Shrimp Bún chả

A fresh, light Vietnamese noodle dish with caramelized shrimp, fragrant herbs and nuoc cham dipping sauce. This Shrimp Bun Cha Recipe is ready in 25 minutes!

The years I spent living in Southeast Asia made me into a bit of a noodle junky.

I had unlimited access to Pad Kee Mao, Laksa and Char Kway Teow, thanks to Bangkok’s night markets, Singapore’s hawker centres, Hong Kong’s street stalls, etc…

I was spoiled.

After deciding to move back to North America I had a certain noodle-intake-quotient I needed to uphold for the wellbeing of my tastebuds. Luckily, Toronto, which is where I decided to settle for a while, had plenty of amazing Asian food to choose from, especially when it came to Chinese and Vietnamese.

I would often dip into a dingy Vietnamese spot and place my order for bun cha during my lunch break. I couldn’t get enough of the thin rice vermicelli noodles with lettuce, fragrant herbs and nuoc cham (a sweet, sour, savory and spicy Vietnamese dipping sauce). I usually topped off my bowl of noodles with grilled shrimp or tofu. Bun cha is one of those rare noodle dishes that manages to be substantive yet  light – perfect for eating lunch in the summertime heat!

What is Bún chả (Bun Cha)?

Traditional Bun Cha is a dish consisting of pork patties seasoned with fresh herbs that are served over rice noodles. Some consider these small patties to be Vietnamese pork meatballs that have been flattened. Bun cha has many components but generally constitutes of rice vermicelli noodles (bun) topped with some type of meat (cha), fresh herbs, and pickled vegetables, and served with side dishes such as lime wedge, and crushed chilis, and nuoc cham which is a sweet and pungent dipping sauce.

Origins of Bún chả

There is no specific event to trace back the origins of bun cha, but we do know that it most likely originated from Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam, where it is still a menu mainstay. While the dish appears on breakfast and dinner menus, Hanoians prefer to eat it for lunch. Outside Hanoi, in southern Vietnam another similar dish called bún thịt nướng is the preferred option.

Bun Cha Ingredients

• Shrimp: Look for sustainable shrimp that have been farmed in the US (Whole Foods has a good selection). Shrimp from U.S. farms are produced under strict environmental laws, making them a much better choice than imported, farmed shrimp. Not only do they taste significantly better, they are healthier and friendlier to the environment.
• Rice noodles: Rice noodles come in many different sizes but there’s an easy way to find the right ones for this dish. Look on the packaging for the word bun – the noodles should be very thin and dry. One brand I used a lot is Three Ladies Brand.
• Basil and Mint leaves: Fresh herbs add a bright and cleansing element to the dish. I like to tear the leaves by hand to give my bowl of noodles a stronger aroma.
• Lettuce Leaves: The crunch of the watery lettuces leaves is another great part of this dish. Plus, I love the combination of nuoc cham and lettuce. I could eat those two alone and be completely satisfied!
• Cucumber: You can use any type of cucumber but I do find that English cucumber slices have the nicest texture. They are usually crispy and fresh while standard cucumbers have a harder skin, big seeds, and the center can be a bit soft at times.
• Marinade: You will need a small shallot, some sugar, honey, fish sauce, black pepper, oil, and a blender.
• Dipping sauce (nuoc cham): The dipping sauce is a mixture of fresh lime juice, granulated sugar, fish sauce, Thai chilis, and water.

How To Make Bun Cha

1. Start by prepping all of your ingredients.
2. Gather all of your kitchen tools and prepped ingredients.
3. Take the ingredients for the marinade and place them in a blender. Blend until smooth.
4. Take the marinade and pour it in a storage bag along with the shrimp. Massage the marinade into the shrimp so they are evenly coated and squeeze the air out of the bag before sealing. Refrigerate for at least two hours.
5. Put the ingredients for the dipping sauce into a bowl and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
6. Cook vermicelli noodles according to directions on the package. Most often the noodles are added to boiling hot water and left to soak for about 10 minutes.
7. Drain the noodles and rinse them under cold water. Drain well again.
8. Brush a grill pan or skillet with a little oil and turn the heat to medium high. When the pan is hot, add the shrimp and cook on each side for 3 minutes, until they are slightly charred. This will give it the caramelized look and taste. Turn the heat off and transfer shrimp to a plate. Set aside.
9. Divide the noodles evenly among bowls and top with shrimp, fresh herbs, and lettuce.
10. Serve with sauce on the side and some sriracha sauce for a kick of heat.

This shrimp bun cha recipe is my spin on the traditional recipe, replacing pork with shrimp. The caramelization on the shrimp plays perfectly with lively notes from the herbs and the salty nuoc cham sauce. Not only is bun cha super easy to make at home, it really tastes like you’re sitting on a small plastic stool at a restaurant in Hanoi or Saigon, slurping noodles with abandon! I like to add a bit of sriracha sauce to my bun cha noodles.

Did you like this Shrimp Bun Cha Recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!

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