Bo Bun (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad)

Published July 6, 2026

Walk past any Vietnamese restaurant in Paris at lunchtime and you will see the same bowl on half the tables: bo bun. It is a Vietnamese noodle salad built in layers: cool rice vermicelli over crisp lettuce and cucumber, topped with hot lemongrass beef straight from the wok, then showered with fresh herbs and crushed roasted peanuts. A bright, salty-sweet nuoc cham dressing pulls the whole thing together. Hot over cold, soft over crunchy, it is one of the most satisfying bowls you can make at home, and it comes together in about 45 minutes.

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Why This Recipe Works

Bo bun succeeds because every element is prepared for contrast. The vermicelli is rinsed cold so it stays springy under the hot beef instead of clumping. The beef is sliced paper thin and seared hard in small batches, which means it browns in under two minutes and stays tender rather than stewing in its own juices. The lemongrass and garlic go into the marinade, not the pan, so their perfume cooks directly into the meat. And the nuoc cham does the work a heavy sauce never could: it seasons the noodles, the vegetables, and the beef at once while keeping the bowl light. You get a full dinner with 31 grams of protein per serving that eats like a salad, not a stodge.

Bo Bun vs. the Other Vietnamese Bowls

Here is the full recipe, with weights in both imperial and metric.

Jon Simon

Bo Bun (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad)

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Bo bun is the Franco-Vietnamese noodle salad bowl: cool rice vermicelli over crisp lettuce, cucumber, and carrot, topped with hot seared lemongrass beef, fresh herbs, and crushed roasted peanuts, all brought together with a bright nuoc cham dressing. Fresh, high in protein, and on the table in about 45 minutes of active time.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Marinating 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

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Lemongrass beef

• 14 oz sirloin, flank, or rump steak 400 g, very thinly sliced against the grain
• 2 stalks lemongrass tender core only, finely minced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp neutral oil divided

Nuoc cham dressing

• 4 tbsp fish sauce
• 3 tbsp lime juice about 2 limes
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2/3 cup warm water 150 ml
• 1 clove garlic finely minced
• 1 small red chili thinly sliced, optional

Bowls

• 7 oz dried rice vermicelli 200 g
• 4 leaves romaine or iceberg lettuce shredded
• 1/2 cucumber julienned
• 2 carrots julienned
• 2 cups bean sprouts 100 g, rinsed
• 1 large handful fresh mint and cilantro leaves picked
• 1/3 cup roasted peanuts 50 g, roughly crushed
• 2 tbsp fried shallots optional
• 8 small spring rolls (nems) optional, the Paris classic; check the label if you need them gluten-free

Equipment

• 1 Wok or Large Skillet
• 1 Large pot for the noodles
• 1 Sharp knife or mandoline for the julienne
• 1 Mixing bowls 

Method

 

1. Marinate the beef: in a bowl, toss the sliced beef with the minced lemongrass, garlic, fish sauce, brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Cover and let it sit for 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
2. Make the nuoc cham: stir the sugar into the warm water until it dissolves, then add the fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, and chili. Taste and adjust: it should be salty, sweet, and sour in that order.
3. Cook the rice vermicelli according to the package directions, usually 3 to 4 minutes in boiling water. Drain, rinse thoroughly under cold water to stop the cooking, and drain again very well.
4. Prepare the vegetables: shred the lettuce, julienne the cucumber and carrots, rinse the bean sprouts, and pick the herb leaves.
5. If using spring rolls, bake or air-fry them until crisp, then slice each one in half.
6. Sear the beef: heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat until it just smokes. Sear the beef in two batches, 1 to 2 minutes per batch, until browned at the edges but still tender. Do not crowd the pan.
7. Assemble the bowls: divide the lettuce, cucumber, carrot, and bean sprouts among 4 large bowls. Top with the vermicelli, then the hot beef and spring rolls if using.
8. Finish each bowl with a generous scatter of herbs, crushed peanuts, and fried shallots. Serve with the nuoc cham on the side and pour 3 to 4 tablespoons over each bowl at the table.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowlCalories: 540kcalCarbohydrates: 56gProtein: 31gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 1450mgFiber: 4gSugar: 14g

Notes

The bowl itself is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free: rice noodles, pure fish sauce, vegetables, and peanuts. If you add store-bought spring rolls, check their label. The nuoc cham keeps for a week in a jar in the refrigerator. To slice the beef paper thin, firm it up in the freezer for 20 minutes first.

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Chef’s Tips

• Freeze the beef for 20 minutes before slicing. Firm meat lets you cut paper-thin slices against the grain, which is the difference between tender and chewy.
• Sear in small batches over high heat. Crowd the pan and the beef steams gray instead of browning. Two quick batches beat one slow one.
• Rinse the vermicelli cold and drain it well. The cold rinse stops the cooking and washes off surface starch, so the noodles stay loose and springy in the bowl.
• Taste the nuoc cham before serving. It should hit salty, sweet, and sour in that order. Too sharp, add a splash of water; too flat, another squeeze of lime.
• Dress at the table, not in the kitchen. The bowl stays crisp until the moment you eat it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Bo bun is proof that a great dinner can be a pile of fresh things in the right order. The dish traveled from southern Vietnam to the bistros of Paris and earned its place on every menu because the formula simply works: cool noodles, hot beef, crunchy vegetables, soft herbs, and a dressing sharp enough to wake all of it up. Make the nuoc cham once and you will start keeping a jar of it in the refrigerator on principle. Build the bowl, pour the sauce over at the table, and eat it while the beef is still sizzling.