Vietnamee Beef Salad
A quick and easy asian salad that's fresh and flavourful with colour and crunch. Make it with Beef or Chicken, its a great low carb alternative.
Servings 2 people
Calories 456kcal
Ingredients
Beef
- 250 grams quality Lean Beef Sirlion Steak, at room temperature
Salad
- 2 cups wombok/chinese cabbage (thinly sliced)
- 1 medium red onion (sliced)
- 1 medium red capsicum/bell pepper (seeds removed and sliced)
- 1 medium green capsicum/bell pepper (seeds removed and sliced)
- 1 cup bean sprouts (loosely packed)
- 1 long red chilli (seeds removed and sliced)
- ¼ cup fresh coriander leaves (lightly packed)
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves (lightly packed)
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon monkfruit sweetener
- 1 teaspoon crushed garlic/garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon chilli paste
- 2 teaspoons lemongrass paste
To Serve
- 2 tablespoons granulated peanuts (unsalted and lightly roasted)
Instructions
- Prepare Beef: Trim any excess fat from 250 grams quality Lean Beef Sirlion Steak, at room temperature and slice into long thin pieces about 2mm thick and 6 cm or 2 inches long.
- Cook Beef: 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: Add 2 cups wombok/chinese cabbage (thinly sliced), 1 medium red onion (sliced), 1 medium red capsicum/bell pepper (seeds removed and sliced), 1 medium green capsicum/bell pepper (seeds removed and sliced), 1 cup bean sprouts (loosely packed), 1 long red chilli (seeds removed and sliced), ¼ cup fresh coriander leaves (lightly packed), and ¼ cup fresh mint leaves (lightly packed) into a large bowl and use hands to toss and mix together
- Make Dressing: Add 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon monkfruit sweetener, 1 teaspoon crushed garlic/garlic paste, 1 teaspoon chilli paste, and 2 teaspoons lemongrass paste, into a bowl and whisk thoroughly until combined. (or add to a jar with lid and shake vigorously)
- Dress Salad: Pour half of the dressing over the salad and toss through. Let it sit for one minute to soften
- Arrange and Serve: Arrange salad into two bowls. Arrange cooked beef on top. Discard pan juices if there are any. Drizzle with remaining dressing. Garnish with 2 tablespoons granulated peanuts (unsalted and lightly roasted).
Notes
- Steak: Use any good quality steak suitable for grilling. Eg: sirloin, boneless rib eye, porterhouse, scotch fillet, rump steak or flank
- Wombok: 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.
- Monkfruit: an alternative to monkfruit is honey, or coconut sugar in the same quantity.
- 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.
- 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 456kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 4g
