Vietnamese “Noodle” Salad with Herby Grilled Steak & Peaches

This is a special meal you could prepare for an event or gathering. Please don’t feel overwhelmed by the long ingredient list. Simple recipes are for the day to day. That’s why this one is for a special occasion or when you feel like serving something a little more fancy. It can be ready in an hour, and serves 4-6. If you don’t have a spiralizer, use a peeling tool to make thin slices instead for the cucumber noodles.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lbs grass-fed flank steak
• Sea salt and black pepper to season
• 3 peaches or nectarines
• Juice of 2 limes
• ¼ C fish sauce
• ⅓ C apple juice
• 1 jalapeño pepper, minced
• 1 t minced fresh ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ C minced fresh cilantro leaves
• 6 C crunchy lettuce (e.g. romaine), chopped
• 3 cucumbers, spun into noodles with a spiralizer
• 1 C chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1 C chopped fresh basil leaves
• 3 scallions, chopped
• ⅔ C chopped cashews

Instructions

1. Bring the steak to room temperature, then season both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Heat your grill to medium-high heat.
3. Grill the steak to medium-rare, about 10 minutes on one side, then 2 minutes on the other side.
4. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and rest for 10 minutes.
5. Grill the peaches for about 2 minutes each side, being careful not to let them burn. Transfer the peaches to a plate.
6. While the steak is cooking, make your dressing by combining the lime juice, fish sauce, apple juice, jalapeño pepper, ginger, garlic, and cilantro in a bowl.
7. Slice the cooked steak thinly against the grain and place it in the dressing. Allow it to sit in the dressing for at least 20 minutes.
8. On a platter, arrange the chopped lettuce at your first layer, then follow it with the cucumber noodles, steak, peaches, the fresh herbs, scallions and finally the cashews.
9. Just before serving, top the salad with the remaining dressing.