Vietnamese Noodle Salad With Lemongrass Beef (Bun Bo Xao)

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Vietnamese Noodle Salad With Lemongrass Beef (Bun Bo Xao) By Connie Veneracion Connie Veneracion Food writer and blogger living in the Philippines and specializing in Southeast Asian home cooking and travel. Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process Updated on 06/30/21 Tested by Danielle Centoni Tested by Danielle Centoni

Danielle is a James Beard Award-winning food writer and editor based in Portland, Oregon.

Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process (34) Save Write a Review Print Close

Prep: 20 mins Cook: 2 mins Total: 22 mins Servings: 2 servings 34 ratings Write a Review Add a comment SaveRecipe

Bún bò xào is a noodle salad, but in Southeast Asia, bún bò xào would be considered a light meal rather than a starter course as a salad—as it's often defined in the West. Bún bò xào has everything that a balanced meal requires. It has meat, it has carbohydrates it has lots of vegetables and fresh herbs.

Bún bò xào is served in layers. At the bottom of the bowl are the cooked rice noodles (bún) cooled to room temperature. The noodles are topped with vegetables, both pickled and fresh. Next comes the beef (bò) that had been marinated with lemongrass then stir-fried (xào). The garnishes come last. Crushed roasted peanuts, fried crisp shallots, and lots of fresh herbs that may include cilantro, lemon basil, mint, perilla (shisho leaves), or all of them. A generous splash of nước mắm pha (more popularly known as nước chấm, the generic term for dipping sauce) is added, the contents of the bowl are tossed together and the bún bò xào is ready to be enjoyed.

Bún bò xào is comforting and familiar yet nuanced enough to be mysterious at the same time. It's all about the contrasting hues and textures of the ingredients which are happily brought together by nước mắm pha without which the salad is nothing but a discordant lump of colors and shapes.

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"Bursting with flavors and textures, this dish is ideal for busy nights—especially when it’s too hot to do much cooking. I used shiso, Thai basil, mint, and cilantro for the herbs, and two Thai chiles instead of a finger chile. Instead of store-bought nuoc mam pha, I mixed up a batch in just minutes." —Danielle Centoni

A Note From Our Recipe Tester Keep Screen Awake

• 8 ounces (about 250 grams) beef sirloin

• 1 tablespoon nước mắm (fish sauce)

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 1 tablespoon finely sliced lemongrass (use only the tender center of the white portion of the stalks)

• 8 ounces (225 grams) thin rice noodles, prepared according to package directions, then drained and cooled

• 1/3 cup julienned cucumber

• 1/3 cup pickled carrot and radish

• 1 finger chile, or 2 Thai bird chiles, thinly sliced, optional

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil

• 2 cups fresh herbs, such as cilantro, lemon basil, mint, perilla, or a combination of 2 or more

• 1 tablespoon crushed roasted peanuts

• 2 tablespoons fried crisp shallots (available in Asian stores)

• 1/3 cup nước mắm pha, for serving

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. Cut the sirloin against the grain into slices a little less than a quarter of an inch thick.

3. Then, cut each slice into chunks about 1/2-inch wide. Place into a medium bowl.

4. Mix the beef chunks with the nước mắm (fish sauce), garlic, and lemongrass.

5. Divide the noodles between 2 bowls. Top with the julienned cucumber, pickled carrot and radish and finger chilie (if using). 

6. Heat the peanut oil in a wok to smoking point. Stir-fry the beef for about 2 minutes.

7. Divide the beef between the 2 bowls.

8. Top with fresh herbs, peanuts, and fried shallots.

9. Serve with nước mắm pha on the side.

• Southeast Asian Mains
• Southeast Asian Food
• Salads
• Pasta Mains
• Vegetable Recipes

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
614	Calories
27g	Fat
56g	Carbs
36g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label ×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories	614
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27g	34%
Saturated Fat 8g	41%
Cholesterol 104mg	35%
Sodium 866mg	38%
Total Carbohydrate 56g	21%
Dietary Fiber 2g	8%
Total Sugars 24g
Protein 36g
Vitamin C 7mg	35%
Calcium 86mg	7%
Iron 3mg	19%
Potassium 577mg	12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

• Carrot
• dinner
• vietnamese
• family dinner

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