Spring Roll Salad With Peanut Dressing (Print)
Vibrant Vietnamese-inspired salad with crisp vegetables, rice noodles, and creamy peanut dressing. Fresh, light, and ready in 35 minutes.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Salad Components
01 - 3.5 ounces rice vermicelli noodles
02 - 1 medium carrot, julienned
03 - 1 small cucumber, seeded and julienned
04 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
05 - 4 radishes, thinly sliced
06 - 1 cup shredded red cabbage
07 - 1 cup bean sprouts
08 - 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
09 - 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves
10 - 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
11 - 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
12 - 8 large butter lettuce leaves
→ Peanut Dressing
13 - 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
14 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
15 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
16 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
17 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
18 - 1 clove garlic, minced
19 - 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
20 - 1-2 tablespoons warm water to thin as needed
21 - 1 teaspoon sesame oil, optional
22 - 1/2-1 teaspoon sriracha or chili sauce, optional
# How To Make:
01 - Cook the rice vermicelli noodles according to package directions. Rinse thoroughly under cold water to stop cooking and prevent sticking. Drain well and set aside in a separate bowl.
02 - Julienne the carrot and cucumber. Thinly slice the red bell pepper and radishes. Shred the red cabbage. Rinse and pat dry the bean sprouts. Pick the cilantro, mint, and basil leaves from stems. Keep the lettuce leaves whole for serving.
03 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar, honey, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil until smooth and creamy. Gradually add warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until reaching a pourable consistency. Adjust sriracha to taste for heat.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked noodles, carrot, cucumber, bell pepper, radishes, cabbage, bean sprouts, and half of each herb. Toss gently with salad servers or hands to distribute evenly.
05 - Drizzle half the peanut dressing over the salad mixture and toss again until everything is lightly coated. Arrange butter lettuce leaves on individual serving plates. Top each lettuce cup with a generous portion of the dressed salad.
06 - Scatter the remaining fresh herbs and chopped roasted peanuts over the plated salads. Serve immediately with extra peanut dressing passed separately at the table for additional drizzling.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The dressing comes together in minutes but tastes like something from a restaurant
- You can prep everything ahead and assemble when you're ready to eat
02 -
- The dressing thickens as it sits, so add another splash of warm water before serving if needed
- Butter lettuce cups make this feel special, but you can also serve it over mixed greens
03 -
- Use a vegetable peeler to create quick, uniform ribbons from the carrot and cucumber
- Toast the peanuts in a dry pan for 2 minutes before crushing for deeper flavor