Vietnamese Shrimp and Lotus Stem Salad (Gỏi Ngó Sen Tôm)

Learn how to make Gỏi Ngó Sen Tôm from scratch using this quick and easy 30 minute recipe. My Vietnamese lotus stem salad includes lotus stem, shrimp, and fresh herbs, all topped with a drizzle of nuoc cham. Included in the post are a few tips and tricks on how to properly prep each ingredient, so you get the tastiest salad every time!

At the beginning of every year, we all want a reset from the richness of the holidays, so naturally we turn to something fresh like a salad. In Vietnamese cuisine, we have so many unique salads. Of course the most well known salad is Goi Ga or Vietnamese chicken salad. But I’ve had many refreshing Vietnamese salads throughout the years from my mom and her friends. Today, I wanted to share one that is a bit under the radar but just as good – Gỏi Ngó Sen Tôm or Vietnamese Lotus Stem Salad with Shrimp.

How my family enjoyed Vietnamese lotus shrimp salad

The first time I ever had this Vietnamese seafood salad, I remember thinking how unique its crunchy texture was. That texture comes from the lotus root stem which is slightly pickled to give it that light and tangy flavor. It is then paired with some of my favorite fresh herbs from Rau Ram (my personal favorite) to red onion, and that is all rounded off with shrimp and a drizzle of nuoc cham. We used to have this salad all the time, but it’s a Vietnamese appetizer I associate most with special events like Lunar New Year or weddings.

How to make Gỏi Ngó Sen Tôm (with tips!)

1. First, prep your ingredients. Boil 3/4 pound of shrimp and let it sit in the fridge while you prep the other ingredients.
   • Tip #1: The colder the shrimp, the better the salad will taste. In my first test, I made it with hot shrimp and it just didn’t taste right. Salads also should be cold!
2. Next, fish out 16 oz of pickled lotus root from the brine. Slice in half and toss them into a large bowl. For bigger pieces, slice into quarters. Thinly slice 1/3 cup of red onion and submerge the pieces in a bowl of water for a minute. Drain, pat down with paper towels, and add to the bowl.
   • Tip #2: Submerging the red onion in water takes off the sharp onion-y bite. If you like that flavor, feel free to skip that step.
   • Tip #3: Instead of patting down everything with paper towels, you can also use a salad spinner.
3. Add the shrimp to the bowl. Make sure to de-shell the shrimp if using shell-on shrimp.
4. Follow the shrimp with 1/4 cup of peanuts then drizzle 1/4 cup of Vietnamese dipping sauce on top. Toss the salad until everything is coated. Let it sit for 5 minutes for the sauce to absorb into the salad.
5. Finally, pour 1/4 cup of fried shallots on top and serve!
   • Tip #4: Adding the fried shallots last preserves their crispy texture.
6. Optional: Serve with a side of shrimp chips.

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