Top 12 Vietnamese Salads

Som tam is a green papaya salad mostly associated with the northeastern part of Thailand (Isaan), though it is often suggested that it first appeared in Laos. Apart from thin strips of green papaya, this salad usually includes roasted peanuts, green beans, tomatoes, and a tangy sauce typically made with garlic, chili peppers, fish sauce, dried shrimps, palm sugar, and lime or tamarind juice. The varieties are plentiful and can include various additions. The sauce can also appear in many other combinations, and can significantly vary in sweetness and spiciness. Numerous restaurants and street stalls allow the customers to choose the variety they prefer and adjust the ingredients to their preference. It is still not clear whether this refreshing dish was invented in the north of Thailand, more precisely the Isaan region, or is it an original Lao creation. Many believe that it was primarily invented to utilize abundant papayas and that its original form did not use palm sugar because it mostly relied on spicy chili flavors. Regardless of its origin, this simple salad has gained global popularity and can be found on the menus of traditional Thai restaurants around the world. It can be enjoyed as the main dish or as a complement to rice, grilled meat, or marinated fish.Expand

Nộm is a traditional salad. It's made with a combination of fresh, grated vegetables such as cabbage and turnip, along with papaya, green mango, banana flowers, cucumber slices, and sometimes even shredded boiled pork. Other common ingredients include hot chili peppers, roasted ground nuts, and grated carrots to make the salad more visually attractive and colorful. Nộm is the name in the North, while in Southern Vietnam, the salad is known as gỏi. The salads are usually dressed with nước chấm, and they're often served with prawn crackers on the side.Expand

Phở trộn or mixed pho is a classic Vietnamese pho variety. This type of pho is dry, meaning that it doesn't contain broth – instead, it's a salad with meat (beef or chicken) and noodles. The dish is typical of Hanoi and it's especially popular during summer. The sliced meat is marinated in salt, ginger, pepper, garlic, lime juice, and five spice powder. It's then browned in a pan and mixed with fresh greens (mint, Thai basil, lettuce, cilantro, bean sprouts), fried shallots, rice noodles, and a dressing consisting of vinegar, fish sauce, sugar, and tamarind paste. The noodle salad is often garnished with chopped peanuts and red chili peppers, while lime wedges are usually served on the side.Expand

Bò tái chanh is a Vietnamese dish inspired by Cambodian and Lao dishes. It's prepared with a combination of thinly sliced beef, onions, lemon or lime juice, garlic, shallots, red pepper, and fresh herbs such as coriander, rice paddy herb, red perilla, and mint. The beef is seasoned with salt, pepper, and chicken stock, then mixed with lemon or lime juice and sugar. The acidity will cook the beef, which is mixed with fried garlic before the dish is assembled. It's usually served on a bed of fresh herbs that's topped with onions, rare beef in lime juice, and garnishes such as red pepper slices, crushed peanuts, and fried shallots. Bò tái chanh is typically served as an appetizer or a salad with fish sauce for dipping and alcoholic beverages on the side.Expand

Gỏi gà is a traditional salad. This sweet, savory, crunchy, and tangy salad is made with a combination of cooked shredded chicken, carrots, onions, cilantro, mint, and sometimes cabbage. All the salad ingredients are placed in a bowl, mixed, then drizzled with a dressing consisting of lime juice, fish sauce, chili peppers, garlic, and sugar. Before serving, the healthy salad is usually topped with roasted peanuts and crispy fried shallots.Expand

Gỏi bò is a traditional salad. It's made with beef, lime juice, fish sauce, chili sauce, chili peppers, kaffir lime leaves, cilantro, mint, cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, and watercress. The beef used for the salad should be top or bottom round, which is sliced, marinated, and grilled before it's mixed with the other ingredients. The salad is dressed with a combination of lime juice, fish sauce, chili sauce, and sugar. Gỏi bò is traditionally served immediately while the beef is still hot.Expand

Va tron is a traditional salad originating from Hue, where it was once prepared for royalty. The salad is made with a combination of boiled local figs, onions, carrots, mushrooms, and either shredded pork or shrimp. The local figs are only available in Central Vietnam, and especially in Hue, making the salad a must-try for first time visitors. Va tron can be additionally enriched with fried shallots, roasted sesame seeds, and fermented shrimp paste. Nowadays, this salad is usually served hot on special occasions such as weddings and family celebrations, and it's sometimes accompanied by rice crackers called bánh tráng.Expand

Gỏi ngó sen is a traditional salad prepared with lotus root as the main ingredient. The salad is very versatile, so there is no fixed recipe, but some of the ingredients that are usually used in it include prawns, onions, carrots, pork belly, vinegar, sugar, mint, shallots, and peanuts. Once combined and assembled, the salad is dressed with a combination of lime juice, chili, sugar, and fish sauce. Before serving, gỏi ngó sen is typically garnished with chopped cilantro, crispy shallots, and toasted peanuts.Expand

Gỏi sứa is a traditional salad made with jelly fish as the key ingredient. Other common ingredients include chicken, onions, basil, coriander, crushed peanuts, green mango, deep-fried glutinous rice, chili peppers, vinegar, sugar, and spices. The jelly fish is sliced and soaked in hot water, the chicken is boiled and shredded, and the green mango is thinly sliced. The ingredients are mixed together and topped with roasted crushed peanuts. When served, the salad is usually accompanied by a sauce consisting of sugar, salt, pepper, fish sauce, vinegar, and sliced chili. Another popular accompaniment to the salad is a deep-fried glutinous rice cake.Expand

Gỏi cá trích is a traditional salad originating from Phú Quốc island. It's made with a combination of herrings, mint, onions, shredded coconut, fresh greens (lettuce, herbs, cucumber slices), rice paper wrappers, and Phú Quốc fish sauce consisting of garlic, chili, lime juice, sugar, and peanuts. The herring should be sliced and raw. The ingredients are combined together, then wrapped in rice paper and dipped in the sauce. Although this dish was once considered rustic, nowadays it can be found in most restaurants on the island.Expand