Vietnamese noodle salad with sticky glazed king oyster mushrooms, quick-pickled cucumber, carrots, bean sprouts, roasted peanuts & crispy onions, served with a tangy lemongrass dressing.
Inspired by the dish Bun Thit Nuong...a Vietnamese noodle salad, typically made with shredded pork, herbs and greens on rice vermicelli noodles, served at room temperature. This is my vegan version - with the word chay meaning vegetarian - made with strips of glazed king oyster mushrooms and a tangy lemongrass dressing, instead of the usual Nuoc Cham - a sweet, salty, sour dressing which is heavy on the fish sauce.
Despite being called a salad and being served at room temperature, this dish is surprisingly indulgent, filled with sweet, sour, salty flavours that just come together perfectly with the different textures in this dish to create something truly incredible. It's super filling and delivers plenty of protein, fibre and vitamin C.
The glaze on the king oysters is reminiscent of hoisin sauce, perfectly coating the chewy shreds of the mushrooms, pan seared and super sticky, paired with the crunchy veg, chewy noodles, tangy sauce and perfectly finished with the crunch of the peanuts and onions. I savoured every bite of this noodle bowl and even managed to eat the whole thing with chopsticks which I have to say I'm a little bit proud of (I'm definitely improving!). It may seem like a lot of steps and ingredients, but it is more than worth it when you tuck into this delight!
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King Oyster Mushroom Bun Chay | Serves: 2-3 | Time: 30-35 mins
You'll need
- Measuring spoons
- Fine grater
- Saucepan
- Wok
- Colander
- Pestle & mortar
- Mixing bowls
- Mandolin
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 4 king oyster mushrooms
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 1 inch piece ginger, finely grated
- 1/2 tsp gochujang or other chili paste
- 1.5 tsp miso
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp white sugar
- 1 tsp molasses sugar
- 1/2 tsp 5 spice
- 1/4 tsp lime juice
- 1/2 cucumber
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- Pinch sugar
- Pinch chili flakes
- Pinch salt
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp lemongrass paste
- 2 tsp mirin
- 1/2 tsp cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 inch piece ginger, finely grated
- Pinch sugar
- 200g rice vermicelli noodles
- 2 large handfuls bean sprouts
- 1 large carrot
- 4 spring onions
- Handful coriander
- Handful mint
- 1/4 cup unsalted roasted peanuts
- 1/4 cup crispy onions (store bought)
- Chili flakes
Method
- Begin by prepping the veg, using a mandolin on the criss-cross setting, run the cucumber across the blade, rotating it 90' after each slice to create the criss-cross effect. Mix together the vinegar, sugar, salt and chili flakes in a bowl and add the cucumber to the bowl. Toss together and leave for later, draining off any remaining liquid just before serving.
- Then using the matchstick setting on the mandolin, cut the carrots into matchstick pieces. Place to one side, along with the bean sprouts. Remove the herbs from the stems and roughly tear the leaves, then thinly slice the spring onions. Lightly crush the roasted peanuts in a pestle and mortar.
- To prep the mushrooms, slice lengthways into 4, then each slice into 1cm strips and then slice the strips into thirds. Heat a splash of sesame oil in a wok on a medium heat, then add the mushroom pieces and cook off for 5-10 minutes, until they look cooked. Mix the remaining ingredients for the mushrooms in a bowl and add to the mushrooms, stir through and cook for a couple of minutes before removing from the heat.
- Boil the noodles for 2-3 minutes, then rinse under cold water and allow to drain fully. Meanwhile, mix together the ingredients for the dressing and place in a serving bowl.
- Build your salad with a base of noodles, topped with the carrots, cucumber, spring onions, bean sprouts, herbs and mushrooms, finally top with the crushed peanuts, crispy onions and a pinch of chili flakes. Serve up with the dressing on the side and enjoy!
Cassidy xx
