I don't want to cook today. We all have those days where you have absolutely nothing to eat and have to do something, but just do not have the energy to make curry over the next four to eight hours. Which is entirely reasonable. I feel like we don't always give ourselves permission to take a break. Like that's something that has to be earned. Rather than just being a necessary part of life sometimes. That having been said, I do actually still have to eat! I'm also going out later and don't want to order out and then also go out. It's not that much of a splurge day. So, I'm endeavoring to make one of the quickest and easiest meals that I have! And likely make nachos out of it. Because cheese fixes everything. Regardless of the reason, though, vermicelli salad takes no time at all, combines almost every fruit and vegetable lying around in my kitchen, and is absolutely far too delicious for the minimal amount of effort that it takes to toss together.
A friend of mine dropped off some extra produce the other day. I originally also made a Vermicelli Salad w/ Tofu, Zucchini, Peppers, & Sprouts. They had a plethora of tomatoes and peppers. I used about half of them then and almost all of the rest today! I'm always looking for a fun salad or delicious dish to sneak all of the produce into. Vermicelli salads are one of my favorites. They're almost like a pasta salad, without the mayonnaise. Although also great for potlucks and summer days when it's too hot to turn the oven on!
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Variations of Vermicelli Salad
I'm incredibly fond of making vermicelli salads. If I have sprouts, I'll toss them on. Although they're a great recipe for tossing together anything and everything that you have on hand. I'm constantly mixing up a batch of vermicelli noodles with tamari and rice vinegar.
This Vermicelli Salad consists of yellow squash, orange bell pepper, tomatoes, jalapeños, tamari, rice vinegar, peanut butter, avocado, and sprouts. It's a great recipe to mix and match your own favorite fruits and vegetables or the produce that you have on hand. I rather like tamari and peanut butter. Although you can easily use soy sauce and tahini for a similar effect.
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, and tahini together in a separate bowl and then mix in. Although this isn't explicitly necessary as long as the tahini doesn't clump together.
Add in tofu, avocado, and sprouts. You can really mix the peanuts in at any time. However, sprouts go back much faster than the other ingredients, so I don't mix them in until serving and store them separately.
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.
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