Fragrant Beef Salad with Vietnamese Dressing

Adding red cabbage gives the salad even more color! But if you use it and toss the salad ahead of time, your noodles will turn light pink. We like to toss everything together just 15 minutes before mealtime.

Serves 4 to 6
Prep Time: 20 to 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 to 20 minutes

Ingredients

FOR THE VIETNAMESE DRESSING

• ½ cup Thai fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime or calamansi juice
• 1 tablespoon water
• 3 bird's eye chilies (optional)

• 3 small bundles vermicelli noodles (sotanghon), soaked in water (we used Sapporo)

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 500 grams sirloin or tenderloin steaks, each about ½-inch thick
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper

• 1 head cabbage, washed and sliced into thin strips (about 4 to 5 cups)
• 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced into thin strips
• 2 cups bean sprouts, washed
• 1 cup packed basil leaves, sliced into thin strips
• 1 cup packed mint leaves, sliced into thin strips
• 2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage (optional)

Procedure
1. Make the Vietnamese dressing: Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Set aside. (Dressing will keep for 5 days in the refrigerator.) If using chilies, the heat will intensify the longer you keep it.

2. Cook vermicelli noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse, drain again, and set aside.

3. Heat vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Season steaks with salt and pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing thinly into 2-mm-thick slices. Set aside.

4. Combine cabbage, carrots, bean sprouts, basil leaves, mint leaves, and red cabbage, if using, in a large bowl. Add vermicelli noodles into the bowl and pour in dressing. Toss a couple of times to combine well.

5. Potion the salad among plates or containers and top with beef slices.