Thai beef salad
There are recipes you make once in a while… and then there are the ones that become part of your rhythm. This Thai-inspired beef salad is one of our staples. I make it almost every week because it’s simple, deeply satisfying, and honestly hard to beat when it comes to bold, layered flavor. It’s sweet, salty, tangy, herby, a little spicy, and perfectly balanced. Every bite feels vibrant and alive.
What makes this salad truly craveable is the marinade. The combination of lime juice, fish sauce, gluten-free soy sauce, coconut sugar, sesame oil, and ginger-garlic creates that unmistakable Thai flavor profile—bright, savory, and slightly sweet. When the flank steak hits the grill, it caramelizes beautifully, locking in those flavors while adding that irresistible smoky char. Thinly sliced against the grain, the beef stays tender and juicy, soaking up every drop of that marinade.
Then comes the dressing—because we don’t stop at good, we go all in. The reserved marinade blended with peanut butter (and a touch of honey, if you like) turns into a creamy, nutty, tangy sauce that pulls the entire salad together. It coats the crisp lettuce, shredded cabbage, fresh mint, cilantro, cucumbers, and tomatoes, creating the perfect contrast between grilled warmth and fresh crunch. Add a handful of peanuts for texture, and you have a bowl that delivers on every sensory level.
From a nutrition perspective, this salad is a powerhouse. With high-quality protein from the flank steak, it easily supports muscle maintenance, stable blood sugar, and sustained energy—especially important for women balancing hormones, stress, and active lifestyles. Adequate protein intake is foundational for preserving lean mass, supporting metabolism, and promoting satiety. This is not a light, unsatisfying salad; it’s a complete, grounding meal.
It’s also incredibly supportive for digestion. The fresh herbs like mint and cilantro, the lime juice, and the ginger-garlic all stimulate digestive enzymes and bile flow. The generous volume of raw vegetables adds fiber, which supports gut motility and microbial diversity. When you pair protein, fiber, healthy fats, and acidity in one meal, you create a digestive environment that feels energizing instead of heavy.
Most of all, this recipe represents what I believe food should be: nourishing, functional, and joyful. It’s gluten-free, deeply flavorful, high in protein, rich in texture, and satisfying enough to make you forget you’re eating a “salad.” It’s the kind of meal that supports women’s health, digestion, and strength—while still feeling indulgent and crave-worthy. And that’s exactly why it lives on repeat in our home.
RECIPE
Ingredients
For the steak
800 g flank steak
For the marinade & base dressing (makes ~240 ml / 1 cup total, divide by 2)
2 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste
4 Tbsp coconut sugar
80 ml fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
60 ml gluten-free soy sauce
2 Tbsp fish sauce
½ tsp chili powder
For the peanut-lime dressing
120 ml reserved marinade mixture (half of the quantity)
2 Tbsp peanut butter
2 Tbsp honey (optional)
For the salad
Lettuce of choice, chopped
Shredded cabbage
Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
Fresh mint leaves
Tomatoes, chopped
Cucumbers, sliced
Onions, thinly sliced
Handful of peanuts, roughly chopped
Extra lime wedges for serving
Instructions
Prepare the marinade In a bowl, whisk together the ginger-garlic paste, coconut sugar, lime juice, sesame oil, gluten-free soy sauce, fish sauce, and chili powder.
The mixture should yield about 240 ml (1 cup). Divide it evenly:120 ml for marinating the steak
120 ml reserved for the salad dressing (do not contaminate with raw meat)
Marinate the steak Place the flank steak in a glass or ceramic dish and pour 120 ml of the marinade over it. Coat well, cover, and refrigerate overnight for best flavor (minimum 4–6 hours if short on time).
Prepare the peanut dressing To the remaining 120 ml of reserved marinade, add peanut butter and honey (if using). Whisk until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Bring steak to room temperature Remove the steak from the refrigerator about 30–40 minutes before cooking.
Cook the steak Preheat a grill (or a heavy skillet) over medium-high heat. Grill the steak to your preferred doneness (typically 5 minutes per side depending on thickness, mine took 10 min per side). Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain. Resting the meat is crucial! Also, cutting against the grain insures tender bites.
Assemble the salad In a large bowl, combine lettuce, cabbage, cilantro, mint, tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions Toss lightly. Reserve the peanuts to sprinkle on top at the end.
Serve Add 150–200 g of sliced steak over a generous portion of salad. Drizzle with the peanut-lime dressing as desired and finish with an extra squeeze of fresh lime. Add the peanuts at the end for crunch.
Nutritional value per (meat, marinade and salad dressing, no salad) Calories: 2,396 kcal, Protein: 232 g, Fat: 108 g, Carbohydrates: 105 g
If divided into 6 servings, per serving: 400 kcal, 39 g protein, 18 g fat, 18 g carbs
As usual, these are my thoughts and ideas, not medical advice. You are encouraged to create your own recipes or search for some suited to your needs. I am just sharing my recipes, hoping that I can inspire some of you to make healthier food choices.
Please remember that we all have different nutritional needs and that food affects us differently. If you are not sure which foods are best for you, reach out for a free phone consultation.
In good health,
Ioana