Bun Bo Nam Bo – Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad

Bun Bo Nam Bo is a Vietnamese beef noodle salad that is a tantalizingly fresh, healthy, and tasty dish that takes only 30 minutes to prepare.

Also known as Bun Bo Xao, this beef noodle salad recipe is made with succulent beef, rice noodles, loads of veggies and herbs, and a refreshing lime and fish sauce dressing.

This refreshing dish makes for a perfect quick lunch or as a main dish.

Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad (Bun Bo Nam Bo)

Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad goes by Bun Bo Nam Bo or Bun Bo Xao. This is a popular dish in Hanoi, and can be found at many food stalls and small restaurants. It is believed that it originated in South Vietnam, and although It can also be found in a city like Ho Chi Minh City, it is far more popular in Hanoi.

A traditional Vietnamese dish, I have eaten Bun Bo Nam Bo many times on my visits to Hanoi, and alongside Bun Cha and Cha Ca La Vong, are the dishes I miss the most from the Vietnamese capital.

Making Bun Bo Nam Bo at Home

You can easily enjoy the flavor of bún bò nam bộ at home by making this recipe. It is as easy as it is fast, and if you have enjoyed this dish on the streets of Hanoi before, then all you need is a tiny plastic stool and a cold beer, or a Tra Chanh (Vietnamese Lime Iced Tea), and you can transport yourself back to the streets of Vietnam.

The key to enjoying this dish is to prepare all the ingredients before cooking the beef. This will result in you just needing to assemble the dish at the end of the cooking of the meat.

Ingredients for Bun Bo Nam Bo

The key ingredients to this simple dish are beef, Vietnamese rice noodles, fresh vegetables and herbs, and a zesty dressing.

Beef (Bo) – I choose any tender beef cut, such as flank steak, sirloin, tenderloin, or shoulder top blade. Cut the beef into thin strips as the marinating process will be quicker and the texture consistent with the original.

Rice Noodles (Bun) – Being based in Vietnam, I keep a store of dried instant Vermicelli in the pantry and you can find vermicelli noodles at your local Asian food store or online.

If you are looking for a Vietnamese brand, in particular, the Three Ladies Brand is a popular choice, but some Thai brands will work just as well.

Vegetables – you can let your imagination run wild with your choice of veggies, but popular ones for this dish are julienned carrots, cucumber, bean sprouts, and lettuce.

The key to the veggies is that they are crunchy and provide a texture balance with the chewy noodles and tender beef.

Fresh Herbs – I like to use a combination of mint and coriander (cilantro) and any other fresh herb you might find at the Asian store such as …

Marinade (for the beef) – oyster sauce, black pepper, garlic, vegetable oil, and ginger. This marinade provides an extra umami flavor to the beef.

Dressing – For this Bun Bo Nam Bo recipe we use nuoc cham (nước chấm), a common name for a Vietnamese dipping sauce, or in this case, a dressing, that is served quite frequently as part of Vietnamese cuisine.

Fish sauce can be found at your local Asian store or online

It is commonly a sweet, sour, salty, savory, and/or spicy sauce. We use citrus (usually Lime, fish sauce, garlic, water, sugar, and chili.

Roasted Peanuts

Related Recipes

• Com Tam: Vietnamese Broken Rice Recipe
• Banh Trang Cuon – Rice Paper Rolls
• Morning Glory Vegetable Stir-fry (Rau Muong)
• Vietnamese Omelette – Trung Chien
• Hu Tieu Xao – Vietnamese Stir-fried Noodles
• Vietnamese Noodles: Discover the Secret Ingredients

Instructions for Bun Bo Xao – Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad

Please take a look at the recipe card I’ve included below for exact measurements for this beef noodle salad.

Step 1 – finely slice the beef and place it along with the marinade in a bowl for 30 minutes

Step 2 – prepare the rice noodles according to the instructions on the package.

Step 3 – julienne carrots and cucumber (or other fresh raw vegetables you decide to use) and place the other vegetables, such as the fresh bean sprouts and lettuce, ready for assembly.

Step 4 – mix fish sauce, lime juice, warm water, sugar, and chili together for the nước chấm and adjust to taste

Step 5 – heat the wok or frying pan to high heat, add cooking oil, then stir-fry the beef for one minute until just cooked through

Step 6 – to assemble the dish, place the noodles in a bowl, add the vegetables and herbs, and then place the stir-fried beef on top. Drizzle the dressing and roasted peanuts and enjoy your homemade bun bo nam bo.

Additions and Substitutions

The ingredients for Bun Bo Xao can be flexible depending on your taste.

• You can add fried shallots, and/or fried onions to the dish for added crunch and nutty flavor
• You can use a dark soy sauce instead of the oyster sauce
• You can add pickled vegetables such as pickled carrot for a tangy flavor addition
• The bean sprouts can be cooked alongside the beef if the flavor of the bean sprouts is too strong

Summary for Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad

Bun Bo Nam Bo, or bún bò nam bộ, is a simple, fresh, healthy, and tasty dish from Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. Bun Bo Nam Bo makes up part of the Vietnamese cuisine of the north of Vietnam and can be found throughout Hanoi and the rest of the country.

Have you tried Bun Bo Nam Bo? Let me know