Vietnamese-style beef salad
This Asian salad, with its carpaccio of beef twist, is full of fresh, vibrant flavours and lots of crunchy vegetables. SERVES 4 PREP 20min, plus freezing
• 200g sirloin steak
• 2 handfuls baby spinach leaves
• 1 carrot, peeled and sliced into thin strips
• 1 small cucumber, quartered lengthways, seeded and cut into thin strips
• 2 handfuls finely shredded red cabbage
• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced diagonally
• Handful Thai basil leaves, roughly torn
• Handful mint leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 medium red chilli, seeded and thinly sliced
• 30g roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped
FOR THE VIETNAMESE DRESSING
• 3tbsp groundnut oil
• 2tbsp fish sauce
• Freshly squeezed juice 1 lime
• 1tsp caster sugar
1 Put the steak in the freezer for 30min to firm up and to make it easier to slice.
2 While the steak is in the freezer, mix together all the ingredients for the dressing and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3 Divide the spinach among 4 serving bowls and top with the carrot, cucumber and red cabbage. Spoon enough of the dressing over to coat and toss lightly until combined.
4 Remove the steak from the freezer and using a very sharp, long-bladed knife, cut
into thin, elegant slices. Put the cut slices on a plate and cover with clingfilm to prevent them discolouring; if you put clingfilm between each layer of beef, you will be able to separate them easily.
5 Arrange the steak on top of the salad, season and sprinkle the spring onions, herbs, chilli and peanuts over the top. Spoon more dressing over to taste, and serve immediately.
‘A zingy and refreshing no-cook salad’