The lamb meatballs took forever to cook in the oven and they ended up crunchy on top; they reminded me of spring rolls so it was a good thing I’d decided to put them on top of Vermicelli noodles. My favorite time to cook bún is in the spring when you can throw all kinds of fresh greens and vegetables into a bowl; since we’re still a month or two away from that, I had to content myself with lamb along with leftover broccoli and celery. I did find that celery really allows the flavor of any liquid to soak through, and it goes very well with the nước chấm.

(Photo: Rock Creek Park, Washington, D.C.)

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