Cooking Lab - Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad

Summer is just around the corner and this refreshing Vietnamese-style salad is gorgeous on its own. Or you add some sizzling beef for a perfect evening meal. 

(c) GMV - Got My Vote!(^O^)／

I just love the flavour explosion of Vietnamese salad, the fresh herbs, slippery noodles and the drizzle of lemon juice. It gets better from the first bite :)

It is so refreshing and filling. I feel so healthy with this salad. I can eat as much as I can :)

Ingredients: 

- 250g rice vermicelli

- 1 cup fresh coriander

- 1/2 cup fresh mint

- 1/4 cup fresh shallot

- 1/4 cup fresh basil

- 1 carrot

- 200g pistachio 

- 2 tablespoon of fried onion 
- 250g beef slices 
- 50g kale 
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce 
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce 
- 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 
- 1 teaspoon chili 
- 1/2 lemon 
- Salt and pepper to season

*Add some French onion and Lebanese cucumber if available...

Salad Dressing:

- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

- 1/8 cup white vinegar

- 2 tablespoon soy 

- 1 tablespoon brown sugar

- Juice of 1 lemon 

- 1/2 tablespoon of fish sauce

Instructions:

1. Cook the vermicelli noodles according to the packet instructions.

2. Rinse the noodle under running cold water.

3. Keep it cool with ice.

4. Rinse the fresh herbs: coriander, basil, mint and shallot under running cold water.

5. Grate carrot into long stripes.

6. Soak the carrot stripes in sweet vinegar water.

7. Marinate the beef slices in soy sauce, fish sauce, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, fried onion, salt and pepper for at least 30 minutes.

8. Place the pistachio nuts in a food processor and grind until coarse.

9. Heat up a grill pan over medium-high heat. Add some olive oil and grill the beef slices until fragrant.

10. Add some slices of onion and kale. Season with salt and pepper.

11. Place the cooled vermicelli noodles in a large serving platter.

12. In a small bowl, combine the salad dressing ingredients and mix well. Adjust if necessary. The taste should be sweet, tangy and sour.

13. Chop the coriander, mint, basil and shallots in small pieces and toss on top of the vermicelli noodles. Place the pickled carrots around the side.

14. In a large bowl, toss the vermicelli noodle, herbs and chili with half of the salad dressing. 

15. Garnish with fried onions and pistachio nuts on top.

16. Serve together with grilled beef.

17. Squeeze some lemon juice on top to lighten up the meal.