Vietnamese Bun Cha with Marinated Mahi
This flavorful Vietnamese dish is the cold noodle version of a salad — you get all the freshness of a salad with crisp, seasonal vegetables and all the toothy satisfaction of the rice noodles. To top it off, the sweet marinated fish pairs perfectly with the salty nuoc cham.
Servings
Produce
Cucumber
1 0.5 Whole
Carrot (Organic)
6 3 oz
Green Bell Pepper (Organic)
1 0.5 Whole
Jalapeno Pepper (Organic)
1 0.5 Whole
Basil
.5 0.25 oz
Lettuce mix
5 2.5 oz
Protein & more
Rice vermicelli noodles
1 0.5 Package
Cashews
1 0.5 oz
Mahi Mahi
1 0.5 lb
Pantry items
Olive oil
2 1 teaspoon
Sea salt
To Taste
Spice mix
Bun Cha Marinade
Tamari
3 1.5 tablespoon
Lime juice
1 0.5 tablespoon
Garlic
1 0.5 Clove
Olive oil
1 0.5 tablespoon
Nuoc cham (Red Dot)
Tamari
4 2 tablespoon
Rice vinegar
4 2 tablespoon
Lime juice
4 2 teaspoon
Minced Garlic
1 0.5 tablespoon
Brown sugar, dark
2 1 tablespoon
Prep ahead (optional)
a. Cut cucumber into ¼” coins. b. Peel carrots and continue using peeler to cut ribbons. c. Trim root and seeds off bell pepper; slice thin strips. d. Leave lettuce whole or chop bite-sized. e. Cut jalapeno into ¼” coins or mince. f. Slice basil into ribbons.
Instructions
1
Cook rice noodles:
a. Add 8 cups water to a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
b. When water boils, turn off heat and add thin rice noodles. Let stand, stirring occasionally. Soak until noodles are soft but not mushy, about 3-5 minutes.
c. Rinse with cold water. Set aside.
2
Meanwhile, marinate mahi mahi:
a. Chop mahi mahi into 1” pieces.
b. Add mahi mahi and bun cha marinade to a glass casserole dish. Set aside to marinate.
3
Cook mahi mahi:
a. In medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, add 2 tbsp olive oil.
b. Add well-drained marinated mahi mahi to pan, watching for splatters. Stir-fry mahi mahi until caramelized and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
4
Assemble bun cha:
a. Divide lettuce (leave whole or chop bite-sized) among serving bowls.
b. Add cool rice noodles. If noodles have stuck together, rinse again with cold water and use fingers to separate.
c. Top with cucumber (¼” coins), carrots (peel skin, continue using peeler to cut ribbons), bell pepper (trim root & seeds, slice ¼” strips), and optional jalapeno (¼” coins or mince).
5
Serve:
a. Pour nuoc cham (red dot) over ingredients in each bowl and top with mahi mahi.
b. Garnish with cashews (chop) and basil (ribbons).
Chef's notes
For vegetarians, tempeh makes a fine replacement for the fish.
All spice mixes and dressings made by Inner Chef from scratch with organic ingredients, local when possible.
This week’s local ingredients across all Inner Chef meal-kits come from:
Gundermann Acres,
Wharton County, TX
Wharton County, TX
Fagan Family Farm
Lone Star Herbs,
League City, TX
League City, TX
G&S Groves,
Mission, TX
Mission, TX
The Farm Patch,
Pleasanton, TX
Pleasanton, TX
Kitchen Pride,
Gonzales, TX
Gonzales, TX
Fruitful Hill Farm,
Bastrop, TX
Bastrop, TX
J&B Farms,
Hondo, TX
Hondo, TX
Martinez Farms,
Pleasanton, TX
Pleasanton, TX
J&D Farms
Village Farms,
Marfa, TX
Marfa, TX