THAI BEEF SALAD

I have made so many different Thai Beef Salad's over the years; some with vermicelli noodles, some with kelp noodles, some with wildly different vegetables and some that were frankly just a soggy mess. After much fine tuning, I stick to the below recipe, only adapting slightly if need be. It is simple, extremely fresh and quick to make. I love cooking this meal when I've been a little off the rails with my food choices as this light dish helps me get back on track. 

INGREDIENTS

Salad

• 100g rice vermicelli noodles 
• 350g lean eye fillet steak, thinly sliced 
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 4 small tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 medium Lebanese cucumber or 1/2 a large continental cucumber, finely chopped
• 3 heaped tablespoons fresh chives and/or coriander, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes 

Dressing 

• the juice of 1 medium lime
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce 
• 3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds 

COOKING 

1. Soak noodles in boiling hot water for five minutes, then drain well with cold water. Place in a large serving bowl. 

2. Whilst noodles are soaking, combine tomato, cucumber, herb/s and chill flakes in the large serving bowl and toss well to combine. 

3. Make the dressing by combining all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, including 2 tablespoons of water and stirring well. 

3. Heat the sesame oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat and add beef slices. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until beef is just browned and cooked to your liking (rare, medium-rare, etc). Taste regularly whilst cooking so you do not overcook beef and make it too chewy. Remove from heat when cooked and add the beef to the top of the salad. Drizzle dressing over the top and toss well to combine all ingredients. Serve while beef is warm and tender. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 10-12 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 15 minutes maximum 

x Emily