VIETNAMESE MEATBALL SALAD

Asian|Chicken|Pasta|Salad

Ingredients

The Nuoc Cham Dressing:

1 cup warm water

½ cup sugar

2 teaspoons lime zest

½ cup fresh lime juice

⅓ cup fish sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeño or Thai chili, finely chopped

The Peanut Sauce:

⅔ cup peanut butter

¼ cup rice wine vinegar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons ginger root, peeled and minced

2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

2-4 tablespoons warm water

The Meatballs:

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon ginger root, peeled and minced

½ cup scallions, chopped

1 pound ground chicken

2 eggs

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ cup panko breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

The Salad:

8 ounces vermicelli rice noodles

1 head butter lettuce

8 ounces mixed greens

1 cup cucumbers, thinly sliced

1 small red bell pepper, cut into strips and then strips cut in half

¼ cup fresh Thai basil leaves

¼ cup fresh mint leaves

¼ cup cilantro leaves

Instructions

To make the nuoc cham, combine the warm water and sugar in a large jar and shake until the sugar is dissolved (you can also whisk in a small bowl if you don’t have a jar). Add the lime zest, lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, and chilis. Shake, shake, shake again to combine. Set aside.

Combine all of the peanut sauce ingredients, except the water, in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the water in 1 tablespoon increments until the sauce thins to a pourable, ‘dressing-like’, consistency. Set aside.

To make the meatballs, place all of the ingredients, except the oil, in a large bowl and massage together with your hands until well combined. Form into meatballs a little larger than the size of a golf ball. Heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium high heat and cook the meatballs, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp on all sides and they are just cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.

To cook the noodles, bring a large pot of water to a boil and turn off the heat. Add the noodles to the water and toss with tongs until they are soft, about 2-3 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water.

To make the salads, place a base of butter lettuce leaves in a large wide bowl. Top with some of the mixed greens, cucumber slices, and red pepper. Place about ½ cup of the noodles in the center of the salad and top with some of the basil, mint, and cilantro leaves. Drizzle some of the nuoc cham over the top of the noodles and greens.

Top the salad with 3-4 of the meatballs and drizzle with lots of that delicious peanut dressing. Serve with lime wedge on the side. DEVOUR!!