Skillet Rice Noodle Bowl with Shrimp and Vegetables

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 clove garlic, grated with a microplane or made into a paste
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sambal or chili-garlic sauce
• 1 package rice vermicelli
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 pound medium or large peeled and deveined shrimp
• 2 tablespoons fresh juice from about 2 limes
• 1/2 cup shredded cabbage
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumbers
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced, white and light green parts only
• 1/4 cup peanuts, crushed, optional
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly torn
• Lime wedges, for serving

Directions

1. Stir the water and sugar together in a mixing bowl until the sugar disappears. Add the fish sauce, garlic, rice wine vinegar and sambal, then whisk everything together. Taste and tweak the seasoning if you’d like, then put the sauce aside.
2. Cook the vermicelli as directed on the package, soaking it if the instructions call for that. While the noodles are working, warm the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the shrimp, sprinkle with salt, and cook while stirring and tossing the shrimp often, until they turn pink and lose their translucence, about 4 minutes. Add the lime juice to the shrimp, then take them off the heat and set them aside.
3. Drain the noodles and split them between two bowls. Arrange the vegetables over the noodles, dividing them evenly. Add the shrimp on top, sprinkle with peanuts if you’re using them, and serve with the sauce and lime wedges alongside.