As promised on Wednesday – Vietnamese pork noodle bowls! This popular salad-type dish is called bun thit nuong – vermicelli noodles topped with fresh and pickled vegetables, herbs and Vietnamese lemongrass pork, doused generously with nuoc cham sauce. Fresh yet full of flavour.
Vietnamese pork noodle bowls
I find it funny that pho is the dish that’s become the superstar of Vietnamese food when bun thit nuong is tastier to me! I adore the contrast of fresh vegetables and herbs with delicious grilled meats, that it’s light and healthy yet anything but dull.
It’s a big bowl of delicious, and I shared the chicken version many years ago (bun ga nuong). And as soon as I cracked the pork version, I shared in immediately (just last Wednesday!). And I’m back today with the noodle bowls recipe that is made using the lemongrass pork – just like you get on the streets of Vietnam!
PS The photo below is in my own home. Not the streets of Vietnam!
What you need for Vietnamese pork noodle bowls
There’s variations of bun thit nuong all across Vietnam. But they all have noodles, marinated pork, raw vegetables and sauce.
Lemongrass marinated pork
See separate recipe posted earlier this week. Thin slices of pork shoulder are marinated with lemongrass, garlic, lime, fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar which infuses the flesh with a stack of flavour. Meanwhile, a smidge of baking soda is the secret that tenderises economical pork shoulder, which is usually slow cooked, and keeps the thin pork steaks incredibly tender even when cooked over high heat for a lovely char!
The noodles, vegetables & topping
So here’s what I use – typical of Vietnamese restaurants and takeaway places here in Sydney:
Vermicelli rice noodles – the thin rice noodles prepared by soaking in boiling water. Substitute with other white noodles or bean thread noodles / glass noodles (
Pickled carrot and daikon – quick and easy! See below for more.
Nuoc cham sauce – the chilli-garlic-savoury-limey-sauce served with “everything” in Vietnam (and that’s no exaggeration!). See below.
Lettuce – Either soft butter lettuce torn into bite size pieces or crisp lettuce, like iceberg or cos/romaine, shredded
Cucumber and bean sprouts
Herbs – mint and coriander/cilantro. Thai Basil is also lovely!
Peanuts – finely chopped, for sprinkling
Fresh chilli slices – optional
Lime wedges – for optional extra freshness
Vietnamese pickled vegetables
The pickled vegetables (pictured above) are the same as the recipe in the Banh Mi recipe. It’s simple to make – mix then soak for 2 hours. It’s the perfect texture-flavour addition to these bowls – the vegetables still have a great crunch to them but are floppy (nobody wants pokey raw carrot batons sticking out in their noodle bowls!) with a sweet, tangy flavour.
So much more interesting than raw carrots!
Here’s what you need. Just mix, then pickled the vegetables for 2 hours or even overnight.
Nuoc cham sauce for Vietnamese pork noodle bowls
The sauce used for Vietnamese pork noodle bowls is Nuoc Cham. As mentioned above, this is the sauce that’s served with “everything” in Vietnam though there’s variations depending on what it’s used for. Sometimes it’s sweeter, some fishier (when used sparingly for dipping), some milder (when used in an almost soup-like form – like with Vietnamese Meatballs bun cha).
Today’s version is fairly mild, not too fishy, because it’s supposed to be used to douse everything generously. Nobody wants to get to the rice noodles at the bottom of the bowl only to find it’s tasteless!
Here’s what you need to make nuoc cham sauce. Just mix together!
Assembling the pork noodle bowls
Noodles first. Then just pile everything on top! There are no rules, just jam it all in. Abundance is the word that comes to mind with these bowls!
Finish with a good sprinkle of peanuts and fresh chilli if you dare (live life on the edge, I say!). And serve with jugs or bowls of the nuoc cham sauce on the side and douse generously. Remember, this is a mild flavoured nuoc cham, not a fishy one. So you need lots. You’re supposed to use lots!
Getting stuck in
As for the eating part, there really are no rules. Some people (like me) will pick out some of the pork bits first because it’s their favourite part of the bowl. Then mix it up and get stuck in. It will end up looking like a jumbled up mess. A delicious one, at that! And don’t be afraid to keep adding more sauce on an as-need basis, as you continue through your bowls.
DIY spread – great for gatherings!
One last tip! This dish is a great one for gatherings. In fact, the chicken version was for many years my signature for summer BBQ’s. Lay out all the toppings and noodles on a table. Cook the chicken on the BBQ then let everybody put their own bowls together.
One of my favourite formats for entertaining – DIY.
