Catfish Out of Water

I made several variations of vermicelli salad last month and have been absolutely obsessed! Vermicelli is a thin pasta made out of rice noodles. It's often used in stir fries. But I've opted to bring a lighter touch to it and toss in a mix of fresh fruits and vegetables with tamari, tahini, rice vinegar, and a splash of lime juice. I've been calling it a salad because of its resemblance to a pasta salad. But this is really more of an un-fried stir fry than anything else.

This is a great way to make a light and refreshing side dish. The amount of acidity also prolongs the life of the produce. Much of the time when you cut into an avocado or a carrot, it immediately begins to wilt and go bad. It can be incredibly difficult to keep it fresh.

The problem with most pre-made salads is that, the second that you do cut into produce, it indeed starts to spoil. So, if you don't toss it in with salad dressing right away, it will absolutely not keep the hours or days that it takes for you to get to that salad! Lettuce is particularly bad in this regard because locked in an airtight container with any amount of moisture and it will immediately start wilting and gathering bacteria.

What actually will keep produce fresh is copious amounts of acidity. The lime juice, tamari, rice vinegar, and dash of salt go a long way in preserving the fruits and vegetables. Plus, unlike lettuce, the vermicelli noodles can absorb liquid without spoiling. These vermicelli salads, therefore, vastly prolong the life of the produce. I've had them last 4 or 5 days and still look freshly cut. The produce will soften slightly over time as it absorbs the acids, but this also gives it a refreshing taste and doesn't entirely negate the crispness of the vegetables. It's a great side dish to make ahead of time.

Gallery

Variations of Vermicelli Salad

I've made several iterations of this salad over the last couple of weeks. It's one of my new favorite dishes. It keeps an incredibly long while for freshly cut produce. It's also a great meal to mix and match with. You can use any number of fruits and vegetables as well as seasonings. I'm particularly fond of substituting different types of nuts and tofu as well as using it to top off salmon or eggs.

Vermicelli Salad w/ Cucumber & Tofu

Tofu & Toasted Peanut Vermicelli Salad

Vermicelli Salad w/ Radish & Sprouts

Vermicelli Salad w/ Avocado, Cucumber, & Tomato

This vermicelli salad combines avocados, carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, ginger, garlic, and shallots with tamari, tahini, rice vinegar, and freshly squeezed lime juice. It's a quick and easy dish that's simple to throw together and is reminiscent of an unfried stir fry. Vermicelli salads are one of my favorite recipes during the summer, though, when you need something bright and refreshing. It's a great dish to mix and match your own favorite fruits and vegetables or to use up any extra produce that you have lying around.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Salad

Cuisine Asian, Italian, Japanese

Servings 8 servings

Equipment

• Large Bowl

Ingredients

  

• 100 g. vermicelli
• 2 carrots diced
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 1 tomato diced
• 1/2 English cucumber (or 1 standard cucumber), diced
• 1 tbsp. ginger minced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 shallot minced
• 1 avocado diced
• 3 tbsp. tamari
• 3 tbsp. rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp. tahini
• 1 lime juiced

Instructions

 

Cook Vermicelli

• Add about 4 inches of water to a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Cook vermicelli according to the manufacturer's instructions.

  Vermicelli cooks very quickly. I tend to add the vermicelli and then immediately remove it from heat. Then, go on to prepare the produce. Merely sitting in the once boiling water is sufficient enough soften it enough to eat without overcooking.

Assemble Salad

• Mince and chop all of the produce and add to a large bowl.
• It can help to mix the tamari, rice vinegar, tahini, and lime together in a separate bowl and then mix in. Although this isn't explicitly necessary as long as the tahini doesn't clump together.
• I have also started adding the chopped avocado in afterwards, to keep it from breaking down too much while mixing in the other ingredients. This isn't entirely necessary, though.
• Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator for about an hour. I'm quite fond of this dish at room temperature or mixed in with salmon or scrambled eggs. It keeps incredibly well in the refrigerator, though. There's enough sodium and acidity in the mix to last for about a week without the produce browning. The liquid will start to separate and just need stirring before serving again.