and more nutrients and it makes for a less watery vermicelli bowl.

     

    Vietnamese Grilled Shrimp Vermicelli Noodle Bowl Ingredients

     

    For the grilled shrimp portion of the recipe, most of the ingredients can be found at the local grocery store. The toasted rice powder might be difficult to find but usually is available at an Asian grocery store. You can also purchase this online here.
    If you are adventurous you can actually make the powder at home! 🙂 Just toast up some glutinous rice until they are golden brown on a frying pan and grind it up! It's really easy to do and a lot cheaper. I go through the process in bit more detail in my Lemongrass Meatballs (Larb Style) - 3 Ways.

     

    Vietnamese Grilled Shrimp Vermicelli Noodle Bowl

     

     

     

    PUTTING IT TOGETHER

    How to cook vermicelli without boiling it

    I like to soak them in boiling hot water in a bowl for a few minutes (covered with a plate), and then drain the water and steam it with the residual heat by covering it with a towel or plate!

    Vietnamese Grilled Shrimp Vermicelli Noodle Bowl

     

    The results are a springy (read: not mushy) vermicelli made at just the right consistency. In short, you soak the vermicelli in a bowl of REALLY hot water for the time it says on the packaging and then strain it and cover it with a cloth to let it steam in it's own heat (rinsing the noodles under cold water is not required). For the full instructions I have a "How to Cook Vermicelli Without Boiling" post that goes into details about how to do this. Keep in mind this method will only work with the very thin vermicelli noodles.

     

    Vietnamese Grilled Shrimp Vermicelli Noodle Bowl

    Vermicelli Bowl

    1. For the vermicelli bowl, cut the carrots, cucumbers, pickled daikon into slivers and put it in a bowl with bean sprouts and vermicelli noodles. (Note: I like to remove the cucumber seeds and snack on them with the pups while I cutting up the cucumbers, this is optional but I find removing the seeds makes for a better texture in noodle bowls)
    2. Finely chop the green leaf lettuce and add that into the vermicelli bowl as well.
    3. Finely chop the green onions, and cut the limes up into wedges and set aside with the basil as a topping after the bowl has been assembled.

    Vietnamese Grilled Shrimp Vermicelli Noodle Bowl

    Sauces

    For the sauce/dressing I usually go with the traditional Nuoc Cham (a light lime fish sauce dressing that is slightly sweet). However, I also came up with a nutty version as well that resembles a half Nuoc Cham half Peanut Sauce dressing that is more flavourful and is something different to switch things up! Both dressings are good, depends on your mood.

    Nuoc Cham Dressing
    1. In a bowl, add hot water and dissolve the sugar.
    2. Once the sugar has dissolved add in the fish sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar, garlic and chilli (optional)
    Nutty Frankenstein Nuoc Cham
    1. In a small bowl combine 1 tablespoon of hoisin sauce and 1 tablespoon of Chinese sesame paste and mix until combined. (If you can't find Chinese sesame paste, you can substitute it with natural unsweetend peanut butter with 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Do not substitute sesame paste 1:1 with Tahini as that is a completely different flavour)
    2. Slowly add in the Nuoc Cham 1 tablespoon at a time to the thick paste until it is smooth and well incorporated. It should look like a runny peanut sauce.
    3. Voila! Something different.

    Grilled Shrimp

    Vietnamese Grilled Shrimp Vermicelli Noodle Bowl

     

    1. In a small bowl marinate the shrimp for 15 minutes with lime juice, sugar, soy, ginger, toasted rice powder and garlic (cut the ginger and garlic into sizes big enough to easily remove, since we don't want to grill the garlic and ginger else it will burn) for 15 minutes.
    2. Once 15 minutes is up, remove the shrimp from the marinade and remove any pieces of ginger and garlic stuck on to it. Skewer them on the sticks.
    3. Set the grill to high heat and when the BBQ is hot, grill the shrimp for approximately 2-3 minutes a side.
    4. Add it to the vermicelli bowl and enjoy!

    Vietnamese Grilled Shrimp Vermicelli Noodle Bowl

     

    Can you make this without a grill? You sure can! Just skip the skewer part and use a frying pan to cook the shrimp! 🙂 You can also switch up the meats and veggies to suit your moods, this is such a fun meal to play around with flavours with!

