This Vietnamese noodle salad is truly the star of the show! Also known as bun cha gio, it’s topped with crispy fried spring rolls on a bed of vermicelli and drizzled with a delicious nuoc mam sauce.
Why We Love This
Bun cha gio is an easy Vietnamese noodle salad you can enjoy for breakfast, lunch or dinner!
Filled with fresh herbs, this refreshing cold noodle salad is perfect for hot summer days.
We love the contrast of crispy spring rolls with vermicelli rice noodles, veggies and classic Vietnamese sweet and sour sauce. It’s filling and satisfying without being heavy!
Related: Chicken Noodle Salad (Bun Ga Nuong) / Rice Paper Rolls
What is Bun Cha Gio?
Bún chả giò (pronounced “boon sha joh / boon cha yaw”) is a Vietnamese cold noodle salad topped with crispy spring rolls. Bún means rice, while chả giò means spring rolls / egg rolls.
The salad itself is made with rice noodles and salad veggies such as shredded lettuce, cucumber and bean shoots, with fresh herbs (think mint, coriander or Thai basil), crunchy pickles and crushed peanuts.
Along with the crispy fried spring rolls, this salad is usually served with a Vietnamese dipping sauce called nuoc mam.
What You’ll Need
- Spring Rolls – This salad pairs perfectly with Vietnamese fried spring rolls or Thai spring rolls. You can use your own freshly cooked homemade spring rolls, or store-bought frozen spring rolls cooked until golden and crispy.
- Vermicelli Noodles – Can also be labelled as rice stick noodles. These are available in two versions: rice vermicelli noodles and mung bean thread noodles. They’re almost identical once cooked, so you can use either. Sub with any kind of thin rice noodles in the first instance, or use Singapore noodles, ramen noodles or thin Hokkien noodles if you need (or prefer).
- Salad Ingredients – Gather up your favourite combination of salad veggies such as shredded lettuce leaves, bean sprouts, cucumber, shallot. This salad is also usually served with pickled carrot and daikon, crushed peanuts and fresh herbs like mint and coriander / cilantro.
- Optional Toppings – Try it with a quick spring onion oil (aka scallion oil – method below), along with finely sliced red chilli and homemade nuoc mam sauce.
How to make Vietnamese Noodle Salad with Spring Rolls:
- Have your fried spring rolls cooked and ready to go (either store-bought or from scratch Vietnamese or Thai style). Cook vermicelli noodles according to packet directions and drain. Add the water, fish sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, sugar, garlic and (optional) fresh chilli in a small dish, and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
- Grab a large, wide bowl to arrange your salad, it’s going to be big! Layer with lettuce, if using, then the vermicelli noodles.
- Top next with your favourite toppings, including mint, coriander, bean sprouts, cucumber, pickled carrot and daikon, spring onion, chilli and finally, crispy fried spring rolls.
- Serve with the sauce on the side, and once you’re ready to eat, pour it over the bowl and dig in!
Wandercook’s Tips
- Spring Rolls – Chop them into pieces or serve them whole – it’s up to you!
- Noodles – Drain in fresh water after soaking to remove excess starch. This will stop them overcooking and becoming gluggy.
- Salad Ingredients – Use all of them, pick and choose the ones you like best, or sub with anything else you want to use up. For example, if we don’t have lettuce on hand, we’ll use other leafy greens like spinach or beetroot leaves.
- Layering – Vietnamese restaurants will often layer this noodle salad with the veggies on the bottom, then the vermicelli noodles, followed by the spring rolls on top.
- Sauce – This is usually served on the side so the spring rolls stay extra hot and crispy until you’re ready to eat. You can use it as a dipping sauce or just pour the whole lot over the salad and mix it through!
FAQs
What should I serve with bun cha gio?
This dish is pretty filling on it’s own, so we prefer to serve it with a refreshing drink like Vietnamese iced coffee, colourful three bean drink or a creamy avocado smoothie.
Can I make it in advance?
This cold noodle salad is best enjoyed immediately while the spring rolls are crispy, the noodles are soft and the veggies are fresh. If you do want to prepare the ingredients in advance, either the night before or in the morning, store the spring rolls and sauce separately to keep everything fresh and crispy. Store in airtight containers in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble and eat.
Variations
- Protein – Serve the salad with shredded rotisserie chicken or leftover roast chicken, lemongrass chicken or boneless pork chops (bun thit nuong cha gio). For something a little different, top it with fried tofu, meatballs or Vietnamese fried wontons if you prefer.
