Light and refreshing, this Vietnamese Beef Salad with Green Papaya is full of amazing flavor and texture!
Here is a delcious salad we had in Vietnam- Vietnamese Beef Salad with Green Papaya! It is crunchy and refreshing and the beef is over-the-top amazing! A lovely salad to have in the heat of summer.
If you can’t find green papaya, don’t fret. The salad can be made with rice noodles or sliced cucumber, shredded carrot, shredded cabbage or daikon….. or probably any other salad type of veggie. Just don’t use ripe papaya because it will disintegrate. Make sure the papaya is firm to touch. In Vietnam, the papaya was a very pale green on the inside too.
Why you’ll love this recipe!
The marinade for the beef – is a recipe to hold on to. The flavors (five spice and lemongrass) are surprising and delightful. The marinade also works great on pork, chicken and tofu, and served with a simple bowl of steamed rice, it makes for a perfect, healthy dinner. The only challenging part of making this salad is finding the right tool to shred the papaya. Everything else about the recipe is easy. I bought several different shredders while on our trip. It turns out I already had a shredder on my mandolin, but the hand tool shown here is easier to use.
How to make Vietnamese Beef Salad
Peel and shred the papaya. Cut a little off the bottom to make a flat edge so you can stand it up on end. Using a shredding tool, shred downwards towards the counter.
Immediately place the shredded papaya in ice water bath and let it soak in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.
Prep the beef. Cut the beef into bite-size pieces, 1/2 inch thick. Tenderloin is recommended, but tri-tip, flank steak, or flatiron steak all work fine.
Make the marinade.
TIP: If you cook with a lot of lemongrass, it can be purchased at most Asian markets, in the freezer section, already chopped up. Store it in your freezer so you always have some on hand.
Combine the marinade with the meat.
Let the meat sit in the marinade for at least 30 minutes or overnight (best). Grill or sear until just cooked.
Make the Nouc Chom dressing. Drain the papaya and toss with the dressing and place on a plate with some beef and a combination of fresh herbs ( basil, cilantro and mint). Top with roasted peanuts and fried shallots.
Why you’ll love this BeEf Salad!
Vietnamese food is known for its fresh and healthy ingredients and minimal use of oil. Because of this, it is considered one of the healthiest cuisines in the world. It is also one of the most flavorful.
The use of fresh herbs combined with the right balance of spices is what makes Vietnamese food taste and smell so good. Fresh fruit and vegetables are a huge part of the Vietnamese diet along with lots of fresh seafood and rice.
Another staple is mam, or a fermented fish sauce which varies regionally and is used in marinades, salad dressings and to flavor many dishes. Because it is fermented it is full of probiotics which support gut health and diversity!
Enjoy the salad and come back and rate it for us, always appreciated. ❤️
Sylvia
You may also like:
- Suwanne’s Crying Tiger Recipe (Thai Beef Salad)
- Green Papaya Salad (Bangkok- Style!)
- Mexican Papaya Salad
- Vietnamese Vermicelli Salad with Chili Vinaigrette
- Vietnamese Spring Rolls
Vietnamese Beef Salad
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star4.8 from 8 reviews
- Author: Sylvia Fountaine
- Prep Time: 45
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 3 1x
- Category: Salad, main, beef
- Method: Grilled
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
Description
Light and refreshing, Vietnamese Beef Salad with shredded green papaya is full of amazing flavor!
Ingredients
UnitsScale
- 1 lb beef ( tenderloin, tri tip or flank steak)
- 2–3 cups shredded Green Papaya (or rice noodles)
- 1 cup combo of fresh mint, cilantro and basil
- 2 tablespoon roasted crushed peanuts ( optional)
- 1 tablespoon fried shallots (optional- see below)
Nouc Cham Dressing:
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or water
- 2 tsp mild red chili- finely sliced
- 1 finely minced garlic clove
Vietnamese Beef Marinade:
- 1/4 C pounded or finely chopped lemongrass
- 1/4 C garlic-finely minced or pounded
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 T oyster sauce
- 2 T sugar 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp chili flakes
- 1 tsp five spice
Instructions
Make marinade. Slice beef into 1/2-inch thick bite-size pieces, toss with marinate and let sit at least 30 minutes. Or refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Grill or pan-fry until just cooked to medium, or medium rare.
Peel and shred green papaya and place in a bowl of ice water for 15-20 minutes. Alternatively, you could prepare rice noodles following the manufacturer’s directions.
Make dressing. Combine lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, oil, chili, garlic.
Drain Papaya and toss(or rice noodles) with dressing to coat. Place on a plate along with beef and a combination of fresh herbs. Top with roasted peanuts and crispy shallots. Serve with chop sticks.
Notes
Fried Shallots- can either be made from scratch, although most Asian markets offer them as a condiment already packaged, which I have found are extremely handy and tasty. They offer good flavor and texture.
Lemongrass can be found in most grocery stores, in the herb or produce section. If you find you cook with lemon grass a lot, a nice option is purchasing it in bulk, already chopped in the freezer section of most Asian markets.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 433
- Sugar: 15.2 g
- Sodium: 856.8 mg
- Fat: 18.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 30.8 g
- Fiber: 6.7 g
- Protein: 38.2 g
- Cholesterol: 90.7 mg