Hope you enjoy! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Vietnamese pork noodle bowls (bun thit nuong)
Ingredients
- 1 batch lemongrass marinated pork (it’s marinated overnight. 8 pieces, serves 4)
- 200g/ 7oz dried vermicelli noodles (Note 1)
- 1 head soft lettuce (like butter lettuce), torn into large bite size pieces (or 4 cups shredded iceberg, cos/romaine)
- 2 cucumbers , halved lengthwise then sliced on the diagonal 3mm / 0.15" thick
- 2 cups bean sprouts
- Handful mint leaves
- Handful cilantro/coriander
- 1/4 cup finely chopped unsalted peanuts
- Sliced red chilli (for garnish – optional)
- Lime wedges (to serve – optional but recommended)
Vietnamese pickled vegetables (Note 2)
- 2 medium carrots , peeled cut into 2-3mm / 1/10″ batons
- 1/2 large white radish (daikon) , peeled, cut the same as carrots
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 4 tsp cooking salt (kosher salt)
- 3/4 cup rice vinegar (sub apple cider vinegar)
Nuoc cham Vietnamese sauce (Note 3):
- 4 1/2 tbsp white sugar
- 4 1/2 tbsp fish sauce (Note 3)
- 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 birds eye chilli or Thai chilli , deseeded and finely chopped (Note 4)
- 5 cloves garlic , finely chopped
Instructions
Make pickled vegetables:
- Pickle – In a large bowl, dissolve the salt and sugar in the hot water. Stir in vinegar. Add carrots and daikon – they should just about be covered.
- 2 hours – Leave for 2 hours until slightly floppy. Drain well then use per recipe.
Pork bowls:
- Nuoc cham sauce – Mix ingredients together. Until sugar is dissolved.
- Vermicelli noodles – Soak in boiling water for 5 minutes (or per packet directions). Drain, rinse under tap water, then cool and drain thoroughly (nobody likes watery noodles!).
- Toppings – Prepare all the other toppings, ready to use.
- Cook pork per the recipe.
- Assemble bowls – Place noodles in a bowl. Top with lettuce, pickled vegetables, cucumber and bean sprouts. Slice pork, place 2 steaks on each bowl. Top with herbs, sprinkle with peanuts and sliced chilli. Add a lime wedge.
- Serve with nuoc cham on the side so everybody can help themselves. Douse generously! Dive in and eat!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
The most dangerous photo shoots are the ones that take place on the ground – so I can get up real high above it to fit everything in the frame.
Marcel says
Hi Nagi,
I relocated to the Savannah, GA area from Northern VA a few years back and we do not have any decent Asian groceries stores, to my chagrin…
As you have limes already mentioned, would you suggest them or lemons as a substitute for lemongrass…
thx
Wendy says
TBH Lemongrass has such a unique taste and aroma, I’m not sure what you could substitute it with without taking away the characteristics of this dish. Are you able to locate any lemongrass paste? I have been able to locate at my local Walmart in the refrigerated section by the salad and fresh herbs and also just today bought a tube at Aldi’s. The tubes at Aldi’s are shelf stable and I’ve sometimes seen them by the spices area or in the “Aldi Finds” area. My guess you’d also find it elsewhere. Good Luck.
Marcel says
Wendy,
Thanks much; I didn’t think of looking for a paste…
BTW, I get my firm tofu in that aisle of WallyWorld for my Hot & Soup…
Again, Domo Arigato…
r/
Marcel
Will says
Amazing pork. Once again a great recipe
Janice says
So you are not certain of Dozer’s girlfriend’s breed? Some call that a mutt, other say Heinz 57. Hubs and I always call those unique jewels a “one of a kind breed”. Not another like them.
Laura says
Any advice on making this ahead of time? Specifically, how to keep the noodles from glomming together in one big ball of sticky mess?
Denise says
I can’t wait to make this. I’ve made the chicken one many times. I agree, much tastier than pho!
Jack Jones says
No-one else on the net goes to such great lengths to detail a recipe. Even a bush monkey like me could make this following your instructions. Delicious, enjoyed by all. Your mails are a highlight of my day. You are a real pro!
Cathleen says
I 100% agree with all this!
Richard says
The most versatile vietnamese sauce for mostly anything from pickling to salad dressing and available cheap at woolies. Nuoc Cham in the asian section and just a few dollars…
Sue says
I will be making this soon, Not sure why people need a video of how to mix sauce and pickle vegetables, the main video is with the pork recipe.
On another note, I finally bought your recipe book (I did try just after it was released but the Big W store I went to hadn’t received their allocation, staff was annoyed as people were asking for it).
What a great book Nagi, so much information and so well put together. I haven’t bought a recipe book in years as I add all my recipes from here and other places on the web to my recipe app on my ipad. Had to do a little manipulation to figure out how to add from a printed recipe to this app as I would much rather not dirty this beautiful book with flying bits of food as I do prep. I generally prop my ipad on top of the airfryer out of the way of harm.
I will be trying many recipes from the book I assure you. Again congratulations Nagi on a well thought out book. xx
Wendy says
I love her videos! Nagi could be boiling water and I’d watch it, I find them very relaxing. Who knew? Back to my point, although I’m a seasoned cook (pun intended), I think for novice cooks, like my 20 yo son, this is great way to see how to cut the vegetables and how to plate the ingredients to make them attractive. I’d love it if he presented me with a bowl like this, we eat with our eyes first! Yumm
helen says
The video doesn’t work 😔
Angela says
They’re getting some extreme weather in Nagi’s area. We may have to be patient. Stay safe Nagi and Dozer.
Ron says
I was in VN from 1970-1971. I recall having eaten this many times there! This was a dish I loved! Thank you for sharing it.
Kelle says
OMG this is my favourite Vietnamese dish ever! And your recipe looks sooooo good. I may just have to make it this weekend to get my fix because it looks even better than the place where I usually go for bun thit nuong 😁 Thank you for making this!!
Lucy Lou says
Oh no…. no video?
Deanna says
Yeah…no???