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    Home » In the kitchen » Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad

    Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad

    Published: Mar 14, 2019 · Modified: Apr 9, 2019 by Laura · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This Vietnamese beef noodle salad is packed full of flavour. It's easy to prepare, so colourful and is a delicious meal!

    White bowl with beef noodle salad and chopsticks and limes in background

    Usually we eat really simple, classic meals like spaghetti bolognese, cheesy mince pasta or ribs for dinner and my truck driving husband is the happiest man out. And then other days I make him strange exotic things like Vietnamese beef noodle salads. I like to keep him on his toes! Do you know what though? He still eats it and enjoys it and says all the right things. How lucky am I?! But you know he is so happy when we have sausages, mashed potatoes and peas the next night!

    Click here to pin this to your easy dinners recipe board on Pinterest to save it for later

    What we both love about this meal is that it's substantial enough with the beef and noodles to be filling - there is nothing worse than eating a salad for dinner, only to be left starving 30 minutes later. And you know that's not going to sit well with Josh!

    The thing that makes this dinner so much more interesting than just beef and noodles is the dressing. The beef is marinated in lemongrass, ginger, fish sauce, brown sugar and lime juice and is then cooked in the marinade which gives you a delicious sticky coating thanks to the brown sugar. The dressing for the salad and noodles is pretty similar, only without the lemongrass and ginger.

    The ingredient list might look a little long and daunting but I promise it's not! They are all ingredients that you can buy at the supermarket - no trips to specialty stores needed! I like to make up the dressing and the marinade at the same time and split it in half before adding the lemongrass and ginger for the marinade which makes it easier!

    I also like to quickly pickle the salad ingredients in a bit of rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt while I'm cooking the beef. This step is optional but I think it adds a great tang to the salad!

    Add chili flakes if you like a bit of heat, or leave people to add their own if you are feeding kids too.

    White bowl with salad and herbs with dressing bowl and limes in background

    Serve it all up on rice noodles. You can use the 5mm thick pad thai noodles or vermicelli - whichever you have or can find. I prefer the thicker noodles but have had it with both and they are both great!

    This is a super easy dinner for 1, 2 or for feeding a crowd. If you are feeding a group of people, try arranging the noodles on a large serving platter with the vegetables and meat all in separate bowls. That way everyone can add what they like and it is like a build your own bowl party!

    Cast iron frying pan with beef with salad, dressing bowl and limes in background

    Other 30 minute meal ideas you might like:

    • Sweet & Sour Pork
    • Chicken Burrito Bowls
    • Butter Chicken
    • Mediterranean Orzo Salad

    Made this recipe? Tag me on Instagram @thekiwicountrygirl and hashtag it #thekiwicountrygirl.

    White bowl with beef noodle salad and chopsticks and limes in background

    Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad

    This Vietnamese beef noodle salad is packed full of flavour. It's easy to prepare, so colourful and is a delicious meal!
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Author: Laura

    Ingredients

    • 500 grams beef schnitzel, thinly sliced (see recipe note 1)

    Marinade/dressing

    • ¼ cup brown sugar
    • ¼ cup lime juice
    • ¼ cup fish sauce
    • 1 teaspoon chili flakes
    • 1 Tablespoon fresh lemongrass or lemongrass paste (just for marinade - see instructions)
    • 1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger (just for marinade - see instructions)

    Salad

    • 1 carrot
    • 1 red pepper
    • 1 cucumber
    • ½ cup herbs (mint, thai basil, coriander)
    • 2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • ½ teaspoon salt

    To serve

    • 250 grams rice noodles, cooked according to package directions (I like using the 5mm thick pad thai noodles but vermicelli is fine too)

    Instructions

    Make the dressing and marinade the beef

    • Mix up the brown sugar, lime juice, fish sauce and chili flakes in a small bowl. Split it evenly into 2 small bowls, putting one bowl aside for the salad dressing. 
      Once you've taken what you need for the dressing, add the lemongrass and ginger to the marinade bowl.
      Add the beef to the marinade and toss to coat. This can be done up to 8 hours in advance and left in the fridge, or just leave it marinating on the bench for 15 minutes while you are preparing the salad ingredients.

    Salad

    • Thinly slice all salad ingredients and place in a medium sized bowl along with the chopped fresh herbs. Add the rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt and combine. Leave sitting on the bench until ready to serve.

    Cook the beef

    • Heat a tablespoon of olive oil or sesame oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Pour in the beef and marinade and cook for about 5 minutes until the beef is cooked through and the marinade has been soaked up by the beef.

    Assemble the salad

    • Add the noodles to a large bowl or serving platter and either stir through the vegetables and herbs or arrange them on the side. Top with the beef and serve!

    Notes

    1. I use beef schnitzel sliced into thin pieces because that's what we have in the freezer. You can use stir fry beef or rump steak sliced thinly if you prefer.
    Nutrition Facts
    Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    583
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    18
    g
    28
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    7
    g
    44
    %
    Cholesterol
     
    76
    mg
    25
    %
    Sodium
     
    1633
    mg
    71
    %
    Potassium
     
    672
    mg
    19
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    74
    g
    25
    %
    Fiber
     
    2
    g
    8
    %
    Sugar
     
    18
    g
    20
    %
    Protein
     
    29
    g
    58
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    3860
    IU
    77
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    46.4
    mg
    56
    %
    Calcium
     
    58
    mg
    6
    %
    Iron
     
    3.4
    mg
    19
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Tag @thekiwicountrygirl or tag #thekiwicountrygirl!
    If you tried and loved this recipe, please leave a comment and a rating below!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Evette Scheepers says

      January 09, 2025 at 9:48 pm

      5 stars
      So yummy and love the flavors, top notch recipe thanks!!

      Reply
    2. Sarah says

      April 09, 2023 at 5:18 pm

      5 stars
      So good! The flavours go so well together. I was suspicious at the start but i couldn't get enough of it!

      Reply
    3. Rachel Jowsey says

      November 30, 2020 at 5:57 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my goodness!! Soooo delicious. Love the fresh sharp flavours. Have already made this half a dozen times but never left a comment. One of our favourites 🙂

      Reply
    5 from 7 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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