Vietnamese Flavors In A Weeknight Noodle Bowl
One of my favorite ingredients to work with even before going gluten-free is rice vermicelli! The light, stringy noodles are perfect for soups, spring rolls, and especially salads. They absorb so much flavor when paired with a sauce. If you haven’t tried them before, then I hope that this review will entice you even just a little bit to enjoy this rice noodle!
Today’s recipe is for a Vietnamese-Inspired Noodle Bowl! It’s bursting with flavor from the marinated meat to the veggies, and even to the Nuoc Cham sauce poured over each bowl. So, let’s stop teasing you all with details and get to the actual review!
This recipe is courtesy of Joyous Apron and it can be found right -> here!
The Marinated Pork Will Leave You Drooling…
This recipe is extremely easy to make, which is why I am singing the praises for this recipe so early in this review. Easy to make and extremely flavorful? This is your winner! Once you make all the components of this recipe, everything comes together at the end. The magic starts with the thinly sliced pork.
It is extremely important that you give the pork the proper amount of time to marinate, so prepare this ahead of time. The recipe states to marinate for at least 1 hour or up to a few hours. If you go over an hour, your will be okay. I don’t know about keeping it in the marinate overnight, so just stick to a few hours, if possible. You want that pork to absorb all that delicious flavor. In fact, I have to say the lemongrass is such a rockstar for this pork. It truly is! It was my first time actually working with lemongrass.
Now, when it comes to cooking, you want to cook it on both sides, so that it chars a little bit. With some of the marinade still on the pork, the charring can come rather quickly, so keep an eye on it so that it doesn’t burn. Because I don’t have a grill, I cooked my marinaded pork in a hot skillet. If you do have access to a grill or grill pan, then I highly recommend using that. That slight char combined with the actual flavor of the pork is outstanding. There’s just something about meat that is actually grilled that makes quite the difference. Worry not, because the way I made it tasted absolutely perfect, too.
A Noodle Bowl For All The Senses
Food is delicious when you taste it, obviously, however, a meal like this delights all the senses. You have a bowl full of beautiful colors that makes you smile before you even taste it. The smells of the nuoc cham sauce and the charred pork fill your nose–and of course, the variety of texture with the remaining toppings! Crispy carrots, crunchy peanuts, chewy noodles–it’s honestly such a delightful meal. I highly recommend it for a meal any day of the week.
Plus, this makes for delicious leftovers too. Just make sure to reserve some of the nuoc cham sauce for the noodles as the rice noodles will become sticky.
Grey’s Grade: 5/5
This recipe for a Vietnamese Noodle Bowl was incredibly easy to make and yes–it tastes as good as it looks. Truly. It is such an incredibly refreshing dish that without a doubt is added into my menu rotation. It certainly isn’t something you make every day, but for a light and colorful meal–this is a keeper. Plus, if you’re looking to meal plan a little bit, then this is going to be an awesome option. I can guarantee you that everyone will think you have takeout in your container when in fact it’s just you doing a great job recreating this recipe by Joyous Apron!
If you enjoy Vietnamese flavors, then this is a must try. If you’re looking to venture out of your flavor comfort-zone, then this is a must-try. Have I mentioned that it’s a must-try?
If you enjoy noodles bowls, what are your favorites? Leave a comment with some of your favorites and I’ll be happy to give them a try, or even try to transform them into gluten-friendly recipes for all to enjoy!
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