# Cold Rice Noodle Bowls with Thai-Style Chicken, Summer Herbs and Sesame Dressing > Cool rice noodles sit under tender Thai-style chicken, crunchy cucumber and carrots, avocado, and generous handfuls of fresh herbs. A lime-bright sesame dressing coats the bowl, with a sharp chile dipping sauce alongside for extra heat and salt—the kind of dinner that makes a hot evening easier. - URL: https://www.chezjk.com/recipes/cold-thai-style-rice-noodle-bowls-with-sesame-chicken-veggies-dipping-sauce - Author: Jonathan Katzman - Cooked and photographed: 2022-06-21 - Recipe updated: 2026-10-23 - Serves: 4 servings - Tags: gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free ![Cold Rice Noodle Bowls with Thai-Style Chicken, Summer Herbs and Sesame Dressing](https://www.chezjk.com/api/images?path=9e5d6860-dd86-455e-b57b-e352c363fc57%2Feb60fe21a83f1a5e.jpg) ## Thai-Style Garlic-Lime Chicken Thinly sliced chicken cooks quickly without needing a hard crust. Fish sauce, garlic, and lime give it enough savory brightness to stand up to cold noodles and raw vegetables. ### Ingredients - 1½ lb boneless skinless chicken thighs - 1 tbsp gluten-free fish sauce - 2 tsp gluten-free tamari - 2 cloves garlic, finely grated - 1 tsp finely grated lime zest - 1 tsp honey - 1 tbsp avocado oil - 1 tbsp fresh lime juice ### Instructions 1. Slice the chicken across the grain into strips about ½ inch thick. Toss with the fish sauce, tamari, garlic, lime zest, and honey. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. 2. Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Lift the chicken from the marinade and cook in two batches, spreading the strips into a single layer. 3. Cook each batch for 4–6 minutes, turning occasionally, until lightly golden in places and the thickest pieces reach 165°F. Lower the heat if the garlic begins to scorch. 4. Transfer to a clean shallow dish, toss with the lime juice, and let the steam dissipate for 10–15 minutes before assembling. For fully cold bowls, refrigerate promptly until chilled. ### Notes - Keep the chicken tender and lightly colored rather than pursuing a dark sear. ## Cold Rice Noodles A thoroughly rinsed rice-noodle base stays cool and springy, giving the dressing somewhere to collect beneath the herbs and chicken. ### Ingredients - 8 oz dried gluten-free rice vermicelli or thin rice noodles - 1 tsp toasted sesame oil ### Instructions 1. Cook or soak the noodles according to their package directions, checking early. They should be tender throughout but still resilient. 2. Drain and rinse under cold running water until completely cool. Shake thoroughly and let drain for 5 minutes. 3. Toss with the sesame oil and loosen into four portions. If they stick together before serving, rinse briefly with cool water and drain again. ### Notes - Avoid undercooking rice noodles for a cold bowl; chilling makes them firmer. ## Crunchy Vegetables, Avocado and Herb Salad Carrots and cucumber provide crisp contrast, while avocado softens the sharp sauces. Keeping the herbs in generous pieces makes them part of the salad rather than just a garnish. ### Ingredients - 3 Persian cucumbers, cut into half-moons or short batons - 2 medium carrots, cut into thin batons - 1 large ripe avocado, sliced - 4 cups loosely packed tender salad greens - 1 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems - ½ cup Thai basil leaves - ½ cup mint leaves - 1 cup tender pea shoots or sunflower shoots, optional - 2 scallions, thinly sliced ### Instructions 1. Wash and thoroughly dry the greens, herbs, and any shoots. Remove tough stems, leaving tender cilantro stems intact. 2. Keep the cucumber and carrot separate for arranging around the bowls. Tear any large herb leaves and combine loosely with the greens, shoots, and scallions. 3. Slice the avocado just before serving. Leave everything undressed until assembly to preserve its crunch. ### Notes - If the carrots are thick or especially firm, shave them into ribbons rather than cutting large batons. ## Lime-Sesame Dressing Tahini supplies sesame richness without overwhelming the cool noodles. Lime and rice vinegar keep the dressing lively, while a little water makes it easy to distribute through the greens. ### Ingredients - ¼ cup well-stirred tahini - 3 tbsp fresh lime juice - 1 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar - 1 tbsp gluten-free tamari - 2 tsp honey - 1 tsp toasted sesame oil - 1 tsp finely grated ginger - 3–5 tbsp cold water - 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds ### Instructions 1. Whisk the tahini, lime juice, vinegar, tamari, honey, sesame oil, and ginger together. The mixture may stiffen at first. 2. Whisk in cold water a tablespoon at a time until the dressing falls from a spoon in a loose ribbon. Stir in the sesame seeds. 3. Taste and adjust with a little more lime for brightness or water if too salty or thick. ### Notes - The dressing thickens as it stands; loosen it with cold water immediately before serving. ## Lime-Chile Dipping Sauce A thin, sharp dipping sauce contrasts with the sesame dressing and lets each person add more chile, acidity, and savory depth. ### Ingredients - 3 tbsp fresh lime juice - 2 tbsp gluten-free fish sauce - 3 tbsp water - 2 tsp honey - 1 Thai chile, thinly sliced, or less to taste - 1 small clove garlic, finely minced ### Instructions 1. Stir the lime juice, fish sauce, water, and honey until the honey dissolves. 2. Add the chile and garlic and let stand for 10 minutes. 3. Taste for a sharp but balanced salty-sour flavor. Add water if too intense, or a little more honey if the lime is particularly tart. ## Overall Timing / Workflow Preparing the sauces and vegetables during the chicken's marinade keeps active work compact and gives the cooked ingredients time to cool. ### Instructions 1. 0:00 — Slice and marinate the chicken. Put water on for the noodles. 2. 0:10 — Make both sauces, then wash and dry the greens and herbs. 3. 0:20 — Cook the chicken in batches. Meanwhile, cook or soak the noodles, rinse cold, and drain. 4. 0:35 — Let the chicken cool while cutting the cucumber and carrots and arranging the greens. 5. 0:45 — Slice the avocado, loosen the sesame dressing, and assemble. Allow additional refrigerator time if you want the chicken fully chilled. ## Plating A broad bowl keeps the crisp vegetables accessible and allows the herbs and chicken to mound loosely over the noodles. ### Instructions 1. Divide the cold noodles among four wide bowls and toss each portion with a little sesame dressing. 2. Arrange cucumber, carrot batons, and avocado around the edges. Add the leafy greens and herbs, then mound the chicken in the center. 3. Drizzle with the remaining sesame dressing to taste, leaving some herbs visibly fresh and undressed. 4. Serve the lime-chile sauce in small dipping bowls for dipping chicken or spooning sparingly over the noodles. ## Leftover Path Separate storage protects the herbs from wilting and prevents the noodles from absorbing all the dressing. ### Instructions 1. Refrigerate chicken, noodles, vegetables, herbs, and sauces in separate containers within 2 hours of cooking, or within 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F. 2. Use the chicken within 3–4 days. For best texture, eat the noodles, cut vegetables, and herbs within 2 days; cut fresh avocado when serving. 3. Refresh firm noodles with a brief rinse of cool water and drain well. Thin the sesame dressing with water, then assemble another cold bowl. 4. If everything is already dressed, refrigerate promptly and eat the next day; the greens will be softer. --- From ChezJK (https://www.chezjk.com), Jonathan Katzman's public home-cooking archive: every meal he has photographed, written up as a recipe you can cook.