Our Vietnamese Beef Salad is fresh, fragrant, full of umami flavour and a complete winner served as a sensational weekday dinner option or as part of an Asian banquet.
If you are looking for an easy introduction to Vietnamese cooking then our Vietnamese Beef Salad is a great place to start. We have marinated beef fillets in classic Vietnamese flavours of fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, garlic and chillies, then added some crunchy vegetables and peanuts and tossed everything in a nuoc cham dressing
There is nothing complicated about this salad, all it takes is an easy marinade, a few veggies, aromatic herbs and a super delicious dressing to tie it all together.
So What Are Vietnamese Flavours?
Vietnamese cuisine incorporates five elements that are common in Asian cultures - metal=spicy, wood=sour, fire=bitter, water=salty and earth=sweet.
Vietnamese cooks will also try and incorporate...
...Five types of nutrients - powder, water or liquid, mineral elements, protein, and fat;
...Five types of colours - white=metal, green=wood, yellow=earth, red=fire and black=water
...Five types of senses - sight by making the food look great, sound by adding some crunch, smell by including aromatic herbs, taste by adding flavourings and sauces, and touch.
What is the best cut of meat to use?
We used a beef eye fillet for this recipe as I wanted it to cook quickly and be tender. You could also try some other tender cuts of meat such as sirloin, skirt, tenderloin, ribeye or flank.
What is wombok?
It is a Chinese cabbage that originated in Beijing, it is light green and elongated with a milder flavour and softer texture than ordinary cabbage. In the US it is known as Napa or Napa cabbage.
Can I use White Cabbage instead?
If you are unable to find it in your supermarket then replace with very finely shredded white cabbage or chopped cos/romaine lettuce instead.
You Will Need
Consider adding
- Some noodle such as vermicelli or rice noodles to make it even more filling.
- Cherry tomatoes or red capsicum/peppers for added sweetness and colour.
- Dried shallots or dried anchovies for added flavour and crunch.
How To Make It
1MARINATE THE BEEF
Place the beef in a container add the marinade ingredients and season with some sea salt and cracked back pepper, then toss to coat.
Keep covered while you prepare the vegetables for the salad. Just keep them in a cool place but not in the fridge as adding cold fillets to a hot pan lowers the temperature in the pan and you will not be able to get a good sear on the fillets.
NOTE: You can make marinate the beef the day before and keep it in the fridge, just bring it to room temperature before cooking.
ADD MARINADE INGREDIENTS TO BEEF MIX WELL TO COMBINE
2SHAKE UP THE DRESSING
Trim the chilli, remove the seeds and rinse under cold running water, then dice finely.
Add with all the remaining dressing ingredients in a glass jar, season and shake well to combine.
ADD INGREDIENTS TO JAR SHAKE WELL TO COMBINE
3COOK BEEF TO YOUR LIKING
Preheat a non-stick, frypan on medium to high heat.
Take your marinated beef fillet and add to your hot pan. Sear on each side for approximately 3 minutes.
Add the leftover marinade to the pan allow to sizzle and evaporate; the beef will absorb the flavours. Remove to a plate and allow to rest for five minutes, then slice thinly.
ADD BEEF FILLETS TO HOT PAN COOK TIL CHARRED POUR OVER MARINADE REST BEEF THEN SLICE
4PREPARE THE VEGETABLES
In the meantime remove the hard-core, any damaged leaves and the thick outer leaves from your cabbage, separate the leaves and wash them gently under cold running water. Shake to remove excess water and pat dry. Then shred finely using a sharp chef’s knife.
Wash and trim the carrot and cucumber then using a vegetable or y-peeler cut them into ribbons.
Rinse the herbs under cold running water, shake and pat dry and then roughly chop.
WASH THE LEAVES SHRED YOUR CABBAGE SLICE CUCUMBER INTO RIBBONS MAKE YOUR CARROT CURLS 
WASH & CHOP CORIANDER/CILANTRO WASH & CHOP MINT
5ASSEMBLE THE SALAD
Place all the vegetables, herbs, cooked beef and peanuts in a large mixing bowl, pour over the dressing and toss well to combine.
