Description
A light, refreshing Vietnamese shrimp salad (Gỏi Tôm) featuring tender shrimp, crisp vegetables, fresh herbs, and a tangy, slightly spicy fish sauce‑lime dressing.
Ingredients
- 8 oz cooked, peeled, and deveined shrimp (halved horizontally) or 12 oz raw shrimp, cooked
- 1 cup seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
- 2 carrots, grated or julienned
- ¼ cup fresh mint, minced
- ¼ cup fresh basil, minced
- Optional: vermicelli rice noodles, prepared (for a heartier salad)
- Optional garnish: crushed peanuts
- For the Dressing:
- Juice of 1 lime (~¼ cup)
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1–2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic paste (optional, for heat)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- If using raw shrimp: cook shrimp in a skillet with a drizzle of oil until just opaque and cooked through (~2–4 minutes), then cool. If using pre‑cooked shrimp, skip this step.
- Prepare vegetables: slice cucumber, shred carrots, and mince mint and basil.
- Mix the shrimp, cucumber, carrots, and herbs in a medium bowl (add prepared vermicelli noodles here if using).
- Whisk together lime juice, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar or water, sugar, chili garlic paste (if using), and season with salt and pepper.
- Pour dressing over the salad and toss until all ingredients are well coated.
- Garnish with crushed peanuts (if desired) and serve immediately. Adjust seasoning as needed before serving.
Notes
- You can make this salad ahead of time—just store the dressing and salad separately and toss before serving.
- Use pre‑cooked shrimp to speed up preparation.
- If you want extra substance, serve over or mix in vermicelli rice noodles.
- Adjust the heat by adding more or less chili garlic paste or skip it for a milder version.
