Rice noodle 201212162 oh (lee jin oh)

Ingredients

1/2 lb banh pho noodles
1 tsp vegetable or peanut oil
8 large (31-40 size) shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 head thinly shredded iceberg lettuce
1/4 cup shredded cucumber (I like the European seedless cucumbers, shredded on the largest holes of a box grater)
Handful of mint leaves and/or Thai basil, if you have it
A few strips of shredded carrot, if you have it
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
Nuoc cham, 3 Tbsp or more, to taste
2 tsp chopped dry roasted, unsalted peanuts

Directions

Fill a bowl with hot tap water. Soak the noodles for 15 minutes, until flexible. Drain. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop in the noodles, and cook for 3 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain again. Set aside.
In a small frying pan (not nonstick), heat 1 tsp oil over high heat until almost smoking. Sauté the shrimp for 1 minute on each side, until shrimp are curled, no longer translucent, and have a bit of brown color. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Assemble the salad: To a serving bowl or platter, add -- in this order -- lettuce, cucumber, mint leaves (if using), carrot (if using), scallions, and the cooked noodles. Top with shrimp. Pour on the nuoc cham and toss, then sprinkle chopped peanuts on top.