Vietnamese Meatballs Vermicelli Noodles
Try this Vietnamese Meatballs Vermicelli Noodles recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Vietnamese Meatballs Vermicelli Noodles recipe, or contribute your own.
- salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 spaghetti squash
- 1 1/4 lbs ground pork and chicken (50% + 50% combo or use on
- 2 large shallots roughly chopped
- 5 oz. fresh shiitake mushrooms sliced (alt. crimini or portobello mushrooms)
- 1 tbsp red boat fish sauce
- small pinch of finely minced garlic red chilies*
- 1/2 fresh lime juice
- 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar (whole30 compliant)
- 1/2 tbsp fish sauce (whole30 compliant)
- 1-2 tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice
- *i use california fresno red chili pepper. seeds r
- chopped mint cilantro, and basil (include them all or select a few)
- Carbohydrate 18.0686475 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 3.040835 g
- Fiber 0.0549499979689717 g
- Protein 1.740785 g
- Saturated Fat 0.51540925 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (406g)
- Sodium 1133.042 mg
- Sugar 18.013697502031 g
- Trans Fat 0.47486575 g
- Calories 95 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 400°F - 420°F.
- Slice the squash in half from stem to tail.
- Be careful not to cut yourself.
- Work slowly.
- Scoop out the seeds.
- Season with a little salt.
- Place the squash in a roasting pan.
- Cut -side down with a little water just enough to cover the bottom.
- Use a food processor to chop 3 garlic cloves, 2 large diced shallots, and 5 oz. fresh shiitake mushrooms until fine.
- Mix them with ground meat with ½ tsp sea salt, fish sauce, coconut aminos, and olive oil.
- Combine well and form about 20 meatballs (about 2 ½ tbsp filling/ meatball) on a large non-stick baking sheet pan.
- Send meatballs and squash to the oven (400 - 420°F).
- Squash will take slightly longer time to bake than the meatballs so here’s what you can do to bake them at the same time: *Bake the meatballs for about 25 minutes total - 1st side: 15 minutes.
- Then, flip them and bake the flip side for an additional 8-10 minutes.
- Once the meatballs are cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and ready to serve.
- *Bake the squash for 30-45 minutes.
- Smaller squash will cook more quickly than larger squash so check after 30 minutes.
- The squash is ready when tender and you can easily pierce the flesh all the way to the peel with a fork.
- Once it’s ready, scrape out the squash with a fork gently in the same direction as the strands.
- Combine ingredients under “Dressing”.
- Drizzle 1-2 tbsp dressing over squash noodles and meatballs.
- Sprinkle chopped herbs (mint, cilantro, basil) and watch them gone quickly than you think!
Scaling for Crowds or Solo Dinners
Dividing the ingredients down to a single portion works seamlessly because the meatballs portion cleanly into two-tablespoon units. When scaling up for larger gatherings, prep the shallots and shiitake mushrooms in a food processor in distinct batches to prevent uneven chunks. Pork and chicken mince releases fats at different rates during cooking, so maintaining a fifty-fifty ratio preserves structural integrity without drying out. Monitor the spaghetti squash closely around the thirty-minute mark, as larger gourds require up to fifteen additional minutes to yield tender strands.
Balancing Acid, Salt, and Umami
Fish sauce and coconut aminos deliver high levels of free glutamates, which interact with the natural sweetness of orange juice and the sharp bite of rice vinegar. Acetic acid from the lime juice and vinegar cuts through the rendered animal fats, brightening the heavy proteins on the palate. Fresh herbs like mint, basil, and cilantro introduce volatile aromatic compounds that degrade rapidly under high heat, meaning they must always be applied raw just before eating.
