Vietnamese Beef Salad

This  Vietnamese Beef Salad is quick and easy to make in just 15 minutes.  Its got all the fresh and vibrant flavour you'd expect from a healthy vietnamese salad like coriander, mint, lime, and that perfect balance of sweet and sour. 

Its also got plenty of crunch from the fresh veges, and a little heat from the chillies, making this a great date night idea as it serves two.

What Makes This Salad Special?

• Thin slices of tender, melt in your mouth beef
• A quick homemade vietnamese dressing that's sugar free
• It makes two servings, but its easy to double or triple
• Great for date nights, Lunch, and even Dinner
• Its very filling, packed with protein and veges to keep you fuller for longer
• Its easy to swap out the beef for chicken to make a Vietnamese Chicken Salad, or you could try this Sausage Salad instead for something a little more basic.
• Easy to adjust the level of heat to make it more or less spicy

Ingredients - Meat and Salad

Ingredients - Dressing

Ingredient Notes

• Steak:  Use any good quality steak suitable for grilling.  Eg:  sirloin, boneless rib eye, porterhouse, scotch fillet, rump steak or flank
• Cabbage:  For best results, I like to chop he top quarter off the cabbage as its too flimsy and tends to go soft too quickly once the dressing in on, and I also chop off the bottom quarter as its too tough.  That leaves the middle half which offers a good about of crunch without being too tough or too flimsy.  Thinly slice the cabbage with a knife or mandolin.
• Bean Sprouts:  These offer a nice crunch and great texture, and they're light and fresh.  If unable to find these you can substitute with sliced beans,  or sliced snow peas.
• Chilli in Salad:  1 diced long red chilli with seeds removed provides a nice warm kick.  If in double just use half, or leave it out and put it on at the end.
• Chilli in Dressing:  Store bought chilli paste or sambel olek (a Malaysian chilli paste found in the Asian section of supermarkets) is what gives the dressing a warm spiciness.
• Corriander/Cilantro and Mint:  Be generous with your fresh herbs as this is what really makes a difference.  Using more is better than not using enough and Vietnamese food uses lots of fresh herbs.  Using regular mint is fine here if you can't find Vietnamese mint. I most often use regular mint as its easier to find.
• Peanuts:  Make sure to use unsalted peanuts, and it really makes a difference roasting them beforehand.  Chopping or bashing them up to get a dust or powder also adds another texture to this salad in conjunction with the granulated peanuts.  You can substitute the peanuts for cashews if peanuts are not your thing.

This is a really great recipe if you're looking for healthy low carb, and low calorie Asian recipes that don't involve rice or noodles. I also like to make this Sechuan Style Beef with lots of Greens when I'm looking to up my vege intake, and of course you can;t go past Thai Chicken Meatballs with a side of slaw for another easy low car dinner.

How To Make

Prepare and Cook Beef

1. Trim any excess fat from beef and slice into long thin pieces about 2mm thick and 6 cm or 2 inches long.
2. Heat a non stick wok on high heat, and cook beef, moving around the wok until brown and just cooked through.  Once coked, cover and set aside.

Prepare Salad

3. Add all of the salad ingredients into a large bowl and use hands to toss and mix together

Make Dressing

4. Add all dressing ingredients into a bowl and whisk thoroughly until combined.  (or add to a jar with lid and shake vigorously)

Putting it Together

5. Pour half of the dressing over the salad and toss through.  Let it sit for five minutes to soften
6. Arrange salad into two bowls
7. Arrange cooked beef on top. Discard pan juices if there are any.
8. Drizzle with remaining dressing
9. Garnish with granulated peanuts

This is not a boring salad by any means.  Its fresh and flavourful with colour and crunch.  Its one of my favourite salads to make in the summer for weekend lunches, especially when its hot. I'm also a fan of this Thai Prawn Salad which is also low carb.

Expert Tips

• Cooking the Beef:  Thinly slicing the beef before you cook it will make it cook a lot quicker and is a great option if you like the beef cooked all the way through.  If you use a non stick pan, you shouldn't need to use any oil to cook it.  If not using a non stick pan, add one teaspoon of oil to prevent sticking.
• For Rare Beef:  Slice after you've cooked it for 1 minute either side on a hot grill.  Let it rest for 5 minute before slicing thinly.
• Dressing:  you can make this ahead and keep it in the fridge for 2 - 3 days.  I like to make it in a mason jar with lid which makes it easy to blend all the flavours together. 
• Heat Level:  The dressing and salad is what I would call mild.
• Less Heat:  Omit the chill from the salad and or dressing - a great idead if you're making it for kids, or those who can't tolerate chilli
• More Heat:  Add additional chilli paste to the dressing
• Scaling Up:  this recipe serves 2 people, however you can double  to make it serve 4, or triple to make it serve 6.  (in the recpe, however over the servings number to increase and the ingredient quantities will adjust)
• Serving:  This salad is best served immediately and with the peanuts sprinkled on at the last minute.
• Storage:  Store the salad separately without the dressing - keep the dressing in a jug or jar with lid.  Keep peanuts and beef separate and bring it all together just before serving.

Other Serving Ideas

Rice Paper Rolls:  Take some of the salad and cooked beef, wrap in softened rice paper rolls and use the dressing as a dipping sauce.  Its delicious and a great idea for when you're having people over who want something heathy to share that's fresh and filling.  The recipe would make approx. 6 - 8 rice paper rolls.

Wraps:  add the dressed salad and beef into a wrap to make to make it go further.  Instead of the recipe serving two, you could easily get 4 wraps out if it.

Dressing:  This dressing is versatile to use on any salad to give it a fresh flavour lift