Name: Thai Beef Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: Dressing:; ½ tsp bird’s eye or Thai chili, deseeded & minced; ¼ tsp garlic, minced (½ small clove); 1 tbsp cilantro stems, finely chopped; 2¼ tsp white sugar; 2 tbsp fish sauce; 3 tbsp lime juice; 1 tbsp grapeseed oil (or canola/vegetable); Small pinch of kosher salt; Salad:; 7–8 oz (200–250g) sirloin steak, room temp; 1 tbsp oil (vegetable, peanut, or canola); ¼ tsp each salt and pepper; 2 heaped cups mixed lettuce leaves; 10 cherry tomatoes, halved; ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced; ½ cucumber, sliced (optional: deseeded); ¼ cup cilantro leaves, lightly packed; ¼ cup mint leaves, lightly packed; Garnish:; ¼ cup roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped; Extra cilantro and mint leaves (optional)

Description

This vibrant Thai Beef Salad is bursting with fresh herbs, crunchy vegetables, tender steak, and a perfectly balanced tangy-spicy dressing. It’s the perfect dish for a light yet flavorful meal.

Ingredients

Dressing:
½ tsp bird’s eye or Thai chili, deseeded & minced
¼ tsp garlic, minced (½ small clove)
1 tbsp cilantro stems, finely chopped
2¼ tsp white sugar
2 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp grapeseed oil (or canola/vegetable)
Small pinch of kosher salt
Salad:
7–8 oz (200–250g) sirloin steak, room temp
1 tbsp oil (vegetable, peanut, or canola)
¼ tsp each salt and pepper
2 heaped cups mixed lettuce leaves
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ small red onion, thinly sliced
½ cucumber, sliced (optional: deseeded)
¼ cup cilantro leaves, lightly packed
¼ cup mint leaves, lightly packed
Garnish:
¼ cup roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped
Extra cilantro and mint leaves (optional)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Make the Dressing: In a mortar and pestle, grind chili, garlic, cilantro stems, and salt into a paste. Mix with sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, and oil. Adjust to taste. (Alternative: Mince and mash with the side of a knife, then shake with other ingredients in a jar.)
Cook the Beef: Heat skillet over high heat until smoking. Rub steak with oil, salt, and pepper. Cook 2 min per side (medium-rare) or 2½ min (medium). Rest under foil for 10 min, then slice thinly against the grain.
Assemble the Salad: Toss lettuce with 1 tbsp dressing. Combine beef, tomatoes, onion, cucumber, and herbs with most of the remaining dressing. Serve on a bed of dressed lettuce. Top with peanuts and herbs. Drizzle with remaining dressing.

Notes

For extra flavor, you can marinate the steak in the dressing for 30 minutes before cooking.
To make the salad more filling, add some cooked quinoa or rice noodles.
If you prefer a spicier kick, add more bird’s eye chili to the dressing.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 330
Sugar: 6g
Sodium: 980mg
Fat: 24g
Saturated Fat: 3g
Unsaturated Fat: 20g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 12g
Fiber: 5g
Protein: 28g
Cholesterol: 70mg