Gỏi ngó sen (Vietnamese lotus stem salad) is a delicious mix of crispy vegetables and fresh, juicy seafood. Top it all up is a sweet, tangy, and savory dressing made of fish sauce. It’s a dish that anyone can make with ease, yet everyone will love.
The star of this recipe is undoubtedly the lotus stems (roots), which have a slight crunch and a mildly sweet taste. Once coated in the flavorful dressing, this signature Asian ingredient becomes irresistibly tasty and will definitely make you crave more.
Gỏi Ngó Sen: A Culinary Exploration
Regarding healthy Vietnamese dishes, gỏi (salad) is an extremely popular choice. There are plenty of gỏi recipes to choose from, and today’s dish, gỏi ngó sen, is among the most famous.
The Vietnamese consider the gỏi ngó sen an essential dish for family gatherings and special occasions such as weddings and anniversaries. In addition to its immaculate flavor and colorful appearance, another big part that makes the dish such a big hit is how simple it is to whip up.
Basically, you only need to boil the meat and seafood, do some cutting and chopping here and there, and mix the fish sauce with some spices to prepare the dressing. Even if you have had little cooking experience, making this recipe will still be a breeze.
Thanks to the addition of pork belly and shrimp, this yummy appetizer can easily fill you up and provide you with valuable protein.
Kitchen Items Needed for Gỏi Ngó Sen
While making Vietnamese lotus stem salad is simple, it does require some specific tools. Prepare the following:
Key Components of Gỏi Ngó Sen
For this recipe, you’ll need a mixture of protein sources (shrimp and pork), vegetables (lotus stems, carrots, etc.), and some herbs, as listed below:
Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting Gỏi Ngó Sen
After preparing all the needed tools and ingredients, it’s finally time to cook. Let’s make some Vietnamese lotus stem salad!
Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients
Rinse the pork belly and shrimp. Remember to devein the shrimp. If you’re new to preparing seafood, it’s best that you learn how to clean shrimp properly before making this recipe.
Wash the vegetables. Soak the lotus stems in an ice bath. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar and 1-2 teaspoons of sugar to the water to help keep the stems’ color.
Slice the red onion thinly. Finely chop the Vietnamese coriander and spearmint.
Shred the carrot. Remove the seeds from the cow horn pepper, then julienne it.
Step 2: Marinate the Vegetables
Add the carrot, red onion, and lotus stems into a mixing bowl. Season with 2 teaspoons of sugar and 2 teaspoons of salt. Mix well and let the veggies sit for 20 minutes to soften and infuse them with the spices.
Step 3: Boil the Pork and Shrimp
Blanch the pork in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Then, boil it together with some shallots, scallions, a few slices of ginger, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook the pork for 20 minutes on medium-low heat.
Once cooked, transfer the pork to an ice bath to improve its texture and color.
Add the shrimp to the pot you just used to boil the pork. There’s no need to change the water. Boil them for 5 minutes. Then, put the shrimp in the ice bath to stop the cooking and make them firmer.
Next, cut the pork belly into bite-sized pieces. Put on the food prep gloves and peel the shrimp. Leave the tails intact to add to the dish’s appearance.
If the shrimp are too big, you can cut them in half lengthwise.
Step 4: Make the Dressing
Combine these ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl:
Do a quick taste test and adjust the spices to fit your liking.
Step 5: Make the Salad
Wear your food prep gloves and squeeze out the liquid in the lotus stems, carrot, and red onion.
Add the vegetables, shrimp, and pork to a mixing bowl. Toss the salad with ⅔ of the dressing.
Add the peppermint, Vietnamese coriander, cow horn pepper, fried shallots, and roasted peanuts to the salad. Pour in the remaining dressing and toss well.
Transfer the salad to a plate and garnish it with some more Vietnamese coriander, peppermint, and chili pepper. Enjoy!
