This is the time of the year that I relish fantastic food that takes minutes to prepare. Well, most of these dishes rely on leftovers, but if you've put together a picnic roast recently, you know you can be living on that for weeks! And with the quick pickles we looked at last time, you have the lion's share of a really inspired Pork Banh Mi Noodle Bowl and it can be on the table - picnic or otherwise - in about 20 minutes. Yay!
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If you have other leftover pork - or any protein for that matter - work it into this dish. I like to warm and crisp it up in a large nonstick sauté pan, setting on medium-high heat and stirring frequently, but not constantly. A bit of Korean BBQ sauce added along the way can be quite charming too. Choose the noodles that give you joy. Most rice noodles can be prepared as noted below, but some might need longer steeping times. Wheat noodles could also be used, but would require boiling on the stove and make your prep time extend by about 10 minutes or so. The veggies listed are the ones I had on hand and, frankly, prefer for a dish like this. Make yours personal by doing the same. I love the sauce as is, but if you have a different sauce in mind, go for it.
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This is a one dish meal that makes my heart sing. Wine, iced tea, or even Thai iced tea are all lovely accompaniments, as is some time in the great outdoors, even if it is laying in a hammock after dinner!
Pork Banh Mi Noodle Bowls
- 8 oz. thin rice noodles
- 2 cups leftover pulled pork - I like this recipe, but you can use another or get pulled pork from the market, deli, or your favorite restaurant
- 1 cup Quick Asian Pickled Vegetables
- 1 cup thinly sliced cucumber
- ½ cup thinly sliced green onions
- ¼ cup packed cilantro, chopped
- 1-2 jalapeno peppers, sliced
- ½ c. mayonnaise
- ¼ c. Thai sweet chili sauce
- 1-2 tsp. sriracha sauce, according to spice preference
- 2 tsp. honey
Place the rice noodles in a large bowl and pour boiling water over them until fully covered. Allow the noodles to steep, covered, for 5-10 minutes or until fully softened but still elastic. Rinse well with cold water and return to the bowl; set aside.
Using a large nonstick sauté pan, crisp the pork until warmed through and having the texture you prefer. Add seasonings, tamari, or other condiments as desired to flavor the pork if needed.
Assemble the bowls by placing noodles in each of four individual serving bowls and adding crisped pork over the top. Add the pickled Asian vegetables, cucumbers, onions, cilantro, and peppers - using the quantities desired and arranging to suit your tastes.
Whisk the mayonnaise, Thai sweet chili sauce, sriracha sauce, and honey together in a small bowl until well combined and homogeneous. Either drizzle using a spoon or place the sauce in a squeeze bottle and store any unused sauce in the refrigerator and serve over ALL THE THINGS!
Drizzle the sauce generously over the top of the bowls and serve immediately. Enjoy!
- Yields: 4 servings
- Preparation Time: 20 minutes