Cold Noodle Salad with Meatballs

kelly's kitchen, recipes, Style at a Certain Age

Welcome to Kelly’s Kitchen. If it’s summer then it’s time for cold noodle salads! I love all kinds of cold noodle salads, from my grandma’s macaroni salad to my favorite Vietnamese dish, bún thịt nướng (Grilled Pork Noodle Bowl). Cold noodle salads are the perfect blank canvas to get creative with your cooking; you can explore all kinds of cuisines by incorporating ingredients and seasonings to create new flavor combinations - perfect for all the summer barbecues, cookouts and picnics. Today we are exploring a Southeast Asian fusion flavor combination in Cold Noodle Salad with Meatballs.

The Summary

Today we are making Cold Noodle Salad with Meatballs

Be sure to find the shoppable key ingredients and equipment

Cold Noodle Salad with Meatballs

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400º F. Adjust the racks so that there is one in the center and the top one is about 6-8 inches from the broiler element.

Step 2

Cook the rice vermicelli according to package directions, drain, and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

Step 3

Going into the meatballs, we have 1 ½ pounds of Ground Beef, 2 eggs, 5 scallions (white and light green parts thinly sliced), 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons of chili garlic sauce, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 2 tablespoons of sesame oil.

Step 4

Mix the meatball ingredients in a bowl until well incorporated, but try not to over mix and mash the beef too much.

Step 5

Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out the meatballs. Then use your hands to form the balls into tidy spheres. Bake the meatballs for 20 minutes.

Step 6

For the dressing, in a food processor, combine the lime juice, cilantro, garlic, ground coriander, kosher salt and honey. Process until all of the cilantro is minced. Then with the processor running, drizzle in the olive oil until a smooth dressing forms. Transfer the dressing into a measuring cup or jar for easy pouring.

Step 7

After the meatballs have baked for 20 minutes, remove the meatballs from the oven and switch it to broil. Now, brush the meatballs with teriyaki sauce and place back in the oven on the rack about 6-8 inches from the broil element. Watch the meatballs because we only want to let the teriyaki bubble and caramelize enough to form a glaze, about 3-4 minutes. Turn the pan halfway through if needed for even caramelization.

Step 8

Drizzle on a little more dressing and add four or five meatballs to the bowl and top with sliced scallions, sliced fresh jalapeño and chili garlic sauce. Garnish with lime wedges.

This is a fantastic Cold Noodle Salad with Meatballs! If you want to mix things up, exchange the meatballs for teriyaki grilled steak – which would be amazing. The cilantro lime dressing adds just enough acid to cut through the sweet mango and savory meatballs. The cucumber adds just the right amount of fresh crunch. Dial down the spiciness by skipping the jalapeños and chili garlic sauce on top, if you like. I hope you give this recipe a try! Take care and be well, xo Kelly

Key Ingredients and Equipment

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Cold Noodle Salad with Meatballs