Advice for Making the Best Vietnamese Lotus Stem Salad
In order to enjoy your Vietnamese salad to the fullest, don’t miss out on the useful tips in this section:
Give Your Salad a Boost with Gỏi Ngó Sen
Lotus stem and shrimp and salad is a colorful and delicious mixture of pork, shrimp, lotus stems, and a blend of flavorsome herbs and veggies. Like many other salad recipes in Vietnamese cuisine, this dish is super easy to make and healthy. I’m sure that everyone in your family will love it!
Do you have any further questions about this recipe? If yes, please let me know by commenting below. Any kind of feedback is welcome! Also, kindly like and share the post to support the website. Oh, and Fifteen has a YouTube channel now, so don’t forget to subscribe to it.
Gỏi Ngó Sen Recipe (Vietnamese Lotus Stem Salad)
Equipment
- Knife
- Chopping Board
- Saucepan
- Mixing Bowl
- Vegetable Peeler
- Food Prep Gloves
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 0.9 pounds fresh shrimp
- 0.8 pounds pork belly
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Scallions
- Shallots
- A few ginger slices
- 1 pound lotus stem
- 2.65 ounces Vietnamese coriander
- 2.65 ounces spearmint
- 1 red onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 red cow horn pepper
- 2.65 ounces roasted peanuts
- 1 ounce fried shallots
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
For the Dressing
- 2.5 fluid ounces fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons chili sauce
- 0.85 fluid ounces lime juice
- 5 teaspoons brown sugar
Instructions
- Rinse the pork belly and shrimp. Devein the shrimp.
- Wash the vegetables. Soak the lotus stems in an ice bath. Add a little lemon juice or vinegar and sugar to the water. Slice the red onion thinly. Finely chop the Vietnamese coriander and spearmint. Shred the carrot. Remove the seeds from the cow horn pepper, then julienne it.
- Add the carrot, red onion, and lotus stems into a mixing bowl. Season with sugar and salt. Mix well and let the veggies sit for 20 minutes to soften and infuse them with the spices.
- Blanch the pork in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Then, boil it together with some shallots, scallions, a few slices of ginger, and salt for 20 minutes on medium-low heat.
- Once cooked, transfer the pork to an ice bath to improve its texture and color.
- Add the shrimp to the pot you just used to boil the pork. Boil them for 5 minutes. Put the shrimp in the ice bath to stop the cooking and make them firmer.
- Cut the pork belly into bite-sized pieces. Put on the food prep gloves and peel the shrimp. Leave the tails intact. If the shrimp are too big, you can cut them in half lengthwise.
- Combine the ingredients for the dressing (fish sauce, sugar, chili sauce, and lemon juice) in a small bowl.
- Wear your food prep gloves and squeeze out the liquid in the lotus stems, carrot, and red onion.
- Add the vegetables, shrimp, and pork to a mixing bowl. Toss the salad with ⅔ of the dressing.
- Add the peppermint, Vietnamese coriander, cow horn pepper, fried shallots, and roasted peanuts to the salad. Pour in the remaining dressing and toss well.
- Transfer the salad to a plate and garnish it with some more Vietnamese coriander, peppermint, and chili pepper. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- You should always prepare the lotus stems as instructed to ensure that they have the best color and crispness.
- Bánh phồngn tôm (Vietnamese prawn crackers) is an excellent treat to pair with gỏi ngó sen. You can look for them in Asian stores and markets.
- In addition to the dressing above, you can toss the salad with nước chấm (Vietnamese dipping sauce).
- The best time to assemble the salad is right before serving. Or you can make it about 2 hours in advance and store it in your refrigerator.
Nutrition
Richie
Content Writer
Expertise
Home Cooking, Meal Planning, Food Styling, Food Photography, Cooking-video Maker, Beverage Evaluation Expert
Education
Saigon Culinary Arts Centre, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Vietnam Australia Vocational School (VAAC), Hanoi, Vietnam
Richie, based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is a dynamic Content Writer with a talent for capturing the essence of culinary art.
Richie specializes in creating visually appealing and tasty content, offering a new angle on Vietnamese and other culinary traditions. With a background in graphic design and a love for food styling and photography, he expertly combines beauty with food narratives, encouraging his audience to discover the culinary world through his imaginative perspective.