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I am a novice in the kitchen but this recipe made me feel like a chef. My hubby loved it. It’s easy, beautiful, and amazingly flavorful. Thanks!
Tracy
Super excited to introduce you to a new little lady today.
She is my favorite bowl to date – this coming from a serial bowl-recipe addict – and she is loaded with good things like rice noodles, sweet garlic lime sauce, peanuts, rainbow veggies, and mint / basil / cilantro, and she’s here to say HI FRIENDS I LOVE YOUUUU
She is the SPRING ROLL BOWL, making her appearance just in time for SPRING as in the time of year when weather is supposed to get warm and sunny and happy-fresh.
*looks outside, sees snow falling, returns face to spring roll bowl*
How To Make Our Spring Roll Bowls (56 SEC):
I always have to say it, because it’s that important for a recipe that features fish sauce: DO NOT SNIFF THE BOTTLE.
Fish sauce might make you hesitant but it tastes like magic when combined with the right friends: lime juice, brown sugar, garlic, and the other usual suspects. Today is our day to be the fish-sauce-charmers who bring out the best and only the best of the fish sauce.
The mint and cilantro and basil together – it’s literal food heaven to combine the cool freshness of that herb trio with the saltiness and tang of the sauce.
We are in that sad season of Minnesota life where buying basil means paying $4 for that little plastic package with basically three single basil leaves in it – but we are fast approaching the time when fresh herbs (basil included!) are becoming more readily available in more than three-leaf packages, at which point I will obviously reduce myself to living solely on the lushness of these flavor-packed spring roll bowls – you know, in order to live seasonally. I can take one for the team on this.
I just have a really good feeling about how much you’re going to like this.
If you liked the Vietnamese Chicken Salad…
If you like to build meals based around whatever’s in your fridge…
If you like to look forward to your lunches…
If you like spring rolls with that addictingly delicious sweet dipping sauce…
My friend. This has your name ALL-OV-ER-IT.
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Spring Roll Bowls with Sweet Garlic Lime Sauce
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 1x
Description
Spring Roll Bowls – basil, mint, rice noodles, fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, and whatever other protein and veggies you have on hand! Easy to make meatless!
Ingredients
For the Sweet Garlic Lime Sauce:
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup agave or brown sugar
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 1/3 cup lime juice
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
For the Bowls:
- 7–8 ounces rice noodles
- 1/4 cup each of basil, mint, and cilantro (plz use all three – they’re so good together!)
- 1 serrano pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
- 2 avocados
- 2 carrots
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 cucumber
- 1 lb. of shrimp, tofu, or chicken (optional)
Instructions
- SAUCE PREP: Pulse the sauce ingredients together in a blender or food processor.
- NOODLE PREP: Cook your rice noodles by soaking them in cold water for about 30 minutes. When they’re softened, transfer to a pot of boiling water for just a minute or two before quickly draining again. *This is my preferred method because it prevents them from getting overly sticky.*
- VEG PREP: Mince the herbs, slice the serrano pepper, and peel or julienne cut the vegetables.
- PROTEIN PREP: Cook your shrimp, tofu, or chicken if you’re adding that in.
- BOWL PREP: Toss the noodles (hot or cold! your choice, friend) with the sweet garlic lime sauce and all the other ingredients.
Notes
If going sugar free is important to you, please note that fish sauce contains trace amounts of sugar. Also substitute distilled white vinegar in place of rice vinegar for completely sugar free.
7 OUNCES OF RICE NOODLES WAS JUST ABOUT PERFECT FOR THIS AMOUNT OF SAUCE! 😀 (that’s half a box)
Fish sauce smells bad. Don’t sniff it, and/or don’t be deterred when you inevitably sniff it on accident. It is SO delicious with all those other flavors and there is really no good substitute unless you make your own vegan-type-fish-sauce.
Nutrition facts are for 4 servings including sauce and 7 ounces rice noodles. I didn’t add any other ingredients because it will depend on what you make it with.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
Keywords: spring roll bowl, rice noodle bowl, vegetarian noodle bowl
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our simple slurpable noodles page. Check it out!
This spring roll bowl looks divine! So colorful too, great idea for lunch!
i want this little lady in my life – all day everyday.
DO NOT SNIFF THE BOTTLE- it should have that as a tag line on the bottle- love it!
I must some sort of Opposition Defiance Disorder because I went ahead and SNIFFED the bottle. nearly barfed but recovered enough to enjoy this amazing dish. Thank you
So funny, I have that same defiance dis order too. I’m in the process of cooking right now!! I will post after I eat it!! Thanks for the girl!!
Welcome, Spring Roll Bowl! She looks absolutely divine!
