Tangles of rice noodles topped with satay-spiced shrimp, sweet mango, crisp lettuce, fresh herbs, and chopped peanuts. All tossed in a refreshingly citrusy, spicy dressing.
This Rice Noodle Salad with Grilled Satay Shrimp is just one of the endless Southeast Asian dishes I love to cook up in the summer. It’s light, but filling, with lots of fresh vegetables, herbs, and tropical fruits. It’s a healthier, and much more flavorful alternative to all the meat-heavy grilling at summer get-togethers.
Using our handcrafted Malaysian Satay Seasoning – a blend rich in turmeric, coriander, ginger, cumin, garlic, shallot, galangal, and other aromatic spices – marinate the jumbo shrimp along with coconut palm sugar, fish sauce, and some freshly minced lemongrass.
After marinating, grill for a few minutes on each side to give the shrimp a light charring and smoky flavor.
For the salad, take advantage of all the in-season vegetables, herbs, and fruits.
Add in sliced mango, or switch it up with green papaya or sweet pineapple. Pick up some beautiful greens from your farmer’s market or co-op, such as romaine, red leaf, or oak leaf lettuce. And while you’re there, go a little crazy with the herbs and buy some cilantro, mint, basil, and Thai basil to add into the salad. You will have lots of herbs left, but that’s a good thing in the summer. Fresh herbs can find their way into almost any summer dish, and they make a great compliment to fruits like watermelon.
The dressing in this Rice Noodle Salad with Grilled Satay Shrimp is a quintessential dressing in Southeast Asian cuisine: fresh lime juice, coconut palm sugar, chili pepper, garlic, and a high-quality fish sauce. Yummy!
Any leftover dressing makes a fabulous marinade for chicken. So make a little extra, and keep it in the fridge for dinner tomorrow.
This Rice Noodle Salad with Grilled Satay Shrimp makes a fun summer lunch, along with sides of watermelon slices sprinkled lightly with our Thai Ginger-Lime Sea Salt and chiffonades of basil or mint.
Rice Noodle Salad with Grilled Satay Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh jumbo shrimp – shelled and deveined with tails intact
- 1 tbsp of Season with Spice’s Malaysian Satay Seasoning
- 1 tbsp coconut palm sugar or raw cane sugar
- 1 lemongrass stalk – white part only minced
- 2 tsp fish sauce or to taste
- 1 tbsp oil
To assemble the rice noodle salad:
- Thin-style rice stick noodles – cooked according to package instructions
- Mango – thinly sliced or shredded
- Lettuce romaine, red leaf, or iceberg – thinly shredded
- Fresh herbs: cilantro mint, and/or Thai basil
- Unsalted peanuts – chopped
- Lime wedges
For the dressing:
- Juice from 1 lime
- 2-3 tbsp fish sauce or to taste
- 1 tbsp coconut palm sugar or raw cane sugar
- 1-2 red serrano chili peppers – deseeded and minced
- 2-3 garlic cloves – minced
- 1/4 cup water room temperature
Instructions
- To prep ahead: cook the noodles and cut your vegetables the night before. Keep them in separate containers. You can also make the dressing a couple of days in advance – just whisk all the ingredients together, and give it a taste, and adjust any seasonings if necessary.
- Keep the dressing in the refrigerator until about an hour before using (it’s best to add to the salad at room temperature).
- In a large bowl or shallow baking dish, combine the shrimp with our Malaysian Satay Seasoning, sugar, fish sauce, and minced lemongrass. Let marinate for at least 20 minutes, or up to 4 hours in the fridge.
- When you’re ready to start cooking, first take out your serving bowls, and divide the rice noodles into each bowl (use a pair of chopsticks to loosen up the noodles if needed).
- Top with mango slices, shredded lettuce, and any other additions you may have. Set aside.
- Heat grill until hot, and brush it with oil. Place marinated shrimp onto the grill. Cook until the shrimp are lightly charred and no longer opaque, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer the grilled shrimp to each serving bowl.
- Garnish with fresh herbs, lime wedges and chopped peanuts. Serve along with the dressing. To enjoy, pour the dressing into the bowl and give everything a good toss to evenly coat the noodle salad.