     

    Vietnamese Grilled Shrimp Vermicelli Noodle Bowl

    Grilled Shrimp Vermicelli Noodle Bowl

    More Vietnamese Recipes You May Like

    • Bo Kho - Vietnamese Beef Stew
    • Nuoc Cham -  Vietnamese Dipping Sauce
    • Vietnamese Grilled Lemongrass Pork Chops
    • Bun Bo Hue - Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup
    • Nem Nuong - Vietnamese Grilled Sausages

    If you like my recipes and want to be updated on when new ones come out, please consider subscribing to my newsletter (we don't spam) and follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for all of my latest recipes!

    Grilled Shrimp Vermicelli Noodle Bowl

    Simple and quick to throw together, this Vietnamese grilled shrimp vermicelli noodle bowl is great for those hot and muggy days when you want a light and refreshing meal without slaving over the stove.
    Print Pin Rate Save Recipe Saved!
    Course: Main, Salad
    Cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    2 Servings
    5 from 7 votes

    Recipe Notes

    • If you can't find chinese sesame paste, you can substitute it with peanut butter with 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Do not substitute sesame paste 1:1 with Tahini as that is a completely different flavour
    • If you can't find Roasted Rice Powder, you can make this at home by taking glutinous/sticky rice and lightly toasting it over the frying pan until brown, then grind it up into a powder.

    Ingredients
     

    Vermicelli Noodle Bowl

    • ½ package rice vermicelli (thin)
    • 1 carrot (cut into thin matchsticks)
    • ½ cucumber (sliced, or cut into matchsticks)
    • 3-4   lettuce leaves (cut finely into thin ribbons)
    • 1 cup pickled daikon radish (cut into thin matchsticks)
    • 1 cup bean sprouts
    • basil
    • lime wedges
    • 1 stalk green onion (finely chopped)

    Grilled Shrimp

    • 12 large shrimp
    • 1 tablespoon toasted rice powder
    • 1 lime (juiced)
    • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • 3 slices ginger (roughly chopped)
    • 1 clove garlic (roughly chopped)
    • ½ tablespoon + 1 teaspoon fish sauce (or soy sauce)
    • Skewers

    Nuoc Cham Sauce

    • 2 tablespoon fish sauce
    • ⅓ cup hot water
    • 2 ½ tablespoon sugar
    • ½ lime (juiced)
    • 1 ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
    • 1-2 cloves garlic (finely minced)
    • 1 birdseye chilli (finely minced, optional)

    Nutty Frankenstein Nuoc Cham Sauce (an alternative to Nuoc Cham)

    • ¼ cup Nuoc Cham
    • 1 tablespoon Chinese sesame paste
    • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

    Toppings & Extra Bits (Optional)

    • crispy fried onions
    • Sriracha chili sauce
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    Vermicelli Noodle Bowl

    • In a heat proof bowl, add the dry vermicelli to it and pour boiling water into it. (Make sure you cover all the noodles with the water.)
    • Use a lid or a plate to cover the bowl to keep the heat in.
    • Soak it for the amount of time the packaging tells you. For us it was  approximately 1-2 minutes.
    • Strain the noodles through a strainer or sieve after they are pliable and feel soft, put it back in the bowl and quickly cover it with a towel to steam it for approximately 3 minutes.
    • Check it's readiness by taste testing! If it's not done and it's no longer hot, add hot water back in and repeat steps 2 and 3. Once it's done, portion a bundle into the serving bowl.
    • Cut the carrots, cucumbers, pickled daikon into slivers and put it in a bowl with bean sprouts and vermicelli noodles.
    • Finely chop the green leaf lettuce and add that into the bowl as well.
    • Finely chop the green onions, and cut the limes up into wedges and set aside inside the bowl after the noodle bowl has been assembled.

    Grilled Shrimp

    • In a small bowl, combine the shrimp with all the ingredients under the Grilled Shrimp ingredient list and marinate it for 10-15 minutes
    • Once the shrimp has marinated for 10-15 minutes, remove the ginger and the garlic from the shrimp so they don't burn on the grill. Skewer the shrimp.
    • Set the grill to high heat, and when it has come to temperature, grill the shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side.
    • Serve the shrimp in the noodle bowl and enjoy!

    Nuoc Cham Sauce

    • In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar with the hot water.
    • Once the sugar has dissolved, combine the rest of the Nuoc Cham ingredients.
    • Serve on the side of the noodle bowl. Tastes best when drizzling it over the noodle bowl, right before eating it.

