Vietnamese Rice-Noodle Salad

Ingredients

• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons vegetarian fish sauce
• 1 (12 ounce) package dried rice noodles
• 2 carrots, julienned
• 1 cucumber, halved lengthwise and chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• 4 leaves napa cabbage
• 1/4 cup unsalted peanuts
• 4 sprigs fresh mint

Directions

Mince the garlic with the cilantro and the hot pepper. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the lime juice, fish sauce or salt and sugar; stir well. Let the sauce sit for 5 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rice noodles; boil them for 2 minutes. Drain well. Rinse the noodles with cold water until they have cooled. Let them drain again.

Combine the sauce, noodles, carrots, cucumber, mint and Napa cabbage in a large serving bowl. Toss well and serve the salad garnished with the peanuts and mint sprigs.