Vietnamese Banana Blossom Salad
A Fresh, Crunchy Vietnamese Classic Made Easy in the Thermomix
Banana blossom, also known as banana flower, is the deep purple, tear-shaped blossom that grows at the end of a banana cluster. Popular in many Southeast Asian cuisines, this edible flower has tender, slightly astringent petals that offer a subtle, artichoke-like flavour and a satisfying crunch. It’s commonly used in salads, soups, and curries throughout Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines. When prepared properly—by removing the tougher outer petals and thinly slicing the inner layers—banana blossom transforms into a unique and delicious base ingredient, especially when paired with fresh herbs, lime juice, and a punchy dressing.
In this vibrant Thermomix version of Vietnamese banana blossom salad, we celebrate the floral's mild taste and crisp texture by combining it with fragrant herbs, crunchy vegetables, and a zesty dressing that's equal parts sweet, sour, salty, and spicy. The Thermomix makes light work of prepping the ingredients and balancing the flavours to perfection. Not only is this salad a refreshing side or light main, but it’s also naturally gluten-free, and packed with fibre and antioxidants—making it as nourishing as it is beautiful on the plate.
Soaking banana blossom is essential to reduce its natural bitterness and prevent it from browning. Once sliced, the inner petals and core quickly oxidise—much like apples or artichokes—turning brown and developing a slightly unpleasant flavour. By soaking the slices in water with lemon juice or vinegar, you help preserve their pale colour and mellow the astringency, resulting in a more pleasant taste and texture for your salad.
Need
-
The Dressing
- 3 cloves garlic peeled
- 20 Grams fresh ginger
- 1 red chilli
- 50 Grams coconut sugar
- 1 limes zest and juice
- 50 Grams fish sauce
- 50 Grams Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) BUY
- Handfuls fresh mint
- Handfuls basil
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The Banana Blossom
- 1 small banana blossom, outer layers peeled and discarded
- 80 fresh lemon juice
- Pinches pink salt flakes BUY
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The Salad
- 2 chicken thighs, skinless and boneless, cubed
- 1 Litre water, for steaming
- 100 Grams baby spinach
- 1/4 purple cabbage, sliced thinly
- 1 carrot, julienned
- 2 spring onions, julienned
- 6 makrut (kaffir) lime leaves stem removed, leaves sliced finely
- limes to serve
- red chilli to serve
Do
- 1
Place all dressing ingredients into Thermomix bowl and blend 10 sec/speed 8.
- 2
Remove from bowl and set aside.
- 3
Without washing, place water into Thermomix bowl and place chicken into simmering basket. Insert basket and cook 12 min/100ºC/speed 3.
- 4
Remove basket and drain Thermomix bowl. Return chicken to Thermomix bowl and shred 4 sec/Reverse/speed 4. Cool slightly.
- 5
To prepare the Banana blossom, peel off the hard outer layers and discard (or use as serving bowl). Cut in half lengthways and slice thinly. Soak in a large bowl of cold water with the lemon juice and salt for 10 minutes. Strain, keeping only the purple and white slices. Discard the rest.
- 6
Make salad by assembling banana blossom, baby spinach, cabbage, carrot, spring onions and Kaffir lime leaves onto each plate or large serving platter. Top with shredded chicken and dressing.
- 7
Serve with lime wedges and sliced chilli to taste.
Bree is a mum who has always loved cooking and baking and became a big Tenina fan when she got her first Thermomix. She was on the very first foodie trip as a customer and hasn't looked back, working for Tenina for over 5 years as a recipe tester and developer, branching out into video master for all of Tenina's lives! She still runs her baking business, creating amazing cakes and macarons for her customer list.