Lindsay. Longtime reader, first time commented here! 😉 I just wanted to say how much I love your site. Every post looks so delicious, I end up making at least one or two of your dishes a week (- and have been doing so for probably two years now). But what I love MOST about Pinch of Yum is that I am never ever disappointed with your recipes. I can tell you really cook all them and get them perfect before sharing them with your readers. Oh, and I haven’t even mentioned that they are healthy and generally pretty quick to make. Also, Minnesota! Woo! Okay, I am done gushing now, just wanted to let you know that you are appreciated – and I will be making this next week! Thanks!
Looks fabulous! Immediately printed the recipe and making it this weekend!!
Lindsay love this fresh spring bowl!! Dying over those noodles and crunchy jalapenos!! Pinned!!
Gurl, you are a bowl wizard! I love the sound of this combo!
This recipe sounds so fresh and delicious! It seems pretty simple to make, too. I’m going to try it soon!
Oh Lindsay!! I am so excited about this, because years ago I was helping out with a wedding and this wonderful lady homemade these out-of-this-world delicious spring rolls, and I haven’t stopped dreaming about them since. Now, I don’t feel ambitious enough to try individually wrapping spring rolls, so my memory fantasies remained just that. Now you have opened up a realm of possibility with the easy, wonderfulness that is bowl food and now -> SPRING ROLL bowls!!! I can’t wait to give these a try!
Sames on not being ambitious enough to wrap my own! 🙂 haha! I’ve done it before, but it’s just not practical to do on a regular weeknight dinner basis. Hope you like these Hannah!
Yum!! Dying over here. I used to order a similar bowl at a teensy little Vietnamese restaurant on Nicollet in Minneapolis. The herb medley and the crunchy peanuts always made the dish for me.
what was the restaurant?! MUST FIND
Vina in Richfield!
The best Vietnamese is Quangs on Nicollet ave and maybe 26th street in Minneapolis.
It’s looks yummy. But my husband has to watch his sodium intake. The sodium is extremely high. What makes it so high? The fish sauce?? We are vegan so I will substitute for something else.
Hi Pia 🙂 Yes, fish sauce is pretty high in sodium and unfortunately I don’t think there is really a good substitute for that flavor, perhaps a hoisin and low sodium soy sauce would be tasty, but wouldn’t really mimic the flavor. Hope others have a good recommendation for you!!
Check out the fish sauce sub that I linked in the recipe! That is a vegan alternative. And yes – it’s the fish sauce that makes it so salty!
I have the really strong urge to go spell fish sauce…WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!
yay for spring!! bowl meals get so much more colorful <3
Well, spelling fish sauce seems pretty normal to me! 😉
rule breaker!! 🙂 hahaha
Wow, what a great idea! This is definitely going on my menu this week – was thinking that vermicelli noodles would be delicious… but then would that just be bun? Either way, delicious 🙂
Vermicelli! Love that idea! And yes – either way regardless of technical recipe name, delicious 🙂
Looks lovely! Cannnot wait to try. Also thanks for the disclaimer on the fish sauce. I always avoided it because the sound of it was disgusting. Thanks Lindsay, love your posts and recipes! (Not made yet but knowing your recipes this will be another winner!)
thanks Stacy!! Appreciate that!
This looks SO yummy… thank you for making my lunch break exciting while I wait for recipes like this to waltz into my inbox. Dinner ideas = complete for the rest of eternity.
hahah that’s so fun to hear – thanks for reading Lauren!
This is officially my new favorite bowl recipe of yours! Total perfection Lindsay! Pinned and making this weekend for the hubby and I. 🙂
Thanks Lauren! Hope you guys like it!
Yum! This looks very tasty. I wonder how it would be with zucchini noodles?
Lifestyle by Joules
I had the same thought about zucchini noodles! Let us know if it works out for you!
YEP! Yes, I want this.
Yours for the taking Libby! 😀
After seeing this, I don’t think I want to eat normal spring rolls ever again…. Spring roll bowls all the way
Everything is better in bowl form!
I really appreciate those noodle tips! They look so delicious!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
Thanks Kari! 🙂
After spending a weekend at your amazing photo workshop, I’m now analyzing your photos (really everyone’s photos) for light angles and shot composition and backgrounds and props! But most importantly… I want to dive into that bowl of noodles – it looks absolutely delicious!!
That’s so fun to hear MB! 🙂 Loving all your pics on Instagram!
These look so fresh and delicious! Colorful too! Perfect for spring 🙂
Thanks Jessie!
Hey Lindsay,
This salad is freaking awesome, will definitely add to my diet plan, thanks!
Thanks Andrew!
Wow!! You had me at sweet chili lime sauce! I can’t wait to slurp this up!! Cucumbers on soup or noodle bowls are my recent favorite!!
I am on a cucumber kick too! Must be springtime… 😉