Thai Rice Noodle and Shrimp Salad Recipe
A light, refreshing salad with rice noodles, shrimp, crunchy vegetables and a lime dressing is an ideal dish for warm days. In Thailand, similar salads are often sold at street stalls as a quick lunch or snack – they are filling but don’t weigh you down. It’s a bit like combining an Italian pasta salad with Thai freshness and a bolder character.
Salads like this with rice noodles and seafood are popular in Thailand as quick, chilled dishes for the hottest time of day. They’re often sold in plastic bags with a very intense dressing provided separately.
This version of the salad uses the classic Thai flavor triangle—lime, fish sauce, and cane sugar—but in a light, salad-style format. Thanks to crunchy peanuts and fresh herbs, every bite has contrasting textures and is very refreshing.
Why this version works
- The noodles are only soaked, not boiled, so they stay springy and don’t fall apart.
- Preparing the dressing separately makes it easy to adjust the level of acidity, sweetness, and heat.
- Removing the cucumber core reduces the water in the salad and keeps the vegetables crunchy.
Chef's tips
After soaking the noodles, leave them in a colander for a moment and then shake them again before adding to the bowl—the excess water will dilute the dressing and flatten the flavor. Fry the shrimp in a well‑heated pan until a few golden spots appear, but the meat inside is still juicy, not rubbery. If you like more chili heat, add part of the chili pepper only right before serving—the spiciness will be sharper and fresher.
How to serve
Serve well chilled on a hot day as a light lunch or a larger starter alongside grilled skewers or fish. For parties, serve it in a big bowl with an extra bowl of toasted peanuts and lime wedges so everyone can season their portion to taste.
Watch out for
- Don’t soak the noodles for too long—after 5 minutes start checking their springiness, otherwise they will turn mushy.
- Don’t add hot shrimp to the vegetables, or the cucumber and bell pepper will quickly wilt and lose their crunch.
Substitutions
- Instead of shrimp, use grilled chicken cut into thin strips.
- You can swap fish sauce for light soy sauce if you want a fish‑free version.
- Replace peanuts with cashews or chopped slivered almonds.
Ingredients
- rice noodles ryżowy cienki (nitki) - 150 g
- peeled shrimp - 250 g
- carrot - 1 piece
- fresh cucumber - 0.5 pieces
- bell pepper czerwona - 0.5 pieces
- chives or spring onion - 3 tablespoons
- unsalted peanuts - 3 tablespoons
- fresh coriander - 3 tablespoons
- lime juice - 3 tablespoons
- fish sauce rybny - 2.5 tablespoons
- brown sugar trzcinowy - 1.5 tablespoons
- garlic - 1 clove
- red chili pepper - 0.5 pieces
- oil roślinny - 1 tablespoon
- salt
- black pepper
Preparation
- Pour boiling water over the rice noodles in a large bowl so they are completely covered. Leave for 5–8 minutes (or according to the package instructions), until they soften but remain slightly springy. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water to prevent sticking.
- If the shrimp are frozen, defrost them and pat dry with paper towels. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and fry for 2–3 minutes on each side, until they turn pink and opaque. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.
- Peel the carrot and cut into thin matchsticks or grate on a coarse grater. Halve the cucumber lengthwise, scoop out the soft seedy centre with a teaspoon, and slice the rest into thin half-moons. Remove the seeds from the pepper and cut into thin strips.
- In a small bowl, make the dressing: mix the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, grated garlic and finely chopped chili. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Taste and, if needed, add more lime juice (for more acidity) or sugar (for a milder flavour).
- In a large bowl combine the rice noodles, carrot, cucumber, pepper, chives, coriander and most of the peanuts (reserve some for sprinkling on top).
- Add the shrimp and pour over the prepared dressing. Gently but thoroughly toss with your hands or kitchen tongs so the noodles are well coated in the dressing and not clumped together.
- Leave the salad to stand for 10–15 minutes at room temperature so the flavours can meld. Gently toss again before serving.
- Serve the salad sprinkled with the remaining peanuts and, optionally, extra fresh coriander.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
I most often make this salad when it’s hot and I don’t feel like standing over the stove—I just quickly sear the shrimp, and the rest is chopping and mixing by an open window.
