Bun Bo Xao (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad)
This vibrant Vietnamese beef noodle salad features tender marinated beef stir-fried with onions, served over a bed of fresh herbs, lettuce, and rice vermicelli. It's all brought together with a tangy, savory nuoc cham dressing and topped with crunchy peanuts.
An original recipe by Forkin
- Total time
- 1 hr 10 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Per serving
- 689 kcal
Allergen information: may contain fish, peanuts, and soy. Always check ingredient packaging if you have an allergy.
Mise en place
Ingredients
Converted for display; the recipe amounts stay equivalent.
beef marinade
- 450 gbeef sirloin, thinly sliced against the grain
- 1 tbspfish sauce
- 1 tspsugar
- 0.5 tspblack pepper
- 2 clovegarlic, minced
- 1 tbsplemongrass, minced (white part only)
Ingredients
- 200 grice vermicelli noodles
- 2 tbspvegetable oil
- 1 pcsyellow onion, thinly sliced
- 200 glettuce, shredded
- 1 pcscucumber, julienned
- 1 pcscarrot, julienned
- 100 gbean sprouts
- 0.5 cupfresh mint, chopped
- 0.5 cupfresh cilantro, chopped
garnish
- 0.25 cuproasted peanuts, chopped
- 2 tbspfried shallots(optional)
nuoc cham
- 0.25 cupfish sauce
- 0.25 cupwarm water
- 2 tbspsugar
- 2 tbsplime juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 clovegarlic, minced
- 1 pcsthai chili, minced
Equipment
large skillet · wok · large bowl · knife · whisk · cutting board · small bowl
The method
Step by step
- 1
In a medium bowl, combine the beef sirloin with the fish sauce, sugar, black pepper, minced garlic, and minced lemongrass from the beef marinade ingredients. Mix well to coat the beef.
About 5 min
Cook’s note: Ensure the beef is sliced very thinly for quick cooking and tenderness.
- 2
Cover the bowl and refrigerate to marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours.
About 30 min
- 3
While the beef marinates, prepare the nuoc cham dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, warm water, sugar, lime juice, minced garlic, and minced Thai chili until the sugar dissolves.
About 5 min
Cook’s note: Taste and adjust the balance of sweet, sour, and spicy to your preference.
- 4
Cook the rice vermicelli noodles according to package instructions, usually by soaking in hot water or boiling briefly. Drain well and rinse with cold water to prevent sticking.
About 10 min
Cook’s note: Rinsing with cold water helps keep the noodles from clumping together.
- 5
Prepare all the fresh vegetables and herbs: shred the lettuce, julienne the cucumber and carrot, and chop the mint and cilantro.
About 10 min
- 6
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
About 1 min
- 7
Add the sliced yellow onion to the hot skillet and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until softened and translucent.
About 3 min
- 8
Add the marinated beef to the skillet and stir-fry for 3-5 minutes, until the beef is cooked through and slightly caramelized. Avoid overcrowding the pan; cook in batches if necessary.
About 5 min
Cook’s note: Cooking in batches ensures the beef gets a good sear instead of steaming.
- 9
To assemble the bowls, place a bed of shredded lettuce at the bottom of each serving bowl. Top with rice vermicelli noodles, julienned cucumber, julienned carrot, and bean sprouts.
About 2 min
- 10
Arrange the cooked beef and onions over the noodles and vegetables. Garnish with chopped fresh mint, cilantro, chopped roasted peanuts, and optional fried shallots.
About 2 min
- 11
Serve immediately with the nuoc cham dressing on the side for each person to add to their liking.
Per serving
Nutrition
- Calories
- 688.9kcal
- Protein
- 37.1g
- Carbs
- 64.1g
- Fat
- 33.3g
- Fibre
- 4.3g
- Sugar
- 13g
Estimated from the recipe’s ingredient quantities. Values can vary with brands and substitutions.
Keep it good
Store leftover components (beef, noodles, vegetables, dressing) separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
Reheat the beef gently in a skillet or microwave; serve noodles and vegetables cold. Do not reheat the entire assembled salad.
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