Banh Mi Noodle Bowls
If you love banh mi sandwiches, you will LOVE these healthy Banh Mi Noodle Bowls. They're made with rice noodles, crispy veggies, and a light and tangy ginger-lime dressing. On top sit tender and flavorful lemongrass Vietnamese meatballs and a drizzle of creamy Sriracha mayo. This is the kind of easy dinner recipe you'll want to eat all summer long!
Remember back when I promised you recipes to transform those crazy delish Vietnamese Meatballs into dinner? Well here we go, my friend. These Banh Mi Noodle Bowls are the start of all sorts of banh mi inspired recipes that are about to show up around here.
I seriously hope you’re a banh mi fan. Don’t worry if you don’t know what the heck a banh mi is cause you’re about to find out.
Going on the record here to say, “I know a banh mi is a SANDWICH!” Just getting it out there in case you’re a banh mi pro and are cringing a little that I turned it into a noodle bowl.
Trust me on this one, it totally works. Instead of being sandwiched between two halves of a soft bun, these flavors are winding their way around noodles.
We're starting with a tangy sauce and some thinly shaved carrots and peppers to mimic the pickled veggies that normally sit on top of your banh mi. Nestled into the noodles are those insanely delicious Vietnamese meatballs we love so much and some crunchy cucumbers. The whole thing is then drizzled with some spicy Sriracha aioli because it seemed like the right thing to do.
Make your Banh Mi Noodle Bowl pretty with some sesame seeds, basil and a few lime slices and lunch (or dinner!) is served.
My original thought for these bowls was to do some sort of take on back to school lunches. You know, healthy lunches you can pack for yourself or your foodie kids. They're delicious cold so I had visions of Banh Mi Noodle Bowl bento boxes opening up to smiling faces all over the land.
Then it dawned on me that perhaps I've spent too much time on Pinterest and that real people don't send their kids to school with Banh Mi Noodle Bowls. Can we pretend that you do so that I can keep my pretty lunch daydreams intact?
Don't worry, these bowls are also super delish for dinner.
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More Healthy Asian Recipes:
- Banh Mi Winter Rolls
- Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps
- Easy Asian Coleslaw
- Thai Chopped Salad with Sweet Sesame Mango Dressing
- Thai Noodle Salad with Feta Peanut Dressing
Banh Mi Noodle Bowls
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
Ingredients
The Ginger Lime Dressing
- ⅓ cup lime juice
- ¼ cup each: neutral-flavored oil and rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons each: brown sugar, soy sauce, and fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha
- 2 cloves garlic, grated on a Microplane or very finely minced
- 2 inch piece ginger, grated on a Microplane or very finely minced
The Banh Mi Noodle Bowls
- Thinly sliced veggies: carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers, and red onion are my favorite
- 1 batch of Lemongrass Vietnamese Meatballs
- Rice noodles
- A little Sriracha mixed with some mayonnaise
- Cilantro and Thai basil
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Whisk all the dressing ingredients in a medium sized bowl. (Or you can put everything into a 1 cup Mason jar and shake well.)⅓ cup lime juice, ¼ cup each: neutral-flavored oil and rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons each: brown sugar, soy sauce, and fish sauce, 1 teaspoon Sriracha, 2 cloves garlic, 2 inch piece ginger
- Place all the veggies you're using into a large bowl and sprinkle a little salt and sugar over top – about 1/2 teaspoon of each. Toss the veggies so that they are coated. (This will soften the veggies so they're not too crunchy.)Thinly sliced veggies: carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers, and red onion are my favorite
- Make the meatballs using this recipe. Basically, chop a few things in your food processor, mix in some ground meat of your choice, roll the balls and quickly pan fry them. Easy!
- Cook the rice noodles according to the package directions. Normally you pour boiling water over them and let them sit for a few minutes, but this can vary depending on the type you choose.
- Toss the cooked rice noodles in the Ginger Lime Dressing and the veggies, divide between bowls and top with the meatballs, Sriracha mayo, cilantro, Thai basil, and sesame seeds.A little Sriracha mixed with some mayonnaise
Love these! I’ve made them a few times now and just can’t get enough. The meatballs are the best ever and the dressing goes great with the noodles. I switch up the veggies and can’t seem to go wrong!
I’ve made this three times, inviting new guests each time. Before serving, I tell them this is the best dish I have ever eaten in my entire life, which surely sets dangerously high expectations. No!!! Every single guest has been blown away by the explosion of flavours.
You know when you’re reading a really fat novel that has become a part of your life, and when you reach the last page you’re bereft and filled with a sense of loss from which you’re not sure how to recover? That’s how I feel as I finish the last bite of this dish. It’s that good!
Awww Mary that makes me so happy to hear!!
Love Banh Mi! I made my first vegan banh mi sandwiches a few weeks ago and they were a hit!
So good, right? I don’t know what I ever ate before them lol. 🙂