How to Make Flavorful Coconut Heart Salad (Goi Cu Hu Dua)

Coconut heart salad is a specialty dish from the Mekong Delta region, with a crispy, sweet, and sour taste that appeals to many ages. Making coconut heart salad is very simple, taking only about 20 minutes with readily available ingredients, you’ll have a delicious and nutritious meal for the whole family.

1. Coconut Heart Salad with Shrimp and Pork

1.1. Prepare Ingredients

• 700g coconut heart
• 400g pork belly
• 300g shrimp
• 2 carrots
• 1 onion
• Shallots, garlic, lemon, chili
• Vietnamese coriander, sawtooth herb
• Peanuts, fried shallots
• Seasonings: Fish sauce, sugar, salt, vinegar, MSG

Ingredients for coconut heart salad with shrimp and pork

1.2. Pre-process Ingredients

• Wash all ingredients thoroughly.
• Slice the coconut heart thinly. Soak for 15 minutes in a bowl of water with 1 tablespoon of salt and juice from 1/2 a lemon to maintain its white color and crispness. Then, rinse thoroughly and drain.
• Peel and cut carrots into small pieces.
• Peel and thinly slice the onion. Soak the onion in water mixed with vinegar and sugar to reduce its pungent taste.
• Mince garlic and a portion of the chili. Slice the remaining chili into thin strips.
• Pick out wilted leaves from herbs, then wash and drain.

1.3. Boil Shrimp and Pork

• Place pork belly in a pot, cover with water. Add 2 crushed shallots, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of MSG to the pot.
• Boil the pork until a skewer inserted into it comes out clear, indicating it’s cooked.
• Remove pork and transfer to a bowl of ice water, then slice thinly.
• Continue by adding shrimp to the pork broth and boil for about 3 minutes until cooked.
• Remove shrimp and transfer to a bowl of ice water, then peel.

Fish sauce for coconut heart salad

1.4. Make the Salad Dressing

• Pour half a cup of fish sauce and half a cup of sugar into a saucepan.
• Bring to a boil on the stove, stirring continuously until the sugar dissolves completely, then turn off the heat.
• Once the sugar and fish sauce mixture has cooled, add minced chili, garlic, and lemon juice, then stir well.

1.5. Mix the Salad

• Place sliced coconut heart, shrimp, pork, carrots, chili strips, Vietnamese coriander, and sawtooth herb into a large bowl.
• Pour the salad dressing over the ingredients and mix well.
• Transfer the coconut heart salad with shrimp and pork to a plate, then sprinkle with peanuts and fried shallots. The dish is even more delicious when served with fresh herbs and fried shrimp crackers.

Finished coconut heart salad with shrimp and pork

2. Coconut Heart Salad with Pork Stomach

2.1. Prepare Ingredients

• 500g fresh coconut heart
• 300g pork stomach
• 200g tiger prawns
• 50g roasted peanuts, shelled and crushed
• 1 carrot, 1 lemon, 2 chilies
• Fried shallots, basil leaves, Vietnamese coriander, ginger, garlic, lemongrass
• Seasonings: Sugar, salt, chili sauce, fish sauce, rice vinegar, MSG

Ingredients for coconut heart salad with pork stomach

2.2. Pre-process Ingredients

• Wash all ingredients thoroughly.
• Slice the coconut heart lengthwise and soak in a bowl of ice water to keep it white and crispier.
• Clean the pork stomach, rub with salt to remove all slime. Continue by squeezing lemon juice and rubbing it on the pork stomach, then blanch in boiling water with vinegar to eliminate any odor.
• Pick out yellowed leaves from fresh herbs, wash, and cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Peel and crush ginger.
• Peel and julienne carrots.
• Mince chilies.
• Squeeze lemon for juice.

2.3. Boil Pork Stomach and Shrimp

• Bring a pot of water to a boil, add shrimp and cook for about 5 minutes, then remove and peel. Leave the tail on for a more appealing presentation.
• Soak the cooked shrimp in a bowl of ice water to maintain its vibrant color and crisp texture.
• Place the pork stomach in the pot, add crushed lemongrass and ginger, and boil for 30 minutes. Afterward, remove, soak in a bowl of ice water, then cut into small strips.

Boiling pork stomach with lemongrass and ginger

2.4. Make the Salad Dressing

• In a bowl, combine: 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon MSG, ⅓ tablespoon salt, 2 tablespoons minced chili, ⅓ tablespoon chili sauce.
• Stir well until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed.

Delicious coconut heart and pork stomach salad

2.5. Mix the Salad and Final Dish

• Place the pork stomach in a large bowl, add ½ of the salad dressing, and mix well. Marinate the pork stomach for 5 minutes.
• Continue by adding coconut heart, carrots, shrimp, peanuts, fried shallots, basil leaves, Vietnamese coriander, and the remaining ½ of the dressing, then mix thoroughly.
• Coconut heart and pork stomach salad should be eaten immediately to prevent it from becoming watery. This dish is a combination of the refreshing crispness of coconut heart with the crunchy richness of pork stomach and a rich sweet and sour dressing, sure to delight the whole family.

3. Vegetarian Coconut Heart Salad

3.1. Prepare Ingredients

• 300g coconut heart
• 100g peanuts
• 2 pieces of tofu
• 100g fried bean curd skin
• 1 bell pepper
• ¼ pineapple
• Lemon, Vietnamese coriander, vinegar, soy sauce
• Sugar, pepper, salt
• Assorted fresh herbs

Young white coconut heart for salad

3.2. Pre-process Ingredients

• Wash all ingredients thoroughly.
• Slice the coconut heart thinly. Soak in diluted vinegar water for about 10 minutes. Then rinse with clean water and drain.
• Fry tofu until golden and fragrant, then cut into thin strips.
• Fry bean curd skin until golden, then break into small pieces.
• Cut bell pepper into thin strips.
• Peel, core, and cut pineapple into small pieces.
• Roast peanuts until golden, remove skins, and crush.

3.3. Make Vegetarian Coconut Heart Salad

• Pour 300ml of clean water and chopped coconut into a pot, and simmer for about 15 minutes.
• Add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, ½ tablespoon of sugar, and ½ tablespoon of salt to the pot, cook for another 5 minutes, then turn off the heat.
• Filter this liquid through a sieve to collect the dressing and let it cool.
• In a bowl of the coconut liquid, add: 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and mix well to create a balanced sauce.
• In a large mixing bowl: combine coconut heart, fried bean curd skin, bell pepper, and tofu. Pour the dressing over and mix thoroughly.
• Add Vietnamese coriander and roasted peanuts, toss well, and serve. When serving, you can enjoy it with your favorite fresh herbs.

Finished vegetarian coconut heart salad

Coconut heart salad, with its crisp, sweet, and refreshing taste, is definitely an ideal dish to vary your family’s meals. Save this coconut heart salad recipe and enjoy it right away!