    Nutty Frankenstein Nuoc Cham Sauce (alternative to Nuoc Cham)

    • In a small bowl, combine the chinese sesame paste with the hoisin sauce until smooth and completely combined
    • Slowly add in the Nuoc Cham 1 tbsp at a time and mix until smooth.
    • Serve on the side of the noodle bowl. Tastes best when drizzling it over the noodle bowl, right before eating it.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 391kcal | Carbohydrates: 91g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2164mg | Sugar: 41g

    *Nutritional information is calculated using online tools and is an estimate*

    Did you try this recipe?I'd love to hear from you! Let me know how it was and consider giving it a rating! Tag me on Instagram with @pupswithchopsticks to show me!
    Made with ♡ by Joyce | Pups with Chopsticks

    Disclaimer: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites, however I provide these links to make items easier to find if you cannot purchase this locally and I would prefer you buy your items locally if possible to support your local shops (and chances are they are cheaper locally as well!) 🙂

     

    More Asian Recipes

    • Chinese Scrambled Eggs and Shrimp
    • Chinese Stir-Fried Ketchup Shrimp
    • Miso Butter
    • Canh Chua (Vietnamese Sweet and Sour Soup)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Theresa says

      August 07, 2022 at 3:19 pm

      5 stars
      This was perfect! Thank you so much, as I haven’t had this dish made so well since my neighborhood Vietnamese restaurant closed. Now I can make it whenever I want!

      Reply
      • Joyce Lee says

        September 07, 2022 at 2:47 pm

        Hi Theresa!
        I'm so happy you can re-create this at home now!! I'm very happy to share and I'm super glad you liked it!

        Reply
    2. Edyta at Innocent Delight says

      March 12, 2018 at 3:25 pm

      5 stars
      This sounds like a perfect meal. I love all the ingredients in this dish.

      Reply
    3. Adriana Lopez Martin says

      March 12, 2018 at 2:48 pm

      5 stars
      What a beautiful dish and yoru pictures are just stunning like works of art! Now I want shrimp and noodles for dinner.

      Reply
    4. Emily says

      March 12, 2018 at 2:31 pm

      5 stars
      This looks absolutely delicious and so healthy too, a perfect recipe for me!

      Reply
    5. Kate | Veggie Desserts says

      March 12, 2018 at 1:28 pm

      I love rice vermicelli noodles so I'll be doing your trick of covering with a cloth to steam! This dish sounds so fragrant and tasty.

      Reply
    6. Danielle says

      March 12, 2018 at 1:14 pm

      That nutty frankenstein nuoc cham sounds absolutely amazing! I'm totally going to have to try it. I love a good noodle bowl, it's one of my go-to meals. When I make vermicelli, I always soak in hot water, but have never done the steaming like you here. I 'll have to try next time and see what difference it makes.

      Reply
    7. Agness of Run Agness Run says

      June 26, 2017 at 5:31 pm

      This is such a versatile and delightful bowl! I would love to give it a try, Joyce!

      Reply
      • Joyce says

        July 04, 2017 at 12:52 pm

        I'm so lad to hear Agness! 🙂

        Reply
    « Older Comments

    Leave a Comment & Rating Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Pups with Chopsticks!

    Hi I’m Joyce Lee and Welcome to Pups with Chopsticks! Good eats and cooking is my passion! Join me in my kitchen as I create, test and share traditional and Asian fusion recipes with step-by-step tutorials. Read More…

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter

    Subscribe to my Newsletter and stay up to date on my latest recipes!

    Welcome to the family! Don't forget to check your inbox or spam folder now to confirm your subscription to fully be subscribed to the newsletter!

    Popular Recipes

    A large bowl of Spicy Korean Pork Bulgogi (Jeyuk Bokkeum) with a plate of lettuce with some rice and pork in it for wrapping

    Spicy Korean Pork Bulgogi

    Bowl of Spicy Bun Bo Hue (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)

    Bun Bo Hue (Spicy Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)

    Korean japchae served in a wooden bowl

    Easy Japchae (Korean Glass Noodles Stir Fry)

    Hakka, Indian Chinese chilli chicken made with crispy chicken chunks and lightly tossed in a spicy chilli sauce.

    Chilli Chicken

    Super crispy beef tossed with a sweet and sticky sauce

    Sweet and Sticky Crispy Beef

    Chinese style beer braised pork belly in a cast iron pan served with fries and noodles

    Beer Braised Pork Belly (Chinese Style)

    Footer

    AS FEATURED ON

    ↑ back to top

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you.
    Thank you for visiting and supporting our little blog

    Privacy Policy · Terms & Conditions
    Copyright © 2021 Pups with Chopsticks · All Rights Reserved

    1773 shares