Vietnamese recipe

Bún bò Nam Bộ — beef noodle salad

Name: Bún bò Nam Bộ — beef noodle salad
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Vietnamese cuisine
Ingredients: 500 g beef rump or flank steak, sliced 2 mm across the grain; 300 g dried rice vermicelli; 20 g oyster sauce; 20 g lemongrass, tender white part finely minced; 15 g garlic, minced, divided 10 g and 5 g; 40 ml fish sauce, divided 10 ml and 30 ml; 25 ml neutral oil, divided 5 ml and 20 ml; 1 g black pepper; 150 g carrot, cut into fine matchsticks; 30 ml rice vinegar; 30 g sugar, divided 10 g and 20 g; 40 ml lime juice; 80 ml warm water, divided 20 ml and 60 ml; 5 g red chile, finely chopped; 200 g mung bean sprouts; 200 g cucumber, thin matchsticks; 150 g lettuce, shredded; 20 g mint and cilantro leaves; 40 g roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly crushed; 25 g crispy fried shallots

Warm garlic-lemongrass beef over rice vermicelli, crisp greens and quick-pickled carrot, with a lime-fish-sauce dressing, peanuts and fried shallots.

Vietnam

Prep: 35 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 50 min
Servings: 4

Rice vermicelli topped with stir-fried beef, bean sprouts, pickled carrot, peanuts and fried shallots — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by 01x07x2022000Source page · Original file · CC0 1.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

500 g
beef rump or flank steak, sliced 2 mm across the grain
300 g
dried rice vermicelli
20 g
oyster sauce
20 g
lemongrass, tender white part finely minced
15 g
garlic, minced, divided 10 g and 5 g
40 ml
fish sauce, divided 10 ml and 30 ml
25 ml
neutral oil, divided 5 ml and 20 ml
1 g
black pepper
150 g
carrot, cut into fine matchsticks
30 ml
rice vinegar
30 g
sugar, divided 10 g and 20 g
40 ml
lime juice
80 ml
warm water, divided 20 ml and 60 ml
5 g
red chile, finely chopped
200 g
mung bean sprouts
200 g
cucumber, thin matchsticks
150 g
lettuce, shredded
20 g
mint and cilantro leaves
40 g
roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly crushed
25 g
crispy fried shallots

Method

01
Marinate the thin beef
Slice beef 2 mm thick across the grain. Toss with oyster sauce, lemongrass, 10 g garlic, 10 ml fish sauce, 5 ml oil and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes while preparing the other components.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Quick-pickle the carrot
Dissolve 10 g sugar in rice vinegar and 20 ml warm water. Add carrot matchsticks and leave for 20 minutes, turning once. Drain well before assembling so the noodles do not become watery.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Mix the lime dressing
Dissolve the remaining 20 g sugar in 60 ml warm water. Add 30 ml fish sauce, lime juice, the remaining 5 g garlic and chile. Stir well and set aside; this dressing stays separate from the raw beef marinade.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Cook and drain the noodles and sprouts
Cook the vermicelli in boiling water for the package time, usually 4–6 minutes, until tender without a hard centre. Drain, rinse briefly with cool water and drain for 5 minutes. Blanch sprouts separately in boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Prepare the cool bowl base
Wash and dry lettuce, cucumber, mint and cilantro. Shred the lettuce and cut cucumber into thin matchsticks. Divide the greens among four bowls, then add noodles, sprouts and drained pickled carrot.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
06
Stir-fry the beef quickly
Heat half the remaining 20 ml oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Add half the beef in one layer, sear for 45 seconds, then toss for 1–2 minutes until cooked through and the thickest slice reaches 71°C. Transfer to a clean plate and repeat with the remaining oil and beef.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
07
Dress and finish just before eating
Put the warm beef and its cooked juices over the prepared noodles. Add crushed peanuts and fried shallots. Divide the dressing among the bowls and toss immediately before eating so the herbs and toppings stay crisp.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Thin slices cut across the grain stay tender with a short, hot cook.
Drain each component well; the measured dressing supplies the moisture the noodles need.

Common mistakes

An overcrowded pan releases water and toughens the beef; cook two small batches.
Adding dressing long before serving wilts the greens and softens the shallots.

Substitutions

Sirloin may replace rump or flank at the same weight and slicing thickness.
Use half carrot and half daikon for the quick pickle; keep the total vegetable weight at 150 g.

Storage

Keep cooked beef, noodles, greens and dressing separate. Refrigerate within 2 hours at 0–4°C for up to 2 days; reheat beef to 74°C and assemble with cold vegetables just before serving.

Cultural context

Also called bún bò xào, this Vietnamese noodle salad combines warm stir-fried beef with cool vegetables and a light fish-sauce dressing rather than a soup broth.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

Bun Bo Nam Bo 20230106 111344 — Photograph by 01x07x2022000; CC0 1.0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to Vietnamese recipes

Bún bò Nam Bộ — beef noodle salad

Ingredients

Method

Marinate the thin beef

Quick-pickle the carrot

Mix the lime dressing

Cook and drain the noodles and sprouts

Prepare the cool bowl base

Stir-fry the beef quickly

Dress and finish just before eating

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

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Chicken Pho (Phở Gà)

Huế Beef and Pork Noodle Soup