Vietnamese Beef Salad

Name: Vietnamese Beef Salad
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 3 garlic cloves, crushed; 2 lemongrass stalks, thinly sliced; 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar; 1/4 cup fresh lime juice; 1/4 cup fish sauce; 2 tablespoons sesame oil; 1/2 teaspoon red chili paste; 1 pound flank steak, sliced 1/4 inch thick; 4 ounces dried thin rice noodles; 1 large head butter lettuce, leaves torn in half; 2 carrots, peeled and cut into long julienne strips; 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, chopped; 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves; 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves; Vietnamese dipping sauce for serving

Recipe GLPR01ed80f265b1b7

Vietnamese

Salad

50 min

557 cal

Servings: 4

Grill

SNAP eligible

A vibrant, aromatic beef salad featuring tender grilled flank steak tossed in a zesty lime, fish sauce, and lemongrass dressing, served over fresh lettuce, rice noodles, and crisp vegetables. This classic Vietnamese dish is garnished with roasted peanuts, fresh cilantro, and mint for bright, herbaceous flavor.

Save recipes you love

Create a free Grocery List Plus account to save recipes, rate them, and add every ingredient to your grocery list in one tap.

Create free account Sign in

Ingredients

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 lemongrass stalks, thinly sliced

1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup fish sauce

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon red chili paste

1 pound flank steak, sliced 1/4 inch thick

4 ounces dried thin rice noodles

1 large head butter lettuce, leaves torn in half

2 carrots, peeled and cut into long julienne strips

1/2 cup roasted peanuts, chopped

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

Vietnamese dipping sauce for serving

Directions

In a bowl, combine the crushed garlic, sliced lemongrass, brown sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, sesame oil, and chili paste. Whisk until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is well blended. Add the sliced flank steak and toss to coat thoroughly with the marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 6 hours.
Cook the rice noodles according to the package directions. Drain them in a colander and rinse under cold water until completely cooled. Set aside.
Arrange the torn butter lettuce leaves on a large serving platter as the base. Top with the cooled rice noodles and arrange the carrot julienne strips around the platter.
Heat a grill pan over high heat until very hot. Remove the beef from the marinade, allowing excess marinade to drip back into the bowl; discard the remaining marinade. Grill the beef slices for approximately 1 minute on the first side. Flip and grill for another 1 minute on the second side until the internal temperature reaches 145°F, the beef is browned, and still tender. (The beef should cook very quickly due to its thin slicing.)
Arrange the warm grilled beef on top of the prepared salad base. Sprinkle the chopped roasted peanuts over the salad. Top with fresh cilantro leaves and mint leaves.
Serve the salad immediately with Vietnamese dipping sauce on the side for each diner to add to taste.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff3.75

Lemongrass and fish sauce require a special trip to an Asian market—neither Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Publix, Walmart, ALDI, nor Kroger reliably stock them in Charlotte—which adds real errand cost to a weeknight. The stated fifty minutes omits active prep time for slicing steak thin, cooking noodles, and assembling components; budget seventy minutes realistically. At roughly eight dollars per serving with specialty ingredients and quality flank steak, this is a weekend splurge rather than a budget meal. It does not reheat well, as the noodles and greens wilt and the salad loses its texture by the next day, making it a same-night dish only.