I am a big fan of vermicelli salads. I make these more generically with what I have lying around than following any specific meal. Although plenty of places around the globe commonly use vermicelli in their dishes. It spans from Italian to Thai cuisine with plenty of other delicacies in between. I ordinarily toss in a bit of tamari, tahini, and rice vinegar. However, I'm moving and had to branch out a little bit because I'd already packed up much of these ingredients! So, yesterday I made Vermicelli Salad w/ Cucumber, Red Bell Peppers, Walnuts, Avocados, & Peanut Butter. If that wasn't fun enough, I've now turned all of this into a Vermicelli Burrito w/ Greek Greek Yogurt & Hot Sauce.
I get strange looks when I mix culinary genres like this. But complimentary flavor profiles no know bounds! And there are plenty of absolutely delicious fusions that really hit the spot. This is why we like to watch cooking competitions with mystery ingredients. Because there are fun mashups that we might never have otherwise imagined, but are absolutely delicious in the end!
I tend to do this quite often with burritos. I firmly believe that they are a universal food where just about anything can be mixed into them to create something phenomenal.
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Variations of Vermicelli Burrito
I turn absolutely everything into a burrito and vermicelli salad is no exception! It's a quick and easy meal to toss together with whatever leftovers that you have on hand. I oftentimes mix it up with a runny egg, grilled salmon, or homemade refried beans. It's one of those dishes where the sky is the limit. Vermicelli is originally an Italian pasta. Although it works incredibly well in Asian-inspired dishes, almost like a stir fry noodle. And obviously I'm just tossing it into Mexican food!
This vermicelli burrito consists of vermicelli, lightly fried tofu, red bell peppers, cucumbers, shallots, avocados, walnuts, freshly squeezed lemon juice, tamari, apple cider vinegar, and peanut butter wrapped in a lightly toasted tortilla shell. It's all topped off with a dollop of Greek yogurt and hot sauce. You can easily substitute any leftovers of choice for the vermicelli salad and sour cream and hot sauce of choice.
This Vermicelli Salad w/ Cucumber, Walnuts, & Avocado recipe requires a large bowl, large pot, skillet, stovetop, and paper towels. It takes about a half hour to toss together, most of which is spent cooking the vermicelli and frying tofu. As the rest of the salad is raw and simply mixed together.
Cook Tortilla
Preheat the pan on medium-high. If you aren't using cast iron, make sure to lightly oil the pan to prevent sticking.
Wet both sides of the tortilla and add to the preheated pan. Cook for 4-6 minutes, or until the bottom begins to brown.
Remove the tortilla from heat and turn the stove off. Add toppings and fold the burrito.
Turn the stove back up to medium and add the tortilla to the skillet immediately, before it preheats. Cook for about 4 minutes, or until the bottom begins to brown. Rotate until all sides are cooked.The first side will likely take longer to cook than the subsequent sides, which may toast in as little as 2 minutes. Adjust the temperature if it's cooking too quickly and burning or too slowly and cracking.
Top with Greek yogurt and hot sauce of choice. I like to use Greek yogurt because it's oftentimes healthier than sour cream and pairs well with the nutty flavor of the quinoa. Omit or substitute with sour cream to personal preference.
Serve immediately. You can reheat burritos by lightly wetting them and reheating, but they are never quite the same as they are fresh!
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
For a more in-depth article on burritos, check out my article on The Fundamentals of Making Burritos. I highly suggest using cast iron and there is precise temperature that works best for cooking at that may vary slightly depending on your stovetop and type of skillet. If you're having trouble rolling the burrito without cracking, there are solutions for this as well!
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