Bún Bò Nam Bộ Recipe

Southern Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad, or Bun Bun Nam Bo, is an exotic version of Vietnamese noodle dishes without a broth. This Southern specialty is a combination of well-marinated beef with lovely fresh vegetables.

With this article, you will be able to find out the history behind Bun Bo Nam Bo. Additionally, I will guide you on how to create this tasty Vietnamese noodle dish at home. If you’re looking to learn about Vietnamese cuisine, Bun Bun Nam Bo is a new addition to try.

What Is Bun Bo Nam Bo?

Bun Bo Nam Bo was invented in the 1980s and is not a dish many know when discussing Vietnamese cuisine. This traditional recipe is a beloved specialty in the southern region of the country.

However, some say the Southern Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad traces back to Ha Noi. Originally named Bun Bo Tron, meaning “mixed beef noodle,” locals eventually renamed it after Nam Bo Street, where it first emerged. The dish even earned a spot on CNN’s list of 40 Vietnamese dishes.

Made of stir-fried beef slices served over a bed of rice vermicelli noodles and fresh vegetables, this combination is even better when accompanied by a diluted fish sauce mix.

How To Differentiate Bun Bo Nam Bo From Bun Bo Hue?

Though Bun Bo Hue and Bun Bo Nam Bo are confusing even for the locals who haven’t heard about the dish, you can easily identify these two specialties by the serving.

The most obvious is the broth, with Bun Bo having a savory and oily broth, while Bun Bo Nam Bo uses a mixture of fish sauce. Another feature is in the noodles, with the regular Bun Bo having thicker strands of rice vermicelli than Bun Bo Nam Bo.

What Utensils Are Needed For Southern Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad?

This Southern Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad only needs a few simple tools. All you need is a skillet, knife, chopping board, and grater before starting to handle all the ingredients in the dish. Once you have the tools, the cooking process should be easy to comprehend.

What Ingredients Does Southern Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad Have?

In terms of ingredients, you want to put a lot of effort into the marinating elements for the beef to form the highlight of Southern Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad. Plus, accompaniments are essential to bring multiple flavor layers to the recipe.

For the Beef:

For the Noodles and Accompaniments:

For the Sauce:

How To Make Southern Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad?

To make Southern Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad, you need to go through 5 steps that revolve around preparing the ingredients, marinating the meat, making the sauce, and stir-frying the beef. Your Southern Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad should materialize in no time.

Step 1: Prepare The Ingredients

Wash all the vegetables and let them drain.

Grate the cucumber and carrot into thin strips.

Then, use a sharp knife to slice the beef. Ideally, you don’t want the slices to be too thin, as the meat can be crumbled when stir-fried. Note that thick beef slices can also be chewy when overcooked.

Step 2: Marinate The Beef

After slicing the beef, marinate them with ground pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, sugar, salt, sesame seeds, dark soy sauce, and oyster sauce.

Mix the beef and let the mixture sit for at least 30 minutes so the spices can penetrate the meat.

Step 3: Make The Sauce

Dissolve the sugar in a blend of warm water and fish sauce. Proceed to add minced garlic, chili, and lime juice, depending on your preference.

Step 4: Stir-fry The Beef

In a non-stick skillet, heat up your olive oil with minced lemongrass, garlic, and shallot until you get an aromatic taste. Transfer the marinated beef to the skillet and stir-fry for around 2 – 3 minutes until the meat is rare.

Step 5: Assemble The Noodle Salad

Place the noodle at the base of the bowl and top the surface with lettuce, bean sprouts, grated cucumber, and carrot. Next, place the stir-fried beef over the vegetables with sprinkles of peanuts and fried shallots.

To enjoy Southern Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad, pour a sufficient amount of fish sauce mixture over the bowl and mix it all together before eating.

What Are Tips And Tricks For Making Southern Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad?

There are some tips and tricks you can try while making Southern Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad. For example, while mixing the marinating mixture, make sure to follow the recipe closely, especially the seasoning step, so you can balance the flavor.

Furthermore, the sauce mixture shouldn’t be too salty as the beef is already seasoned with many savory elements. You should taste the sauce to ensure a nice harmony of sweet, sour, and salty flavors.

In this segment, I also include the best accompaniments for the Southern Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad, as well as other tantalizing Vietnamese noodle dishes that are well worth a try.

What To Serve With Southern Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad?

Typically, locals tend to customize the Southern Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad bowl with a variety of toppings. Instead of a side dish, you can try using different vegetables with different textures and flavors to create new combos.

Additionally, some versions may alter the fish sauce recipe a bit by adding vinegar for a bit more sourness to the mixture. Note that you can always experience different ingredients with the sauce to create a flavor that suits your taste bud.

What Are Other Vietnamese Noodle Dishes To Try?

Rice noodles are rather popular in Vietnamese cooking, especially when their popularity is right behind cooked rice. For that, I’d like to give you some of Vietnam’s most popular noodle dishes to experiment with at home:

Can Bun Bo Nam Bo Make It To Your List Of Favorite Dishes?

Bun Bo Nam Bo is undoubtedly a new candidate you can try making at home if you think Pho and Bun Bo are too familiar. The dish is highly customizable, so you can always tweak the recipe to suit your needs.

That said, I hope you have fun cooking in the kitchen. Share this article with people around you, and show me some love by leaving your thoughts in the comment section. I hope to see you again in another tantalizing cooking recipe.