I developed a love for Vietnamese food during our time living in Australia. It was so good there, and something that is hard to find living in the Midwest! When we moved home, I wanted to find a way to make some of my favorites at home! These Vietnamese Noodle Bowls are so delicious. I love making them because not only do they taste amazing, but it brings back wonderful memories of our time in Australia.
To make these Vietnamese Noodle Bowls, start by preparing the marinade for the meat and cutting the pork tenderloin into 1/4 inch slices. You will skewer them to grill them, so be sure you have enough meat to skewer when you cut the slices, while still keeping them quite thin so that they cook quickly. To make the marinade, combine the sugar, pepper, garlic, shallot, lemongrass, and ginger in a food processor (or, I use the Magic Bullet for this). Pulse it a few times, then add in the coconut aminos (or soy sauce), fish sauce, and olive oil. If you are doing Whole 30, feel free to leave out the sugar or throw a date in for a little sweetness. Place the meat in the marinade and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or freeze for later).
To prep the veggies, grate the carrot and mix in the sugar. After 15 minutes, add the lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, chile, and fish sauce. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Slice some cucumber and chop some cilantro, mint, and peanuts.
When you are ready to prepare the bowls, preheat your grill to high heat. While the grill is preheating, prepare the rice noodles according to package directions. Remove the meat from the marinade and thread onto skewers. Grill 2-3 minutes on each side, until beginning to char.
To serve, place the noodles in the bottom of a bowl. Top with meat, carrot, cucumber, bean sprouts (not pictured), cilantro, mint, and peanuts. I like to drizzle Hoisin sauce and sweet chili sauce on top. Then there’s just one thing left to do – enjoy!
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Vietnamese Noodle Bowls
Ingredients
For the Pork:
1 pound pork tenderloin, sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp black pepper
2 garlic cloves
1 shallot, quartered
1 4-inch piece fresh lemongrass, halved
1 1-inch piece peeled ginger, halved
1 Tbsp coconut aminos
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
For the Carrots
1/3 cup grated carrots
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tsp minced garlic
1 Thai Chile, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp fish sauce
For Serving
Rice noodles, prepared according to package directions
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
3 Tbsp chopped mint
1 cup sliced cucumber
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1/3 cup chopped peanuts
Hoisin or Sweet Chili Sauce
Instructions
In a food processor, combine the sugar, pepper, garlic, shallot, lemongrass, and ginger. Pulse a few times to chop everything and mix together. Then add the coconut aminos, fish sauce, and olive oil. Process until well combined. Place the pork tenderloin pieces in a Ziploc bag and pour the marinade over the top. Seal the bag and toss it in your hands to cover all of the meat with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or freeze to use later.
To prepare the veggies, grate the carrot. Place in a bowl and cover with 2 Tbsp sugar. Let stand for 10-15 minutes, then add the lemon juice, rice vinegar, garlic, Chile, and fish sauce. Stir to combine, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use. Slice the cucumber, chop the mint, cilantro, and peanuts and refrigerate until ready to use.
When ready to serve, preheat the grill to high heat. Prepare the rice noodles according to package directions while the grill is preheating. Remove the meat from the marinade and skewer. Grill over high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side, until starting to char.
To serve, place cooked rice noodles in a bowl. Top with meat, carrot, cucumber, bean sprouts, cilantro, mint, and peanuts. If desired, drizzle on hoisin or sweet chili sauce.