Everyday Cooking Seasonal Summer Salads 12 Quick Rice Noodle Salads — Summer's Perfect Dinner By Carl Hanson Carl Hanson Carl Hanson is a Senior Editor at Allrecipes who has been writing about food and wine for nearly 20 years. He enjoys creating content that informs, entertains, and assists busy home cooks get nourishing meals on the table for their families. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Published on May 25, 2021 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Kim's Cooking Now What makes rice noodle salads so amazing? Texture as much as taste. Done right, cold rice noodles are tender and chewy with just the right bite. They're essentially spring roll bowls: All the yummy wrapped-up goodness of spring rolls, set free into your bowl. When it's hot outside, cold noodle salads are even better. Top 'em with grilled chicken, pork, beef, tofu, or shrimp, and the kitchen stays nice and cool. Add a snappy dressing, and these salads are truly refreshing. Chop up mixed herbs like basil, mint, and cilantro. And maybe some chopped lettuce, cabbage, carrots, or zucchini. Sprinkle over some chopped peanuts. Maybe a glass of chilled rosé on the side? Good thinking. Also, rice noodles are ridiculously easy to make. Here's how: Pour hot water over them and let 'em soak, stirring now and then, as you prep the rest of the meal. They're ready in about 15 minutes. 01 of 13 Cao Lau (Vietnamese Noodle Bowl) View Recipe lutzflcat "Cao lau is made with noodles, pork, and greens traditionally found only in the town of Hoi An, Vietnam," says Michael Kuhn. "This recipe approximates authentic cao lau with easier-to-find ingredients. Use fresh rice noodles about the same thickness of linguine." 02 of 13 Thai Rice Noodle Salad View Recipe Buckwheat Queen Toss rice noodles with romaine lettuce, red bell pepper, red and green onions, cucumber, garlic, ginger root, jalapeno pepper, and fresh basil and cilantro. "With these noodle bowls, the real clincher is the sauce, and this one is quite good," says Buckwheat Queen. "Delicious." 03 of 13 Saigon Noodle Salad View Recipe lutzflcat "This Vietnamese-style noodle salad is my 'too hot to cook' staple," says AnnInLondon. "It is bursting with flavor and makes great use of leftover grilled meat or shrimp." 04 of 13 Spicy Rice Noodle Salad View Recipe Chef John Watch Chef John make this spicy noodle salad with grilled chicken. In the video, he unveils his patented "chiffonwad" technique for chopping fresh herbs 05 of 13 Vietnamese Rice-Noodle Salad View Recipe Caroline C "This is a nice light and healthy meal, and very delicious," says BATCAVES. Cooked rice noodles mix it up with carrots, cucumbers, mint, and napa cabage, topped with a snappy dressing of lime juice, jalapeno peppers, fish sauce, and cilantro. 06 of 13 Asian Rice Noodle Salad View Recipe Photo by Soup Loving Nicole. "A refreshing Asian-style cold salad with rice noodles, ground pork, cilantro, and veggies," says Lally. "Add crushed red pepper flakes to the dressing for extra heat." 07 of 13 Malaysian Tangy Noodle Salad View Recipe Malaysian Tangy Noodle Salad. Allrecipes "Very easy, fast, and delicious," raves Steph. "I served it on a bed of chopped lettuce — a great addition to make this a full meal. 08 of 13 Grilled Shrimp and Rice Noodle Salad View Recipe Soup Loving Nicole Fresh peaches are the surprise ingredient in this refreshing noodle salad! The sweet peaches combine with napa cabbage, grilled shrimp, fresh basil, and cherry tomatoes. 09 of 13 Vermicelli Noodle Bowl View Recipe Dave Musumeci This simple noodle salad combines fresh herbs, rice vermicelli, cucumber, bean sprouts, and more, topped with grilled shrimp. Toss it with a tangy sweet and sour sauce for a simple and satisfying dinner. 10 of 13 Carrie's Pad Thai Salad View Recipe Erica Brown Rice noodles on a bed of lettuce with scrambled egg, sprouts, cilantro, and peanuts, and a sauce of tamarind, lime, and fish sauce. "This is my favorite Pad Thai creation," says Carrie Medina, "a full meal, suitable for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. Please enjoy!" 11 of 13 Asian Chicken Salad View Recipe Asian Chicken Salad. Maisan Djuhadi "A very crunchy salad with a tasty sweet Asian-style dressing," says D. "A perfect salad for leftover BBQ, boiled, broiled or baked chicken. The kids love it too!" 12 of 13 Vietnamese Lemongrass Beef and Noodles View Recipe Kim's Cooking Now "This is a classic Vietnamese dish that is so simple to make," says MommyFromSeattle. "Sauteed beef marinated in lemongrass and garlic and tossed with cold vermicelli noodles and fresh herbs. Great on warm days or it makes a quick, weeknight meal." Find more top-rated Rice Noodle Recipes. 13 of 13 More Noodles Recipes Culinary Envy Rice Noodle Recipes for Quick, Healthy Weeknight Dinners Cold Noodle Recipes for Refreshing Dinners Top-Rated Japanese Noodle and Rice Bowls Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit