The aim of this dish is to use up all the left-over bits you have in the fridge. I’m always mindful to not use everything in the fridge during the week, so I can make something like this with leftovers most weeks. That way, this ends up costing next to nothing to make… it’s a freebie!
Ingredients
- 200 g dried rice vermicelli
- 14 oz (1 x 400 g) tin of kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 spring onion (scallion), thinly sliced
- ¼ red cabbage, finely shredded
- ½ courgette (zucchini), shaved into ribbons using a vegetable peeler
- 1 roasted red pepper (capsicum) – the jarred ones are great for this
- 2½ oz ½ cup (70 g) frozen peas
Dressing
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 red chilli, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons palm sugar or caster (superfine) sugar
- 2 generous glugs of rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce – leave out for a vegetarian version
Garnishes
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, cut into quarters
- handful of peanuts from the pub (or shop), ground
- 2 limes, cut into quarters
- 2 red chillies, thinly sliced
- handful of chopped coriander (cilantro)
How to Make It
- For the dressing, pound all the ingredients together using a pestle and mortar, then season with white pepper.
- Put the rice vermicelli into a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water and leave for 10–15 minutes until soft, then drain. Rinse under cold running water and drain again.
- Combine all the ingredients except the garnishes in a large serving dish. Check that the seasoning is just right, then pour over the dressing and mix to coat everything evenly.
- Garnish with the eggs, peanuts, limes, chillies and coriander, then serve immediately.