Vietnamese Prawn and Pork Mince Noodle Salad (Phở Trộn Tôm Thịt)

Not long ago, I shared my Vietnamese Prawn and Pork Mince Noodle Soup, a comforting bowl of hot goodness that's perfect for winter. Today, I'm using the same familiar ingredients - prawns and pork mince - but turning them into something completely different. This Vietnamese Prawn and Pork Mince Noodle Salad is light yet satisfying, full of flavour and wonderfully versatile.

Made with flat rice noodles (bánh phở), this dish can be enjoyed warm during colder months or served cold on a hot summer's day. Either way, it makes a quick, delicious dinner that feels both fresh and comforting.

What is Phở Trộn

In Vietnam, this dish is known as Phở Trộn, which literally means "mixed phở". When people think of Vietnamese noodles, they often imagine a steaming bowl of soup. In reality, Vietnamese cuisine has a whole category of noodle salads - dishes without broth, where the dressing is the heart of the meal.

In a Vietnamese Prawn and Pork Mince Noodle Salad, the sauce plays a crucial role. It brings together the noodles, meat, prawns, herbs and vegetables, coating everything in a savoury, slightly sweet and tangy glaze that ties the dish together beautifully.

Simple ingredients, big Vietnamese flavours

One of the things I love most about this Vietnamese Prawn and Pork Mince Noodle Salad is how approachable it is. There's nothing complicated or hard to find here - everything can be picked up from a local supermarket or may already be waiting in your fridge.

From start to finish, the dish comes together in around 30 minutes, making it ideal for a busy weekday evening when you still want something full of flavour.

Preparing the aromatic base

I start by blitzing red chilli (or red pointy pepper if you prefer a milder, child-friendly version), shallots and garlic into a fragrant mince. This aromatic mixture forms the flavour base for both the pork and the dressing.

I take one teaspoon of this mixture and use it to marinate the pork mince, along with fish sauce, oyster sauce, a pinch of light brown sugar, a dash of olive oil and some ground black pepper. Mix everything well and leave it to marinate for 5-10 minutes.

A handy tip for cooking pork mince

If you dislike pork mince clumping into long strings as it cooks, here's a simple trick. Add a small dash of water to the mince before cooking and mix it well using chopsticks or a fork. This loosens the meat and helps it break down into fine, even pieces when stir-fried.

Preparing the garnishes and vegetables

While the pork marinates, I slice the shallots thinly and fry them until golden and crisp. You can use shop-bought fried shallots, but I like making my own and then using the fragrant shallot oil to cook the rest of the dish.

Prepare the vegetables:

• Beansprouts, rinsed and drained
• Lettuce, rinsed and thinly sliced
• Mint and coriander leaves, rinsed and roughly chopped
• Red pepper or chilly, thinly sliced

I use cooked prawns for convenience. If you're using raw prawns, simply blanch them in boiling water for a couple of minutes until pink and fully cooked then drain.

Cooking the noodles and pork mince

Cook the dried flat rice noodles according the to packet instructions. My usual method is to cover them with boiling water, turn off the heat, cover with a lid and leave for 3-4 minutes, then rinse and drain.

To cook the pork, heat one tablespoon of shallot oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the marinated pork mince and stir-fry until fully cooked, about 5 minutes. The mince should break apart nicely with no clumps. Once cooked, remove from the pan and set aside.

Making the dressing sauce

In the same pan, add another couple of tablespoons of shallot oil. Fry the remaining chilli (or pepper), shallot and garlic mixture until fragrant.

Add the sauce ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar or honey
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 90 ml water (5-6 tablespoons)

Bring the sauce to a boil then stir in a cornflour slurry (1 teaspoon cornflour mixed with a little water). The sauce will thicken and turn glossy. Once bubbling, turn off the heat.

Assembling the Vietnamese Prawn and Pork Mince

Because it's winter, I like serving this Vietnamese Prawn and Pork Mince Noodle Salad warm. I briefly blanch the beansprouts and prawns in boiling water to warm them through.

To assemble:

• Start with a bed of warm flat noodles
• Add lettuce and blanched beansprouts
• Spoon over the pork mince
• Arrange the prawns on top
• Garnish with coriander and mint

Pour 3-4 tablespoons of the dressing over each portion and mix everything together. Finish with a generous sprinkle of roasted peanuts and crispy fried shallots.

Serving suggestions

In warmer months, this dish works just as well served cold - simply assemble everything without blanching the vegetables or prawns. Either way, this Vietnamese Prawn and Pork Mince Noodle Salad delivers bold Vietnamese flavours in a light, satisfying form.

Fresh, fragrant and incredibly adaptable, it's the kind of recipe you'll find yourself coming back to again and again.

Love Vietnamese Phở Trộn? You might also want to try my Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Salad (Phở Gà Trộn) - it's light, fragrant and just as delicious.