Rice Noodle Bowls

Just as a bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup elicits the warm and cozy feels on a chilly winter day, there’s nothing better to cool you off off on a blistering 100+ degree day than chilled Rice Noodle Bowls.

Rice Noodle Bowls

Pickled veggies with a kick of heat, sesame and chili-laced ground chicken and crunchy cucumber are all key players in the ensemble. A supporting team of chopped peanuts, black sesame seeds and everyone’s favorite love/hate herb, cilantro lend a hand in true texture bliss. It’s not something completely new and earth shattering but gosh it’s satisfying and delicious.

As you can clearly see, visually our rice bowls are somewhat of a showstopper. Such is not the case of the person eating the showstopper. So make sure whoever you’re eating these with is prepared to watch you shovel irresistibly long rice noodle strands into your mouth with as much grace as one can. Let’s get started.

The pickling ingredients

Pickling is a pretty standard ratio of equal parts vinegar to water. There’s usually some sugar mixed in there as well as some salt. Here’s what we use:

The brine:1 cup water + 1 cup rice vinegar + 1/4 cup mirin + 1/2 tsp salt

The veggies: The veggie world is your oyster but for these particular bowls I like a combination of red bell pepper, carrot and jalapeno for a kick of heat. Cabbage, jicima or any other crunchy. veggie will work great.

The Chicken

Chicken. Ground chicken is where it’s at! We have a special love for swapping out ground beef or pork when trying to lighten things up and today is no different. You can buy chicken already ground but if you want to save a buck you can throw chicken breasts in the food processor and grind it yourself.

Sesame oil.We use this to cook the chicken and to finish it off at the end.

Garlic. So.much.garlic.

Chili paste. We prefer sambal oelek but srirracha also works in a pinch.

Soy sauce. I like to use low sodium but regular or tamari works as well.

Thai chili sauce. This adds a touch of sweetness we love.

Everything else

Rice noodles. We are a big fan of Asian noodles (see here, here and here). but vermicelli rice noodles are making their inaugural debut on Cooking for Keeps today. Simply being able to soak them in hot water makes them super easy too use and is a perfect way to ensure they don’t overcook.

Cucumber. The reason we leave the cucumber out of the pickling situation is because I personally like the crunch of them prior to pickling. We get enough zesty flavor from red pepper, jalapenos and carrot.

Peanuts+ sesame. For texture and because I have an affinity for throwing crushed peanuts on everything.

Cilantro. No thai or mexican dish is complete without cilantro. It’s a fact.

Let’s make Rice Noodle Bowls

Prep veggies. Part of what makes these rice noodle bowls so wonderful is you can prep pretty much everything in advance. I like to make the pickled veggies at least one or two days ahead.

Make pickled veggies. Add rice vinegar, water, mirin and salt to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. While the vinegar mixture comes to a boil, add shredded carrot, red pepper and jalapeno to a large mason jar or bowl. When the vinegar mixture comes to a boil pour over the veggies. Let them pickle while you prep everything else or as we mentioned, make them the day before.

Soak the noodles. The great thing about rice noodles is you don’t have to cook them, they simply need to soak in hot water. Fill the same pot you used to make the pickle brine full of water. Bring to a boil. Add the dry rice noodles to a large bowl. Pour boiling water over the noodles. Let them soak for 10-15 minutes until soft. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water.

Make the chicken filling. While the noodles soak and veggies pickle, cook the chicken. Heat a medium skillet to medium heat. Add sesame oil. Swirl the pan and add the chicken as well as some salt. Use a wooden spoon to break up the chicken into very small pieces. When then chicken is cooked through add the garlic, cook for 1 minute. Add the soy sauce, more sesame oil, sambal oelek and sweet chili sauce to the chicken. Stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Assemble! Transfer some rice noodles to a bowl. Top with pickled veggies. I like to spoon some of the pickling liquid over the noodles. Spoon 1/4 of the ground chicken mixture next to the noodles. Nestle the cucumbers around the veggies and chicken. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts, sesame seeds and cilantro.

Can I make rice noodle bowls in advance?

Yes! While they are easy to make the day of and I designed the recipe very methodically in steps, this is a great one to make in advance. Make the pickled veggies, soak the noodles and cook the chicken the day before. Store separately and then assemble.

Are rice noodle bowls good leftover?

So soo good. I had them three days in a row.