Seared Beef Noodle Salad with Asian Dressing, Peanuts and Crispy Garlic and Ginger

This is a fresh and zingy salad that is a great way to satisfy your beef cravings and still enjoy a light meal. Salty, sour, sharp, and nutty, this would make a lovely dinner party starter in small quantities or it would also be great on the bbq in the summer. It’s also very quick to prepare on a midweek night and works really well as leftovers (that’s if there is any).

Serves 3
1. First, make the dressing. Combine 2 tbsps light soy sauce, 2 tbsps dark soy sauce, a finely chopped red chilli, the zest and juice of a lime, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp fish sauce, and 1 tsp light brown sugar in a bowl. Add more lime juice or sugar to taste.
2. Cook some noodles and refresh under cold water. You can use any type of noodles you like. I went for fine wholewheat ones.
3. Next chop a red and yellow pepper into thin strips and add to a big bowl with some julienne carrots, finely sliced spring onions, beansprouts, plenty of coriander, and some blanched mangetout. You can really use up whatever veg you have in the fridge. Pour over 3/4 of the dressing and mix really well.
4. For the crispy ginger and garlic, finely slice three garlic cloves and cut a 3cm piece of ginger into thin strips before adding to some hot oil in a pan over a medium heat. Don’t let them burn, but keep an eye on them until they’re golden and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
5. Use the leftover garlicky and gingery oil to fry your steaks to your liking. I treated ourselves and went for fillet which I think works best in a refreshing salad. Make sure you allow your steaks to rest before slicing.
6. Dish out the noodles before topping with the sliced steak, more dressing, crushed peanuts, some thai basil leaves and the crispy ginger and garlic.