Goi ngo sen – lotus stem salad with shrimp Recipe
Goi ngo sen is a light, crunchy salad made with lotus stems, shrimp and herbs, often served at weddings and larger celebrations in Vietnam. It has a fresh, slightly sweet-and-sour flavour and a pleasant, crisp texture, a bit like a cross between celery and cucumber. It’s perfect for refreshing the palate between richer meat dishes.
The combination of lotus stems, herbs and a bright sweet-and-sour dressing makes this salad both refreshing and texturally exciting, ideal alongside richer dishes.
Chef's tips
Don’t overdress the salad too early – the acidity will soften the vegetables over time. Toss it with the dressing just before bringing it to the table for maximum crunch.
How to serve
Serve on a large platter for sharing, with extra lime wedges and chilli on the side so guests can adjust the acidity and heat to their liking.
Ingredients
- lotus stems pickled or fresh, cut into strips - 250 g
- shrimp peeled - 200 g
- cooked pork e.g. loin or shoulder, thinly sliced - 150 g
- carrot cut into thin matchsticks - 1 piece
- cucumber deseeded, cut into thin strips - 1 piece
- red onion thinly sliced into feathers - 0.5 piece
- fresh mint chopped - 1 handful
- fresh coriander chopped - 1 handful
- peanuts roasted, chopped - 40 g
- fish sauce for the dressing - 3 tablespoons
- lime juice freshly squeezed - 3 tablespoons
- sugar - 1.5 tablespoons
- garlic finely chopped - 2 cloves
- red chilli deseeded, finely chopped - 1 piece
- salt for cooking the shrimp - 0.25 teaspoons
Preparation
- If using pickled lotus stems, briefly rinse them under running water and drain. If using fresh, cut them into thin strips and soak in cold water with a little vinegar for 10 minutes to keep them crisp, then drain.
- Drop the shrimp into a pot of boiling, lightly salted water and cook for 2–3 minutes until they turn pink. Drain and cool.
- Slice the pre-cooked pork into thin slices or strips.
- Cut the carrot and cucumber into thin matchsticks and the onion into thin slices. Roughly chop the mint and coriander.
- Make the dressing: in a small bowl mix the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, garlic and chilli. Stir until the sugar dissolves. The taste should be distinctly sour-sweet with a gentle saltiness.
- In a large bowl combine the lotus stems, carrot, cucumber, onion, shrimp and pork.
- Pour over the dressing and gently toss with your hands or tongs for 1–2 minutes so the vegetables soften slightly but stay crunchy.
- Add the chopped herbs and half of the peanuts, and toss briefly again.
- Transfer the salad to a serving platter, sprinkle with the remaining peanuts and serve immediately.
Storage
This salad is best eaten fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day. The vegetables will soften slightly but remain tasty.
Goi ngo sen always feels festive to me – simple ingredients transformed into something elegant and refreshing.
