Chinese Rice Noodle Salad with Beef and Sesame Recipe
This chilled salad with rice noodles, thin slices of beef and a fragrant sesame–soy dressing is a popular type of dish for hot days in China. It’s like a grilled pasta salad, but in an Asian version – perfect as a work lunch or for a party table.
This is a loose take on chilled rice noodle salads popular in China in the summer, often sold from street carts as a quick meal. Classic versions tend to be spicier and more oily; here the dressing is lighter and adapted to easily available ingredients.
A refreshing, light salad that combines silky rice noodles, tender stir-fried beef and a bold sesame–soy dressing. It’s easy to prepare ahead, travels well and is served cold, making it ideal for hot days, lunch boxes or buffets.
Why this version works
- Thinly sliced beef, stir-fried quickly, stays tender even after chilling.
- Rinsing the noodles in cold water stops the cooking and prevents them from sticking together.
- Toasted sesame and fresh ginger build a bold aroma without complicated sauces.
Chef's tips
Slice the beef as thinly as possible – it cooks in minutes and stays very tender. Don’t over-soak the noodles; if they get too soft, the salad will lose its pleasant texture. Adjust the chili to your heat tolerance and always taste the dressing before mixing it with the salad so you can balance saltiness, acidity and sweetness.
How to serve
Serve the salad in individual bowls, topped with extra toasted sesame and a drizzle of sesame oil. Add lime wedges on the side for squeezing and offer extra chili flakes for those who like it spicier. It pairs well with iced green tea or light Asian-style appetizers such as cucumber pickles or edamame.
Watch out for
- Don’t soak the noodles for too long – as soon as they turn glassy and start to soften, drain them right away.
- Stir-fry the beef in batches if your pan is small; too much meat at once will start to stew instead of sear.
- Take the sesame seeds off the pan as soon as they turn golden – they can burn and turn bitter within seconds.
Substitutions
- You can swap the beef for thinly sliced pork loin or chicken breast, shortening the stir-frying time.
- Rice vinegar can be replaced with a mild apple cider vinegar, using about 1/3 less.
- You can replace chili flakes with hot chili paste or chili oil, adding gradually to taste.
- You can use thin mung bean vermicelli instead of rice vermicelli, prepared according to the package instructions.
Ingredients
- thin rice noodles (vermicelli) - 200 g
- beef in thin slices (e.g. roast beef, rib-eye) - 250 g
- fresh cucumber long - 1 piece
- carrot - 1 piece
- oil - 2 tablespoons
- soy sauce - 3 tablespoons
- rice vinegar - 2 tablespoons
- garlic - 2 cloves
- fresh ginger - 10 g
- sugar - 1 teaspoon
- chili flakes or chili paste amount to taste - 0.5 teaspoons
- sesame seeds toasted - 2 tablespoons
- oil for frying the beef - 1 tablespoon
- chives or spring onion - 2 pieces
Preparation
- Pour very hot water over the rice noodles and set aside for 5–7 minutes, until they soften. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain very well. You can snip them slightly with kitchen scissors so the strands are shorter.
- If the beef slices are too large, cut them into very thin strips. Lightly salt on the surface.
- Wash the cucumber and cut into thin matchsticks. Peel the carrot and also cut into thin matchsticks. Finely chop the chives or spring onion.
- Peel and finely chop the garlic. Peel the ginger and grate it on a fine grater.
- In a small bowl, mix sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, garlic, ginger and chili. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
- In a dry pan, toast the sesame seeds over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until lightly golden and fragrant. Transfer to a small plate.
- In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over high heat. Add the beef in a single layer and fry for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until the meat turns pale and lightly browned but remains tender. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, combine the rice noodles, cucumber, carrot, fried beef and most of the chives. Pour in the dressing from the bowl and mix thoroughly so everything is well coated.
- Sprinkle the salad with the toasted sesame seeds and the remaining chives. Leave for 10–15 minutes at room temperature so the flavors meld, or chill in the fridge if you prefer the salad well chilled.
- Serve in bowls as a light main course or a larger appetizer.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
This salad is inspired by simple cold noodle dishes that are popular in many parts of China in summer. It’s very forgiving – you can easily swap the vegetables for what you have on hand, and it still tastes great the next day, which makes it one of my favorite make-ahead lunches.
