Vietnamese Noodle Salad With Shrimp and Kiwifruit

Perfect for hot weather, this gluten-free shrimp noodle salad has a surprising ingredient: SunGold Kiwifruit!

[Disclosure: As a co-owner of The Recipe ReDux, I was compensated to co-manage this recipe contest with Zespri Kiwifruit. I also received free samples of Zespri SunGold kiwifruit mentioned in this post. Thoughts and opinions are my own.]

So, this recipe started out as a tiramisu and ended up as a noodle salad. Go figure.

But that's because my mind was seriously racing with ideas when we found out that Zespri Kiwifruit was sponsoring a recipe challenge for our Recipe ReDux members featuring their new varietal - SunGold Kiwifruit.

SunGold kiwis are one of the fastest growing new fruits globally and are a natural cross between gold varieties of kiwifruit (non-GMO). Some more fun facts about the SunGold kiwi:

• It has smooth, hairless skin and yellow flesh (you can eat the skin!)
• It's rich in Vitamin C and potassium and is a good source of Vitamin E
• It has a tropical flavor (to me tastes like cross between a sweeter green kiwi and a papaya)
• It's in season June - October

And DYK that all kiwifruit contain actinidin - an enzyme unique to kiwifruit - which breaks down protein....which means, it makes for a terrific meat tenderizer! (Method: peel, mash and spread kiwifruit over cuts of meat for 10 - 15 minutes to tenderize then remove mashed fruit.)

All around I think kiwifruit is such a delicious yet underused fruit. You can use it an ingredient in so many ways you already use other fruits - everything from breakfasts to desserts.

[bctt tweet="Cool off w. Vietnamese Noodle Salad w. Shrimp + SunGold @ZESPRIkiwifruit via @tspbasil #thereciperedux #AD" username=""]

So, I did start with dessert (that tiramisu) but then I was craving tacos. I considered making kiwi shrimp tacos because I love fruit salsa with tacos (still going to try this at some point) but ultimately I landed on this Vietnamese salad because of the HEAT people.

During these hot, hot months, I love the simplicity of Vietnamese cuisine and the cooling flavors of fresh mint, basil and cilantro. I ate this salad for two days straight during a heat wave.

Vietnamese Noodle Salad With Shrimp and Kiwifruit

---

• Author: by Deanna Segrave-Daly, RD
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

Perfect for hot weather, this gluten-free Shrimp Vietnamese Noodle Salad has a surprising ingredient: SunGold Kiwifruit!

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• ¼ cup lime juice (2 small limes)
• 3 tablespoons gluten-free fish sauce
• 2 ½ tablespoons brown sugar
• ½ cup water
• 8 ounces brown rice vermicelli or rice sticks
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 cups bok choy, sliced
• 4 Zespri SunGold kiwifruit, sliced
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• ½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• ½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Lime wedges

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. To make sauce, whisk together lime juice, fish sauce and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Whisk in water and bring to a boil. Lower to simmer and heat for a few minutes or until sugar has dissolved. Remove from stove.
2. Cook rice noodles according to package. Rinse with cool water and set side.
3. In a large saute pan, heat sesame oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add shrimp and saute for 4-5 minutes or until shrimp are cooked through (stirring often.) Remove from pan.
4. When ready to serve, divide cooked noodles and shrimp among four bowls. Carefully arrange bok choy, SunGold kiwifruit, carrots, mint, basil and cilantro among the bowls. Drizzle each bowl with ¼ cup lime fish sauce. Serve with lime wedges.

The delicate sweet SunGold kiwi ending up being a delicious complement to the delicate herbs, noodles and shrimp - this is a recipe I know I'll make again and again (especially in the heat of the summer.)

I'll leave you with a few other cooking notes when using kiwifruit:

• If mixing with dairy, add kiwifruit to the dish right before serving as that actinidin also breaks down dairy proteins and can lead to curdling.
• Avoid crushing the seeds as it leads to bitterness (if pureeing in a smoothie, remove seeds first.)
• When adding to hot dishes, add right at the end as kiwifruit is delicate and breaks down easily.

Have you seen these SunGold kiwis yet in your store? How do you like to eat kiwifruit?

Check out all the creative recipes featuring SunGold kiwis below!