- Sauce / Dressing – Experiment with non-traditional sauces / salad dressings to mix things up and find your favourite flavour combinations. We recommend:
- Make it Vegetarian – Use vegetarian spring rolls (chả giò chay), and vegan nuoc cham (or if making your own nuoc cham, use vegan fish sauce or leave it out completely).
More incredible salads to try next:
★ Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment and a star rating below!
Servings: 1 large bowl
Calories: 618kcal
Cost: $8
Ingredients
- 100 g vermicelli noodles
- 3-4 fried spring rolls cooked, served whole or cut in thirds
For the nuoc mam cham (pour over sauce)
- 4 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp lime juice
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp garlic finely chopped
- 1 fresh chilli birds eye finely chopped
For the toppings, make your own combo
- 2 tbsp crushed peanuts
- 1 handful mint
- 1 handful coriander
- 1 handful lettuce shredded
- ¼ cup bean sprouts
- ¼ cup cucumber chopped small
- ¼ cup pickled carrot and daikon
- 1 spring onion / green onion sliced thinly
- 1 small red chilli sliced on the diagonal
Instructions
- Have your fried spring rolls cooked and ready to go (either store-bought or from scratch Vietnamese or Thai style). Cook vermicelli noodles according to packet directions and drain.100 g vermicelli noodles, 3-4 fried spring rolls
For the Nuoc Mam Cham (pour over sauce)
- Add the water, fish sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, sugar, garlic and (optional) fresh chilli in a small dish, and stir until the sugar has dissolved.4 tbsp water, 2 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 2 tsp lime juice, 2 tsp sugar, 2 tsp garlic, 1 fresh chilli birds eye
Assemble the bowl
- Grab a large, wide bowl to arrange your salad, it's going to be big! Layer with lettuce, if using, then the vermicelli noodles. Top next with your favourite toppings, including mint, coriander, bean sprouts, cucumber, pickled carrot and daikon, spring onion, chilli and finally, crispy fried spring rolls.3-4 fried spring rolls, 2 tbsp crushed peanuts, 1 handful mint, 1 handful coriander, 1 handful lettuce, ¼ cup bean sprouts, ¼ cup cucumber, ¼ cup pickled carrot and daikon, 1 small red chilli, 1 spring onion / green onion
- Serve with the sauce on the side, and once you're ready to eat, pour it over the bowl and dig in!
Video
Recipe Notes
- Spring Rolls – Chop them into pieces or serve them whole – it’s up to you!
- Noodles – Drain in fresh water after soaking to remove excess starch. This will stop them overcooking and becoming gluggy.
- Salad Ingredients – Use all of them, pick and choose the ones you like best, or sub with anything else you want to use up. For example, if we don’t have lettuce on hand, we’ll use other leafy greens like spinach or beetroot leaves.
- Layering – Vietnamese restaurants will often layer this noodle salad with the veggies on the bottom, then the vermicelli noodles, followed by the spring rolls on top.
- Sauce – This is usually served on the side so the spring rolls stay extra hot and crispy until you’re ready to eat. You can use it as a dipping sauce or just pour the whole lot over the salad and mix it through!
- Protein – Serve the salad with shredded rotisserie chicken or leftover roast chicken, lemongrass chicken or boneless pork chops (bun thit nuong cha gio). For something a little different, top it with fried tofu, meatballs or Vietnamese fried wontons if you prefer.
- Sauce / Dressing – Experiment with non-traditional sauces / salad dressings to mix things up and find your favourite flavour combinations. We recommend:
- Make it Vegetarian – Use vegetarian spring rolls (chả giò chay), and vegan nuoc cham (or if making your own nuoc cham, use vegan fish sauce or leave it out completely).
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Vietnamese Noodle Salad – Bun Cha Gio
Amount per Serving
Calories
618
% Daily Value*
Fat
11
g
17
%
Saturated Fat
2
g
13
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
4
g
Monounsaturated Fat
5
g
Sodium
3046
mg
132
%
Potassium
956
mg
27
%
Carbohydrates
116
g
39
%
Fiber
8
g
33
%
Sugar
19
g
21
%
Protein
15
g
30
%
Vitamin A
1342
IU
27
%
Vitamin C
156
mg
189
%
Calcium
129
mg
13
%
Iron
4
mg
22
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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4 Comments
JP
20/12/2022 at 6:30 pmHi! Just chiming in to correct the pronunciation. It’s closer to “boon cha yaw”.
Wandercooks
11/01/2023 at 10:00 amNo worries JP, we’ve added both, as depending on the dialect/area it can vary slightly. 🙂
June
22/08/2022 at 11:57 amThis looks absolutely delicious~
Will give it a try sometime.
Wandercooks
22/08/2022 at 2:13 pmCheers June! You’ll have to let us know what you think.