Go Back
+ servings
Thumbnail of Vietnamese Vermicelli Noodle Bowl with Shrimp
Print Recipe
5 from 15 votes

Vietnamese 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.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main, Salad
Cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese
Servings: 2 Servings
Calories: 391kcal
Author: Joyce Lee

Ingredients

Vegetables

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

Grilled Shrimp

  • 12 large shrimp (sized 16/20, fully thawed if using frozen)
  • 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)

Nuoc Cham Sauce (Full Recipe Post Here)

  • 6 tablespoons hot water
  • 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 clove garlic (finely minced)
  • 2 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (approximately 1 lime, or substitute with white vinegar)
  • 1 birdseye chilli (finely minced, optional)

Hoisin Drizzle Sauce (Optional, In Addition to Nuoc Cham - Full Recipe Post Here)

Toppings & Extra Bits (Optional)

Instructions

Prepare the Vermicelli Noodles

  • 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.)
    Vermicelli noodles soaked in boiling water in a glass bowl
  • Soak it for the amount of time the packaging tells you. For us it was  approximately 1-2 minutes.
  • Check its readiness by taste-testing it. If it's still hard and raw, soak it for an additional minute.
    Once it's done, strain it and portion a bundle into the serving bowls.
    Vermicelli noodles drained

Prepare the Vegetables

  • Soak the bean sprouts in a bowl of cold water for a few seconds and drain it. Repeat this a few times until the water runs clear. Pick out any brown or mushy bean sprouts and discard them.
    Add them to the serving bowl with the noodles.
  • Cut the carrots, cucumbers, pickled daikon into thin matchsticks and put them in a bowl with the vermicelli noodles.
    Vegetables being prepped for Vietnamese vermicelli noodle bowl
  • 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.
  • Finely mince 1 clove garlic and set it aside for later. We will be using this for the nuoc cham dressing.
  • Roughly chop 3 slices ginger and 1 clove garlic and set this aside for the shrimp marinade.

Marinate and Grill the Shrimp

  • In a small bowl, combine the shrimp with 1 tablespoon toasted rice powder, 1 teaspoon sugar, 3 slices ginger (roughly chopped), 1 clove garlic (roughly chopped), ½ tablespoon + 1 teaspoon fish sauce.
    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.
  • Once the shrimp is done, add it to the bowl with the noodles and vegetables.

Make the Nuoc Cham Sauce

  • In a small bowl, dissolve 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon sugar with 6 tablespoons hot water.
  • Once the sugar has dissolved, mix in 2 tablespoon fish sauce, 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, minced garlic, and 1 birdseye chilli (optional)
  • Serve on the side of the noodle bowl and drizzle it on right before serving.

Make the Hoisin Drizzle Sauce (Optional, In Addition to Nuoc Cham)

  • In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce, 2 teaspoons chili oil, 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil and 6 tablespoons water and mix well.
  • Serve on the side of the noodle bowl and drizzle it on right before serving.
    Vietnamese vermicelli noodle bowl with chopsticks on the side

Notes

  • 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.

Nutrition

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