THAI BEEF SALAD
This quick Thai beef salad is packed with flavour and can be enjoyed all year round. Don’t skimp on the moreish dressing – it really takes this salad to another level!
I made this Thai beef salad one morning, intending to have it for dinner that night, but it ended up being so yummy that I scrapped the dinner plan and ate it straightaway for lunch instead!
Don’t be tempted to leave out the fish sauce. It’s what gives that authentic, restaurant-like flavour and, when combined with the other dressing ingredients, really doesn’t taste fishy at all.
Best of all, this easy recipe can be whipped up in less than half an hour. I’m putting it on my list of favourites!
THAI BEEF SALAD
This quick Thai beef salad is packed with flavour and can be enjoyed all year round. Don’t skimp on the moreish dressing - it really takes this salad to another level!
Ingredients
SALAD
- 100 g salad greens (3.5oz)
- 1 Lebanese cucumber
- 1 green capsicum
- 1 small red onion
- Handful fresh coriander
- Small handful fresh mint leaves (optional)
- 100 g crispy noodles (3.5oz)
- 1/4 cup roasted, salted peanuts (50g)
BEEF
- 2 tsp peanut oil
- 550 g beef rump steak (1lb 3oz)
DRESSING
- 1/4 cup lime juice (60ml/2-3 limes)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp peanut oil
- 4 tsp honey
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 clove garlic
- Handful fresh coriander
Instructions
PREPARE SALAD
Divide salad greens between individual serving plates or bowls. Thinly slice cucumber, capsicum and red onion. Roughly chop coriander and mint. Place cucumber, capsicum, onion, coriander and mint on top of salad greens.
COOK BEEF
Rub oil onto beef and season all over with salt and pepper. Heat a large frying pan or chargrill pan over medium-high. Add steak and cook for 3 minutes each side (this should cook the steak to medium-rare - adjust cooking time to suit your tastes). Remove steak onto a wooden board, cover with foil and leave to rest for 5-10 minutes.
MAKE DRESSING
While steak cooks and rests, place lime juice, oil, honey, soy sauce and fish sauce in a jar. Very finely mince the garlic and chop the coriander (you should end up with about 1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander). Add to the jar and shake well to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
SERVE
Slice steak into strips and place on top of salad. Drizzle dressing over the beef and salad. Finish by topping with crispy noodles and peanuts.
Recipe Notes
WINE MATCH: An off-dry Riesling.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Replace the crispy noodles with crushed up kumara chips. Ensure peanuts are gluten-free. Use gluten-free soy sauce. Make sure fish sauce is gluten-free.
INGREDIENT SWAPS / NOTES: If you dislike coriander, try Thai basil or regular basil instead. I used crispy noodles that I found at an Asian grocery store (I find they have a bit more flavour than the ones you can buy in the supermarket). Eye fillet or sirloin steak are good alternatives to rump steak. Don’t leave out the fish sauce! It makes the dressing taste much more authentic (but not fishy tasting!). Feel free to add some chopped fresh chilli to this meal if you like a bit of heat.
STORING AND REHEATING: Keep noodles and peanuts in an airtight container at room temperature. Refrigerate rest of salad ingredients separate from beef and dressing. Dressing can be left at room temperature for a couple of days. Cooked steak is best stored whole, then sliced and quickly pan-fried to reheat. Dress salad just before serving.
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