Refreshing and Easy Vietnamese Summer Salad with Banana Blossom (Gỏi Bắp Chuối)
I currently have an abundance of Vietnamese herbs in the garden. It’s that time of year when the Vietnamese coriander (rau răm) and spearmint (húng lủi) grow like wildfire. To quickly use them up, I’m making a refreshing summer salad using banana blossom as the main vegetable and tossing it together with a handful of fresh Vietnamese herbs for an authentic herbaceous kick.
Of course, you can’t have a Vietnamese or Asian salad without the crunch and contrasting textures. In goes the fried shallots and toasted peanuts. Don’t go skipping the toasted peanuts as they are a must for all Vietnamese salad, unless if you’re allergic and might possibly die.
This salad is dressed with the mother sauce of Vietnam, a sweet and savory dressing made with fish sauce, water, sugar, lemon juice, garlic, fresh chili peppers red chili peppers, and my mother-in-law’s secret ingredient, coconut juice.
You can enjoy this light and fresh authentic Vietnamese salad on its own or add proteins such as shredded chicken, thinly sliced pork belly, shrimp and/or tofu for a heartier option.
Lastly, for those who want to make it into a full meal, add rice noodles.
Recipe below. Enjoy!