Lemongrass chicken vermicelli bowls

Lemongrass chicken vermicelli bowls✨

For the Chicken + Marinade▪️1 lb. Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs▪️2 Shallots, sliced▪️2 Cloves Garlic, minced▪️1 Tbsp Fish Sauce▪️2 tsp Soy Sauce▪️2 Tbsp Avocado Oil▪️2 Stalks Lemongrass (instructions below)▪️1/2 tsp Pepper▪️1/4 tsp Kosher Salt▪️2 Tbsp Sugar▪️

For the Nuoc Cham Sauce:▪️1/4 Cup Water▪️1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Fish Sauce▪️1 Tbsp Sugar▪️1 Lime, juice▪️1 tsp Chopped Carrot▪️1 Clove Garlic, minced▪️

For the Pickled Veggies:▪️1/2 Cup White Vinegar▪️1/2 Cup Water▪️1 Tbsp Sugar▪️1 tsp Salt▪️1/2 Cup Carrots, cut in thin matchsticks▪️1/2 Cup Daikon Radish, cut in thin matchsticks ▪️

For the Bowls:▪️6 oz. Vermicelli Noodles (or Maifun)▪️Romaine, sliced▪️Cucumber, sliced▪️Fresh Mint Leaves▪️Peanuts, chopped▪️Sriracha, for serving▪️2 Scallions, charred (instructions in step 7)▪️

🌱Vegan Modification: Sub in tofu for chicken; leave out the fish sauce in the marinade + sauce

1️⃣ Discard the top two thirds of the lemongrass as well as one inch at the bottom; peel off the tough outer layer and then smash with a meat mallet (or something heavy) and cut into 1” pieces that will be easy to remove later
2️⃣ Place the lemongrass in a bowl with the chicken and the rest of the ingredients for the marinade; mix until evenly coated and marinate for at least 2 hours up to overnight (the longer the better!)
3️⃣ To make the the pickled veggies, place the white vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a small pot and bring to a simmer; place the daikon and carrots in a bowl and pour the pickling liquid over; let sit for at least 30 mins
4️⃣ Mix together the ingredients for the nuoc cham sauce and set aside
5️⃣ Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and boil vermicelli noodles ~5 mins (or according to package directions) then strain and rinse with cool water; assemble the noodle bowls with vermicelli, romaine, cucumber, mint, and pickled veggies
6️⃣ Preheat a pan over medium high; remove large pieces of lemongrass and shallots from the chicken and drip off excess marinade; add 2 tsp oil and sear chicken 5-6 mins per side (10-12 mins total) until internal temp reaches 165F then remove from the pan
7️⃣ Turn off the heat and add 2 Tbsp avocado oil to the hot pan; char the scallions in the hot pan for 1-2 min, scraping up some of the bits stuck to the pan
8️⃣ Slice the chicken and serve it on top of the noodle bowls with charred scallions, peanuts, and nuoc cham on top; serve with sriracha and enjoy!

⏲40 minute prep time + 2 hour inactive time + 25 minute cook time

Recipe serves 3-4 people