Vermicelli Noodle Salad with Lemongrass Pork

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Posted: Feb 28, 2023 Last Modified: Feb 15, 2023 by Carmy · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

This easy Vermicelli Noodle Salad with Lemongrass Pork recipe is one of my favorite recipes to make. Full of bold flavors but still refreshing and light, you’ll want to make this again and again.

As a fan of salads and bold Vietnamese flavors, this recipe combines the two into a refreshing and delightful plate. This vermicelli noodle salad with lemongrass pork is such an easy recipe to make and the most work you’ll be doing is marinating the pork!

This Vietnamese noodle salad is quite versatile as you can customize it however you’d like. You can add as many veggies as you like, change the sauce, and change the cut of pork to whatever you have on hand.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients needed to make vermicelli noodle salad with pork.

pork — my favorite cut for this lemongrass pork is pork shoulder. They’re tender and aren’t super expensive.
brown sugar — feel free to use light or dark brown sugar for the marinade.
fish sauce — this adds a savory umami element that is difficult to replicate. While I’m not a big fan of fish sauce, it works well in this recipe and you don’t even notice it.
lemongrass — if you cannot find lemongrass, lemongrass paste will work as well. I’ve recently found lemongrass in the freezer section, so I stock up whenever I see it so take a look in the freezer section the next time you’re at an Asian grocer! Got extra? Make my lemongrass chicken thighs!
soy sauce — I recommend using light sodium soy sauce.
garlic powder and onion powder — for some extra flavor.
vermicelli — make sure to use rice vermicelli. I’ve accidentally grabbed mung bean vermicelli at the store before, but they are not the same, and I do not recommend using it.
scallion oil — I prefer using scallion oil but H likes to eat his with nuoc cham.
vegetables — I like to make my quick pickled carrots (I highly recommend it) and cut up some cucumbers and lettuce. Sometimes, I shred all of my lettuce but other times, I leave some of them whole and essentially make a wrap with my salad ingredients!
optional: depending on how thick you want the sauce the lemongrass is cooked in, you can add a cornstarch slurry. You can also leave it thin and drizzle it over the noodle salad.

How to Make Vermicelli Noodle Salad with Lemongrass Pork

Cut the pork into bite-sized pieces.
In a bowl, combine the sugar, fish sauce, lemongrass, soy sauce, garlic powder, and onion powder. Add the pork into the liquid and marinate for 30 minutes.
To a skillet over medium heat, add the pork to the pan in a single layer, leaving the marinade in the bowl for later. Brown the pork on all sides.

Vermicelli noodles rinsed and drained in a fine mesh sieve.

Add the liquid from the marinade to the skillet and let everything simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occassionally. If you want the sauce thicker, you can continue to simmer the pork or add a cornstarch slurry. Make the slurry by combining 1 tbsp of cornstarch with 1 tbsp of water.
As the pork cooks, bring a pot of water up to a boil and add the rice vermicelli. Cook according to the package and then strain and rinse the noodles under cold water.
When ready to eat, assemble the lemongrass pork bowl by dividing the noodles, pork, and toppings to two large plates. Drizzle with the sauce or scallion oil.

Close up of a bowl of pork and vermicelli noodle salad.

Recipe Tips and Notes

Feel free to marinate the pork overnight in an airtight container in the fridge.
The recipe can be doubled or tripled. You’ll just need a larger skillet to sear all the pork.
Some crushed peanuts add a nice crunch to the salad.
Again, make sure to buy rice vermicelli noodles and not mung bean vermicelli noodles.

Make Ahead Tips

Meal prep: once the pork has cooled, store everything in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave. You can also store the pork and rice noodles separately, so you only reheat the pork.
Freezer: you can freeze the pork in the marinade in an airtight container before storing them in the freezer for easy prep later. Thaw overnight in the fridge before cooking.

What is lemongrass?

Lemongrass is an herb that smells like its namesake, lemon. It’s made from stalks of the lemongrass plant and is grown in tropical climates. So what does lemongrass taste like? Lemongrass is like a mix between lemon and ginger.

When using fresh lemongrass, you want to remove the bottom bulb of the stalk and remove any thick and tough outer “husk.” Be sure to avoid lemongrass that looks or feels brittle and the color has started brown.

How to make scallion oil?

Wash the green oils and trim off the tops and bottoms. Pat them dry and slice them up and transfer them to a heat-proof dish. If there’s moisture on them, there will be splatter when the oil touches the water, so be careful!

Add oil to a pot or skillet and heat on medium-high heat for around 30 seconds. Test if it’s ready by dropping one piece of sliced green onion into it. It should sizzle.

Carefully pour the hot oil into the bowl of green onions and stir to combine.

How to make quick pickled carrots?

All you need is 2-3 sliced carrots, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tbsp salt, 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar, and 1 cup water. Combine it all in a mason jar and let it sit in the fridge before you start preparing the lemongrass pork.

You can see my post on how to make quick pickled carrots for extra tips and notes!

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