Last Updated on 2 May, 2026 by Elby | The Tasteful Pantry
Vietnamese beef noodle salad is a quick, healthy and vibrant meal. Vietnamese cuisine is known for the fresh and bold flavours, and this is one dish that perfectly captures these characteristics. Combining tender beef strips, rice noodles (vermicelli), crisp vegetables, fresh herbs, and the iconic nước chấm dipping sauce, this dish is a perfect mix of textures, aromas and flavours. It’s light, wholesome, and incredibly satisfying, making it the ideal meal for a midweek treat, something to please the whole household and even a dish perfect for a crowd. Another crowd pleaser is my Vietnamese Salad.
This dish is about balance. The tender beef provides savoury richness, the noodles offer a soft, comforting base, and the fresh herbs and vegetables bring a burst of crispness and flavour. What ties it all together is the sweet, tangy, and slightly spicy nước chấm. Nước chấm acts as a dressing for this dish, but is also known as a Vietnamese dipping sauce.
Key Ingredients for Beef Noodle Salad
Here’s what you’ll need to recreate this Vietnamese-inspired favourite:
- Beef: Barbequed to medium rare and thinly sliced steak (scotch fillet or sirloin).
- Vermecilli (Rice Noodles): Light and versatile, they soak up the sauce beautifully.
- Fresh Vegetables: I have listed cucumber, cherry tomatoes and red onion in my recipe. But use ingredients you have (carrots, shredded lettuce and bean sprouts all work well).
- Herbs: Fresh mint and coriander are essential to boost the flavour.
- Nước Chấm (Vietnamese Dipping Sauce): The star of the dish, tying everything together with its perfect balance of salty, sweet, sour, and spicy notes.
The beauty of this beef noodle bowl lies in its adaptability. You can customise the vegetable or salad ingredients based on what’s in season, what’s in the fridge or personal preference. Adjust the heat level of the nước chấm, or even swap out beef for chicken or tofu for a vegetarian version. Not to mention, serve it hot or cold. I prefer cold, so you can prepare the ingredients ahead of time.
Vietnamese beef salad is a dish that feels indulgent yet light and packed with flavour and nutrition. Whether you’re looking for a quick lunch or a show-stopping dinner, this recipe delivers.
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Beef Noodle Salad
*Note: Adjusting servings will not adjust the ‘light grey’ quantities
Ingredients
Nước Chấm Dressing
- ¾ cup water
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 4 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 cloves garlic - minced or finely chopped
- 1 red chilli - finely chopped (Thai, bird’s eye and cayenne all work well)
Salad
- 2 scotch fillet steaks - 1 inch thick (approximately 300g per steak)
- salt and pepper
- 150 grams vermicelli - rice noodles
- 120 grams cherry tomatoes - halved
- 1 Lebanese cucumber - thinly sliced or use a peeler to make strips
- ½ red onion - finely sliced
- ½ cup fresh coriander - chopped
- ¼ cup fresh mint - finely sliced
- 2 tbsp fried shallots - found in most supermarkets
Instructions
Nước Chấm Dressing
- Heat the water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat as soon as the sugar has dissolved.
- Add the lime juice and fish sauce. Stir in the garlic and chilli and taste. Adding more lime juice or fish sauce, if necessary. Set aside.
Salad
- Season the steak with salt and pepper, heat a barbeque or pan and cook for approximately 5 minutes each side – or until cooked to medium rare. Set aside.
- Prepare the noodles according to packet instructions. As soon as they are cooked, run them under cold water so they don’t go gluggy. You can do this again just before serving to make them easier to separate.
- Prepare the remaining ingredients and serve either on platters for everyone to make their own, or divide the ingredients into bowls.
- Thinly slice the beef when you’re ready to serve. Enjoy!!
Notes
Nutrition
*Nutrition and calorie figures are estimates only.
