Vietnamese Chicken & Vermicelli Noodle Bowls

Recipe by Kelly Ruben, NYC Chef, Recipe Developer and Food Blogger, Dining by Kelly

Prep Time: 2 hrs  Cook Time: 12 mins  Total Time: 2 hrs 12 mins 

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

  • 1 pound Smart Chicken Organic Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs

  • 3 Garlic Cloves

  • 1 inch knob Ginger

  • 2 TB Fish Sauce

  • 3 TB Soy Sauce

  • 1/2 Shallot

  • 2 TB Brown Sugar

  • 1 Lime, zested and juiced

  • 1 Lemongrass Stalk, sliced in half and cut into large pieces

  • Kosher Salt

  • Vegetable Oil, for pan searing

For the Cucumber Peanut Herb Salad:

  • 1 Lime, zested and juiced

  • 1 TB Soy Sauce

  • 2 TB Rice Vinegar

  • 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt

  • 1/2 tsp Granulated Sugar

  • 1/4 cup Chopped Herbs (equal parts Basil, Mint, Cilantro, and Scallions)

  • 1/4 cup Chopped Roasted Peanuts

  • 1 cup Diced Cucumber

For the Peanut Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup Peanut Butter (creamy or crunchy)

  • 1 Garlic Clove, grated

  • 1 Lime, zested and juiced

  • 1 TB Soy Sauce

  • 1 TB Rice Vinegar

  • 1 tsp Granulated Sugar

  • 3-4 TB Water

Remaining Ingredients:

  • 4 servings Vermicelli Noodles, cooked to package instructions

  • 1 cup Shredded Carrots

  • Chopped Peanuts, for garnish

  • Scallions, Cilantro, Basil and Mint, for garnish

Directions

Chicken: Place chicken thighs and lemongrass in a container or plastic bag. To a blender, add garlic cloves, ginger, fish sauce, soy sauce, shallot, brown sugar and lime and blend until smooth. Pour the marinade over the chicken and make sure it is evenly coated. Place in the fridge to marinate for 2 hours. After 2 hours, remove the pieces of lemongrass and season the chicken with kosher salt on all sides. Heat a pan (I like using a cast iron for this to get a nice char on the chicken) to medium high heat with some vegetable oil. Sear the chicken for about 5-6 minutes per side or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 175-185F. (Be careful when placing the chicken in the pan as it will splatter a bit at first.) Remove the chicken from the pan and allow it to rest for a few minutes before slicing.

Cucumber Peanut Herb Salad: Combine all ingredients together.

Peanut Sauce: Whisk together all the ingredients. Add in about 3-4 TB of water to thin out the sauce to your liking.

Assembly: To serve, place Vermicelli noodles in a bowl then top with the chicken, cucumber herb peanut salad, carrots, chopped peanuts, herbs and a drizzle of peanut sauce.

IT Department