Yes, all of these rice noodle recipes center on a star ingredient (the noodles), but there’s so much variety within the category. The rice noodle canon is as expansive as it is delicious. From brothy bowls to punchy stir-fries to chilled noodle salads, these are the rice noodle recipes we turn to again and again.
You’ll see a range of names at the store—rice sticks, rice vermicelli, flat rice noodles; it’s worth familiarizing yourself with the differences (and learning the noodle’s actual name if you don’t know it already). Each brings something distinct to the table. A few of our go-tos: bánh phở, medium-width flat noodles ideal for soups; wide, chewy ho fun (also called kway teow), perfect for high-heat stir-fries; and delicate Hsinchu mifen, which excels in quick-cooking noodle dishes like stir-fry. No matter the shape, one thing holds true: Rice noodles cook fast and absorb flavor like a dream.
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Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Taneka Morris, prop styling by Suzie Myers
Spiced Salmon Noodle Soup
This version of salmon-head soup—a staple of Native Alaskan diets—builds a broth from its eponymous ingredient, plus fillet scraps and tons of aromatics like sesame oil, fennel, and coriander. If your fishmonger doesn’t have a salmon head handy, the stock can be made from salmon bones and other scraps.
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Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Emilie Fosnocht, prop styling by Sean Dooley
Everyone’s Favorite Gado-Gado
Gado-gado is one of Indonesia’s national dishes, found everywhere from food stalls to restaurants and family kitchens. This noodle-based version uses soy sauce and brown sugar as a substitute for kecap manis, a salty-sweet condiment often used to season the peanut sauce at the heart of the dish.
