Beefy Vermicelli Noodles with Fresh Herbs and Winter Veg

This was a HUGE hit from our family meal this week. Who doesn’t love slurping up some noodles?! We loved the contrast in textures between the nuts and the beef. The crisp vegetables and the fresh herbs (almost) made us feel like we were eating a salad. If you want to add a bit of depth or some funk, swap out some of the kosher salt for fish sauce or soy sauce when seasoning the meat. And don’t skip the lime wedge! Squeezing some fresh juice over the top adds some nice acidity to the final product. This can easily be made with whatever ground meat you have on hand, or with mushrooms if you want a vegetarian version! 

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 8-ounce pack Vermicelli Noodles
1# ground beef

½ teaspoon ground black lime

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 fresh chili, sliced

1 medium onion, diced

2 T minced ginger

1 cup stock (beef, chicken, or vegetable)

1 cup julienned carrots

2 cups sliced cabbage

1 cup sliced winter radish

2 cups sliced cucumber

2 cups sliced scallions

2 cups mint leaves, torn

1 cup cilantro, chopped

1 cup Almonds, chopped

Kosher salt, to taste

Ground black pepper, to taste

Maldon salt, to taste

Sriracha, for serving

Sesame Oil, for serving

Lime wedges, for serving

Sliced Red chilis, for serving (optional)

Method:

Place a large saute pan over medium high heat  and add a splash of cooking oil. Sear beef until browned but not cooked all the way through. Season meat with kosher salt, black pepper, black lime, and cumin. Remove meat from the pan and drain off all but 2 tablespoons of fat. Add onion, ginger and chili to the pan and cook until softened. Add cabbage to the pan and cook until it wilts. Put beef back into the pan and add the stock. Simmer gently over low heat for about 20 minutes to let the flavors meld together. If it starts to look a bit dry, add more stock or a splash of water. Cook noodles according to package directions and toss into the pan with the meat. To serve, top noodles with all the sliced vegetables, herbs, almonds and lime wedge. Drizzle with sesame oil, a sprinkling of Maldon salt, and the sliced red chilis if you want a little heat!