Taste and if you feel it needs it, season with some sea salt and cracked black pepper.
Arrange in a salad bowl and keep chilled until ready to serve.
ADD INGREDIENTS TO BOWL POUR OVER DRESSING ADD BEEF AND PEANUTS MIX WELL TO COMBINE
Can you make Vietnamese Beef Salad Ahead?
- This is a great salad to make several hours in advance as the flavours will meld together for an even tastier salad.
- For a crisper salad just add the dressing just before you serve it.
- You can also make up the dressing and marinate the beef 1-2 hours in advance and keep in the fridge until you are ready to make it.
How to meal prep this salad
- Marinade the beef, cook, rest and then slice thinly.
- Cut up the vegetables and herbs and toss together.
- Portion the vegetables into individual containers, top with the sliced beef, scatter the peanuts on top.
- Place the dressing into small separate containers.
- Keep refrigerated until you are ready to eat it, then simply pour over the dressing and toss together.
What about the leftovers?
Even made up this salad tastes sensational after a few days in the fridge so there is no need to worry about food wastage.
Keen to try more Asian salads...
Equipment
- Mandoline or V-Slicer
- Non-stick frypan
Ingredients
- 400 grams beef fillet (approximately 14.11oz)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 3 tbsps fish sauce
- 3 tbsps lime juice
- 1 tablespoon lemongrass chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger grated
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 kilogram Wombok/Napa or Chinese Cabbage (approximately 35.27oz)
- 1 medium carrot (approximately 120g/3.53oz)
- 1 medium Lebanese cucumber or Persian cucumber (approximately 170g/6oz)
- ½ cup mint chopped
- ½ cup coriander chopped
- ½ cup peanuts roasted
- 2 tsps brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
- 4 tbsps fish sauce
- 4 tbsps lime juice freshly squeezed
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 red chilli seeds removed, finely diced
Instructions
- Place the beef in a container add the marinade ingredients and season with some sea salt and cracked back pepper, then toss to coat.
- Keep covered while you prepare the vegetables for the salad. Just keep them in a cool place but not in the fridge as adding cold fillets to a hot pan lowers the temperature in the pan and you will not be able to get a good sear on the fillets.
- NOTE: You can marinate the beef the day before and keep it in the fridge, just bring it to room temperature before cooking.
- Trim the chilli, remove the seeds and rinse under cold running water, then dice finely.
- Add all the dressing ingredients to a glass jar, season and shake well to combine.
- Preheat a non-stick, frypan on medium to high heat.
- Take your marinated beef fillet and add to your hot pan. Sear on each side for approximately 3 minutes.
- Add the leftover marinade to the pan allow to sizzle and evaporate; the beef absorbs the flavours. Remove to a plate and allow to rest for five minutes. Then slice into thin slices.
- In the meantime remove the hard core, any damaged leaves and the thick outer leaves from your cabbage, separate the leaves and wash them gently under cold running water. Shake to remove excess water and pat dry. Then shred finely using a sharp chef’s knife.
- Wash and trim the carrot and cucumber then using a vegetable or y-peeler cut them into ribbons.
- Rinse the herbs under cold running water, shake and pat dry and then roughly chop.
- Place all the vegetables, herbs, cooked beef and peanuts in a large mixing bowl, pour over the dressing and toss well to combine.
- Taste and if you feel it needs it season with some sea salt and cracked black pepper.
- Arrange in a salad bowl and keep chilled until ready to serve.
Video
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
PIN ME NOW & SAVE FOR LATER!
Lou says
Made this and loved it! Great balance of flavours. I added in the rice noodles and homegrown baby tomatoes which really elevated the dish.
I had it for dinner and kept the dressing on the side so the salad kept crunchy for leftovers.
Anastasia says
I am so glad you loved it Lou, noodles and tomatoes are a great idea!