My Favorite Clean-Out-the-Fridge Meal
By Andrew Zimmern
What do I eat when no one’s watching?
Well, it’s usually a big bowl of noodles. Vietnamese. Thai. Whatever I can throw together with what’s in the fridge. A handful of herbs, some tired vegetables that need saving, maybe a little leftover protein, lots of heat, acid, funk, and comfort.
And having a razor-sharp knife makes all the difference. Shun has been my go-to for decades, they turn a quick fridge dive into something that actually feels joyful to cook.
That’s the beauty of noodle dishes. They forgive you. They welcome improvisation. And they always seem to hit exactly the right note at the end of a long day.
Vietnamese-Style Cold Noodle Salad
Ingredients
For the salad
6 ounces mung bean noodles or bean thread noodles
2 cups leftover roast chicken (or rotisserie chicken, or whatever protein you’d like), sliced
1 cup snap peas, trimmed
1 cup pea tips or pea shoots
1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 cup bean sprouts
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 English cucumber, cut into matchsticks or thin half-moons
3 scallions, sliced on the bias
1/2 cup Thai basil leaves
1/2 cup mint leaves
1/4 cup roasted cashews, lightly crushed
2 tablespoons toasted rice powder, plus more to taste
For the dressing
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 to 3 tablespoons sugar, to taste
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, finely grated or minced
1/2 teaspoon chile flakes, or more to taste
Instructions
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the snap peas and blanch for about 45 seconds, until bright green and just tender. Transfer to a bowl of ice water or rinse under cold water. Repeat with the carrots for a minute, and the pea tips for just 10 to 15 seconds. Drain everything well.
Prepare the mung bean or bean thread noodles according to package directions. Usually, this means soaking them in hot water for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender but still springy. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain again very well.
In a small bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, ginger, garlic and chile flakes.
In a large bowl, combine the noodles, sliced chicken, snap peas, pea tips, carrots, bean sprouts, red onion, cucumber and scallions. Add the Thai basil, mint, crushed cashews and toasted rice powder. Add the dressing and toss well, making sure the noodles are coated and the vegetables are evenly distributed.
Serve cold or at room temperature, finished with extra herbs, cashews and a final sprinkle of toasted rice powder if you’d like.
