Bun bo xao – rice noodle salad with beef Recipe
Bun bo xao is a light yet filling bowl of rice noodles with quickly stir-fried beef and a heap of fresh herbs. In Vietnam, dishes like this are often eaten at lunchtime when it’s hot and nobody feels like heavy sauces. The flavor is somewhere between a salad and a warm stir-fry – lots of herbs like in Thai cuisine, but the dressing is more delicate and citrusy.
Bun bo xao combines the freshness of a salad with the comfort of warm, savory beef and noodles, all tied together with a bright, citrusy fish sauce dressing.
Chef's tips
Slice the beef as thinly as you can and cook it in a very hot pan in a single layer – this gives it a nice sear without drying it out. Don’t be afraid to use plenty of herbs; they are key to the dish’s flavor.
How to serve
Serve bun bo xao as a main course on warm days, with iced jasmine tea or a light lager. Put extra herbs and crushed peanuts on the table so everyone can add more crunch and aroma.
Ingredients
- rice noodles - 200 g
- beef - 300 g
- lettuce - 80 g
- cucumber - 1 piece
- carrot - 1 piece
- onion - 0.5 piece
- garlic - 3 cloves
- fish sauce - 4 tablespoons
- lime - 2 piece
- sugar - 2 tablespoons
- vegetable oil - 3 tablespoons
- mint - 10 g
- cilantro - 10 g
- peanuts - 30 g
- chili pepper - 1 piece
Preparation
- Pour boiling water over the rice noodles in a large bowl, cover with a plate, and leave for 8–10 minutes until softened but still springy. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water to prevent sticking.
- Slice the beef very thinly across the grain. Finely chop the garlic and slice the chili into thin rounds (remove the seeds if you prefer it milder).
- In a bowl, mix 2 tablespoons fish sauce, the juice of 1 lime, 1 tablespoon sugar, and half of the chopped garlic. Add the beef, mix with your hand so every piece is coated in the marinade, and set aside for 10–15 minutes.
- Tear the lettuce into smaller pieces. Halve the cucumber lengthwise, scrape out the soft seedy core with a teaspoon, and slice into thin half-moons. Peel the carrot and grate it on a coarse grater or cut into thin matchsticks. Slice the onion into thin feathers, cover with cold water for 5 minutes, then drain – this will make it milder.
- In a small bowl, prepare the dressing: mix 2 tablespoons fish sauce, the juice of 1 lime, 1 tablespoon sugar, the remaining garlic, and some of the chili. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Taste – the dressing should be salty, sour, and lightly sweet at the same time; adjust if needed.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan over high heat. When the oil is very hot (it should shimmer), add the beef in a thin layer. Stir-fry for 2–3 minutes, stirring often, until the meat turns brown but is still slightly pink inside. Do not overcook or it will become tough.
- Roughly chop the mint and cilantro. Lightly crush the peanuts with a knife or in a mortar so they are in pieces.
- In serving bowls, place a layer of lettuce at the bottom, then add rice noodles, cucumber, carrot, and onion. Top with the hot beef.
- Sprinkle with herbs, peanuts, and the remaining chili. Just before eating, pour over the prepared dressing and gently toss in the bowl so the sauce reaches the noodles and vegetables.
Storage
Store the components separately if possible: noodles and beef in one container, vegetables and herbs in another, and the dressing in a jar. Keep in the fridge for up to 1–2 days. Combine and add the dressing just before serving so the salad doesn’t become soggy.
This is one of my favorite “feel-good” lunches: light enough not to weigh you down, but with enough noodles and beef to keep you full for hours.
