
These Vietnamese pork noodle bowls layer tender lemongrass-marinated pork, cool rice vermicelli, crisp vegetables, fresh herbs, and tangy nuoc cham for a bright, balanced meal. Bun thit nuong is fresh, savory, slightly sweet, and easy to customize for lunch or dinner.
Make the quick pickles: In a large bowl, stir the hot water with the sugar and salt until dissolved. Add the rice vinegar, then add the carrots and daikon and toss to coat.
Let the vegetables pickle for 2 hours, or until slightly softened but still crisp. Drain well before serving.
Prepare the nuoc cham: In a small bowl, mix the fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, lime juice, water, chopped Thai chilies, and minced garlic until the sugar is fully dissolved.
Cook the rice vermicelli according to the package directions, or soak in boiling water for about 5 minutes until tender. Drain, rinse under cold running water, and let drain thoroughly so the noodles do not water down the bowls.
Prepare the bowl toppings: Tear the lettuce into bite-size pieces, slice the cucumbers, rinse the bean sprouts, pick the mint and cilantro leaves, chop the peanuts, slice the red chili, and cut the limes into wedges.
Cook the lemongrass-marinated pork according to its recipe, then let it rest briefly and slice if needed.
Assemble the bowls: Divide the noodles among serving bowls. Top with lettuce, pickled carrots and daikon, cucumbers, bean sprouts, and the cooked pork.
Finish each bowl with mint, cilantro, chopped peanuts, sliced red chili, and a lime wedge. Serve the nuoc cham on the side or spoon it over the bowls just before eating.
For the best texture, drain the noodles very well before assembling. You can pickle the carrots and daikon a day ahead and refrigerate them in their brine. If daikon is unavailable, use extra carrots or cucumber for crunch. Adjust the chilies in the sauce to taste, and serve the sauce separately so everyone can season their bowl as they like.