Growing up, I loved hanging out at the nearby creek. I spent most of my days fishing for crawfish with a homemade fishing pole and a piece of bacon, while Mom collected watercress that grew abundantly along the muddy banks. Mom was very reluctant to cook up my catch of crawfish due to the questionable water, but she always took home the watercress where we had it in several dishes.
The most traditional and popular way to use watercress in Vietnamese home cooking is in a salad with stir-fried beef and a tangy vinegar fish sauce dressing (Bo Xao Xa Lach Xoong). This can be served as a simple appetizer or one of the many sides dishes in a traditional home cooked Vietnamese meal.
To make the salad, slice beef sirloin thinly then season with salt and pepper. Quickly pan-fry with a little vegetable oil and lots of garlic. Mix the stir-fried beef and all its juices with the watercress. The heat from the beef will wilt down the watercress and meld the flavors together. Lightly dress the salad with the fish sauce and vinegar dressing and top it with coarsely chopped roasted peanuts for a nice crunch.
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Vietnamese Beef & Watercress Salad (Bo Xao Xa Lach Xoong)
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
The most traditional and popular way to use watercress in Vietnamese home cooking is in a salad with stir-fried beef and a tangy vinegar fish sauce dressing.
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1 bunch watercress
- 1/3 cup white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 lb sliced beef sirloin
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 small onion (slice thin)
- 4 cloves garlic (mince)
- 1 bunch watercress (cut into 1 inch segments)
- 2–3 tablespoons fish sauce dipping sauce
- 2 tablespoons crushed roasted peanuts (optional)
For the Vinaigrette:
- 1/3 cup white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the Watercress Salad: Cut Watercress into 1 inch segments. Add cut watercress into a medium bowl. In a small bowl, mix together vinegar and sugar. Add this dressing to the watercress and lightly tossed until combined.
- Marinate beef : Season the sliced beef with black pepper and salt.
- Cook the beef: In a frying pan, heat up vegetable oil on medium-high. Add onion and sauté for 30 seconds. Add garlic and beef. Stir-fry for 1 minute until browned.
- Combine and serve: Add the cooked beef and all its juices directly to the prepared watercress salad. Add fish sauce dipping sauce. Lightly toss. Adjust to your liking then top with crushed peanuts.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Fry
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
