Rice noodle salad

This is a really delicious, simple, filling salad that is surprisingly low in calories. It’s rather like a deconstructed fresh spring roll.

8 oz rice vermicelli, cooked according to package directions and cooled
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 cucumber, skin on, cut into matchsticks
3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded*
1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
1 small bunch basil, chopped
1 small bunch mint, chopped

Dressing:
¾ c white vinegar
Juice & pulp of 2 limes, well reamed
2 T fish sauce
1 T dark sesame oil
1 T tamari soy sauce
1 T sugar or honey
1 T hot sauce of your choice
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely minced
1 inch of fresh ginger, grated

Divide rice noodles among 6 bowls. Arrange carrots, cucumber, and chicken on top of each; sprinkle with herbs.

In a jar with a tight-fitting lid or a bowl, mix all dressing ingredients until sugar is dissolved (should be equal to about 2 c; if you’re short, add more vinegar). Just prior to serving, pour 1/3 c of dressing over each serving.

6 servings
270 calories per serving

There are just 2 of us, so when I make this, I make 2 bowls of it for dinner, and make the other 4 servings directly into food storage containers for us to take to work for lunch the following 2 days. If you do this, keep the dressing separate; don’t pour it over the salad until you are ready to eat it. You could bulk up this salad even more with very few calories by adding shredded lettuce, Napa cabbage, or bean sprouts; or make it even lower calorie by substituting some of the rice noodles with them.

*I recommend buying split chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on. They are far cheaper than boneless skinless breasts and less prone to dry out. Arrange in a shallow baking dish and sprinkle liberally with salt & pepper. Bake in a 400°F oven for 30 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove & discard the skin and bones, and shred the breast with your fingers.