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Home » Make Ahead Salads

Vietnamese Beef Salad with Crisp Wombok

Made by Anastasia - Serves: 4 Filed Under: Dinner Salads, Make Ahead Salads, Salad Index, Winter Salads

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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.

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VIETNAMESE BEEF SALAD ON A WHITE PLATE WITH CHOPSTICKS, LIME AND CHILLI ON THE SIDE

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 

VIETNAMESE SALAD INGREDIENTS WITH TEXT

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.

  • BEEF FILLETS IN BOWL WITH MARINADE INGREDIENTS
    ADD MARINADE INGREDIENTS TO BEEF
  • MIXING BEEF FILLETS WITH MARINADE IN BOWL WITH TONGS
    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.

  • ADDING VIETNAMESE DRESSING INGREDIENTS TO JAR
    ADD INGREDIENTS TO JAR
  • SHAKING VIETNAMESE DRESSING TO COMBINE
    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.

  • ADDING BEEF FILLETS TO HOT PAN
    ADD BEEF FILLETS TO HOT PAN
  • COOKING BEEF FILLETS IN PAN TIL CHARRED
    COOK TIL CHARRED
  • POURING OVER MARINADE TO PAN WITH BEEF FILLETS
    POUR OVER MARINADE
  • SLICED BEEF FILLETS THAT HAVE BEEN RESTED ON A WHITE PALTE
    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.

  • Chinese cabbage salad leaves are washed in a colander under water in the sink.
    WASH THE LEAVES
  • Hands shredding Chinese cabbage on a wooden board.
    SHRED YOUR CABBAGE
  • Cucumbers being sliced into ribbons with a peeler on a wooden board.
    SLICE CUCUMBER INTO RIBBONS
  • Aerial view of carrots of being cut into ribbons with a peeler.
    MAKE YOUR CARROT CURLS
  • CLOSE-UP OF CHOPPING CORIANDER
    WASH & CHOP CORIANDER/CILANTRO
  • Chopped mint on wooden board with knife
    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.

  • ADDING SALAD INGREDIENTS TO WHITE BOWL WITH DRESSING IN BACKGROUND
    ADD INGREDIENTS TO BOWL
  • POURING DRESSING OVER VIETNAMESE BEEF SALAD INGREDIENTS
    POUR OVER DRESSING
  • ADDING BEEF AND PEANUTS TO SALAD BOWL
    ADD BEEF AND PEANUTS
  • MIXING VIETNAMESE BEEF SALAD TO COMBINE
    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...

  • AERIAL VIEW THAI MANGO SALAD IN LANDSCAPE
    THAI MANGO SALAD
  • SEEDY CHINESE CABBAGE SALAD
    SEEDY CHINESE CABBAGE SALAD
  • A close-up Chinese cucumber salad in a mint bow.
    CHINESE CUCUMBER SALAD
  • JAPAENESE EGGPLANT SALAD
    JAPANESE EGGPLANT SALAD
VIETNAMESE BEEF SALAD ON A WHITE PLATE WITH CHOPSTICKS, LIME AND CHILLI ON THE SIDE

Vietnamese Beef Salad with Wombok

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.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
* Times are an estimate and will depend on your skill level
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Keyword: beef, cabbage
Difficulty: Capable Cooks
Diet: dairy free
Servings: 4 as a main
Calories: 548kcal
Author: Anastasia
Equipment
  • Mandoline or V-Slicer
  • Non-stick frypan
Ingredients
For the beef
  • 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
For the salad
  • 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
For the vinaigrette
  • 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
Metric - Imperial
Instructions
MARINATE 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 marinate the beef the day before and keep it in the fridge, just bring it to room temperature before cooking.  
SHAKE UP THE DRESSING
  • 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.
COOK 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 absorbs the flavours. Remove to a plate and allow to rest for five minutes. Then slice into thin slices.
PREPARE 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.
ASSEMBLE 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.

Video

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
Calories: 548kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 2567mg | Potassium: 1403mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 3902IU | Vitamin C: 97mg | Calcium: 263mg | Iron: 5mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @salads_with_anastasia or tag #salads_with_anastasia!

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VIETNAMESE BEEF SALAD ON A WHITE PLATE WITH CHOPSTICKS, LIME AND CHILLI ON THE SIDE & atext overlay
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About Anastasia

Anastasia is a home cook introduced to cooking at a young age (8 years old) and hasn’t gotten out of the kitchen since! She had her own coffee shop and ran her own catering business for over a decade. Her love of salads developed as she was always the one responsible for making the salads for family get-togethers and friends functions.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lou says

    January 08, 2023 at 8:55 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • Anastasia says

      January 09, 2023 at 6:09 am

      I am so glad you loved it Lou, noodles and tomatoes are a great idea!

      Reply

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