Goi Chay (Vietnamese Vegetarian Salad)

There are a few pantry staples that, despite their year-round availability, seem to belong in the summer kitchen. Rice noodles are one of these things for me. They are quick to cook, and they don't involve heating up a whole pot of boiling water in an already humid kitchen! They are cool and slippery, and so delicious with fresh summer vegetables. Here's a look back at five ways to make a meal out of rice noodles.

Rice noodles are a major pantry staple for some of us, and here's a look at how they differ from soba, udon, and other Asian noodles. Rice noodles come in all shapes and sizes, but most types can be cooked by immersion into a bowl filled with boiling water. I usually run them under cold water to stop their cooking, then, and use them in some cool, fresh dish.

Here are a few great ones from The Kitchn's archives!

• Sumo Sunomono: Quick Noodle Salad with Pickles - From Pierre Lamielle of the great blog Kitchen Scraps, a recipe for rice noodles with quick pickled vegetables and shrimp!

• Bún Chay (Vietnamese Vegetarian Noodle Salad) - This may be the coolest recipe of them all, with slivered cucumbers, shredded lettuce, and fresh lime juice.

• Joyce's Drunken Noodle Salad - A quick and easy recipe from last year's Quick Weeknight Meals recipe contest. The piquant sauce is the best part!

• Goi Chay (Vietnamese Vegetarian Salad) - Cabbage salad, rice noodles, chicken or tofu, fragrant herbs. Yum yum yum...

• Vietnamese Rice Noodle Pho - OK, so pho is more of a hot dish than a cold one! But it's still so great in the summer, with fresh sprouts and greens, and lots of hot sauce to help you sweat!

What's your favorite way to eat rice noodles in the summer?

Related: Eat This! Malaysian Noodles and Spicy Sauces

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