Description
Vietnamese pork noodle bowls, or Bun Thit Nuong, are a vibrant and refreshing dish featuring lemongrass marinated grilled pork served over vermicelli noodles with fresh herbs, crunchy vegetables, and a tangy, sweet-sour fish sauce dressing. This recipe offers a perfect balance of flavors and textures, making it ideal for a light, satisfying lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Lemongrass Marinated Pork
- 8 pieces lemongrass marinated pork (marinated overnight)
Main Ingredients
- 200g (7oz) dried vermicelli noodles
- 1 head soft lettuce (such as butter lettuce), torn into large bite-size pieces or 4 cups shredded iceberg, cos, or romaine lettuce
- 2 cucumbers, halved lengthwise then sliced diagonally about 3mm (0.15″) thick
- 2 cups bean sprouts
- Handful mint leaves
- Handful cilantro/coriander
- 1/4 cup finely chopped unsalted peanuts
- Sliced red chilli for garnish (optional)
- Lime wedges for serving (optional but recommended)
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2-3mm (1/10″) batons
- 1/2 large white radish (daikon), peeled and cut to match carrots
For the Pickled Vegetables
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 4 tsp kosher salt
For the Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce
- 3/4 cup rice vinegar (substitute: apple cider vinegar)
- 4 1/2 tbsp white sugar
- 4 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
- 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 birds eye or Thai chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the Lemongrass Marinated Pork: Marinate the pork overnight in a lemongrass-based marinade to infuse aromatic flavors. When ready to cook, grill or pan-fry the pork pieces over medium-high heat until cooked through and caramelized, about 5-7 minutes per side depending on thickness. Set aside to rest.
- Cook the Vermicelli Noodles: Soak the dried vermicelli noodles in warm water according to package instructions or until soft but still slightly chewy, usually about 5-7 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
- Prepare Pickled Vegetables: Dissolve the salt and sugar in boiling water. Pour this mixture over the thinly sliced carrots and daikon radish in a bowl and let it soak for 10-15 minutes to slightly pickle and soften the vegetables, then drain.
- Make the Nuoc Cham Sauce: In a bowl, combine rice vinegar, rice wine vinegar, lime juice, fish sauce, water, white sugar, finely chopped garlic, and chopped birds eye chillies. Stir well to dissolve sugar completely. Adjust to taste, balancing sour, sweet, salty, and spicy notes.
- Assemble the Noodle Bowls: Divide the cooked vermicelli noodles into four serving bowls. Top with torn lettuce, bean sprouts, fresh mint, cilantro, sliced cucumber, pickled carrots and radish, and grilled pork. Sprinkle finely chopped peanuts and optionally garnish with sliced red chilli. Serve with lime wedges and nuoc cham sauce on the side for drizzling.
Notes
- Marinate the pork overnight to maximize flavor infusion.
- If lacking rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar is a suitable substitute.
- Adjust the amount of birds eye chilli based on your desired spice level.
- Use soft lettuce such as butter lettuce for a tender texture that balances the crunchy vegetables.
- These bowls can be served cold or at room temperature, making them ideal for warm weather meals.
