When you want a quick and healthy Vietnamese meal without compromising flavor, this sautéed beef dry noodle bowl is the solution.
All you need to do is let the sliced beef marinate while you cook the bún noodles and prep the toppings & herbs. When everything is ready, the beef sautées in under 5 minutes and you are ready to dig in!
Though it is simple, this dish has an incredible mix of different textures and flavors, a hallmark of Vietnamese cuisine. The tender ‘lemongrassy’ beef and noodles are complemented by the crunch from roasted peanuts, fried shallots, and fresh veggies. A less salty version of the common sweet/acidic/savory Vietnamese fish sauce-based sauce is poured over the top and ties everything together perfectly.
When Mai used to live at home, her family would often make this dish on Saturdays for early afternoon lunches- after having slept in and eaten a late breakfast.
Bún bò xào • Sautéed beef noodle bowl
Course: MainCuisine: VietnameseDifficulty: Easy2
servings15
minutes20
minutes35
minutesIngredients
140 g 140 beef (tenderloin is best)
200 g 200 dry bún – rice vermicelli noodles
- Beef marinade
2 tbsp 2 lemongrass (minced)
1/2 tbsp 1/2 garlic (minced)
1 tbsp 1 shallot (minced)
1 tbsp 1 fish sauce
1/2 tsp 1/2 bouillon powder
1/2 tsp 1/2 sugar
1/4 tsp 1/4 ground black pepper
- Toppings
2 2 carrots
1 1 cucumber
1/2 cup 1/2 roasted unsalted peanuts
1 1 shallot
1 head of 1 lettuce
Herbs (cilantro, thai basil, mint)
- Sauce
See nem ran recipe
1/4 cup 1/4 water
Directions
- Thinly slice beef and marinate with all the ingredients in the Beef Marinade section. Let sit while you prepare the rest.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil, add in dry bún noodles, and reduce heat to medium high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender. As soon as the noodles are no longer al-dente, they are done- do not overcook.
Strain and run cold water over noodles to stop them from cooking further and prevent sticking. - For the toppings:
Peel and julienne carrots.
Cut cucumbers into thin 5 cm long strips.
Thinly slice shallots. Add vegetable oil and shallots to a pan. Fry on low heat until crispy. Alternatively, you can buy pre-fried shallots at Asian grocery stores.
Roughly crush peanuts in a mortar and pestle (optional)
Cut lettuce into individual leaves. Rinse lettuce and herbs. - Make the sauce according to the nem ran recipe but add extra water to make it less salty, since we’re pouring it over the bowls.
- Add noodles, cucumber, carrots, lettuce, and herbs to bowls.
- Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a pan on medium high. When oil is warm, pour in the beef & marinade. Sauté, stirring quickly, until beef is no longer pink. This should only take about 3 minutes.
- Add beef on top of the bowls, sprinkle peanuts and crispy fried shallots on top, pour sauce everything, and enjoy!
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