Vietnam is a beautiful destination that is famous for its delicious food along with its beauty. There are various cuisines that vary in their taste according to the north and south regions. Every dish has plenty of fresh herbs and veggies which are not only delicious but also healthy.
Vegans have many Vietnamese food options to look forward to when visiting the country. One can find many meat-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free meals. Only, you need to have clear ideas about each dish to eat and enjoy on your vacation.
So, here, in this article, we have prepared a guide to some vegan Vietnamese food. Keep reading it to know further.
Top Vietnamese Dishes Every Vegan Must Know
Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup)
It is the popular and traditional Vietnamese food that you can find in every high-quality restaurant to side vendors. Just ask for the Pho chay which is the vegan version of Pho and the dish will be on your table. Usually, it is prepared using rice noodles which naturally do not contain gluten. In addition, the soup consists of vegan broth, crunchy tofu, fresh herbs, and green veggies.
The vegetables it includes are mung bean or soy sprouts, mushrooms, shallots, scallions, and lettuces. The condiments are peppers, lime, mint, and cilantro. Instead of tofu, use chickpeas, lentils, and broccoli in cooking which are good sources of protein. However, soy sauce will be the best dipping sauce for vegans which will help to enhance the flavor of the broth. All these ingredients make the dish delicious as well as healthy.
Pho is so spicy and also calorie-free and low in fat. That’s why it is a perfect appetizer to spice up your taste buds. You can slurp it any time. Typically, rainy and cold days are best to enjoy a warm bowl of soup.
Goi Cuon (Fried Spring Rolls)
It is the most healthy vegan Vietnamese food as the main stuffing includes green vegetables only. The dish also consists of tofu, fresh herbs, cilantro leaves, and thin rice noodles. Like the Banh Mi, you can customize it according to your preferences.
All the ingredients are wrapped up in rice paper which is gluten-free. This translucent and thin paper is dipped in the water to make it soft so that you can smoothly form a cigar-like shape of rolls. It will taste spicier by dipping each piece in the Nuoc Cham Chay sauce or peanut sauce.
The interesting fact about this dish is that its color and flavors come out from the translucent rice paper creating it more tempting to eat. Goi Cuon is best to serve while it is cold. People usually eat this fresh and tasty cuisine as a snack.
Banh Xeo(Vietnamese Pancake)
It is a savory and colorful Vietnamese pancake that is thin, crispy, and golden in texture. The stuffing it includes consists of protein-rich tofu and mushrooms, fresh herbs, veggies, carrots, mung bean sprouts, and lettuce. Additionally, you can add spicy, sweet, and sour Nuoc Cham Chay sauce to the dish. Along with this, there is some more garnishing of Thai basils, spring onions, mustard greens, and fresh mint in it.
The batter of the crepes is usually made up of coconut milk, turmeric, rice flour, and salt. The name Banh Xeo signifies the “sizzling cake”. This term is used for the dish because it makes the sizzling sound when the rice batter is poured over the hot pan. Besides this, in many vegetarian restaurants, you will find this cuisine wrapped in a lettuce leave.
Banh Cuon(Steamed Rice Rolls)
It is a gluten-free and dairy-free Vietnamese food that is popular as rice rolls. This dish has the filling of mushrooms, nuts, avocados, ginger, and cashews. Cilantro leaves and spring scallions are the garnishing ingredients.
In addition, you can enjoy the taste of the Banh Cuon with dipping sauces such as soy and sweet chili sauce. This Vietnamese food is so light yet filling. It is also served with extra green veggies such as coriander leaves, lettuce leaves, mung bean sprouts, cucumber, Thai basils, shallots, carrot, and mint.
More than this, its preparation method also makes it a unique Vietnamese dish. Firstly, one needs to be an expert to prepare a smooth batter. Secondly, they have to be careful while making the soft and thin pieces of rice rolls.
Along with this, the cooking process of Banh Cuon is very tempting when a scoop of batter is poured on the steamer. The thin rice crepe looks so fresh and white that you can not refuse to eat such a delicious dish.
Canh Chua (Vietnamese Sour Soup)
It is a sour Vietnamese cuisine that includes pineapple, tomato, mushrooms, mung bean sprouts, and carrots. This dish is sour in taste because of the flavor of tamarind. Garlic, chili flakes, and scallions are its main garnishing ingredients. It also tastes very delicious with thin rice noodles and soy sauce.
In addition, Canh Chua is among the healthiest soups in Vietnam. It is rich in manganese which is good for overall bone health. Moreover, it improves the metabolism of the body.
Altogether, you can have three flavors in one dish, the sour taste from the tamarind, sweetness from the pineapple juice, and spiciness from the condiments.
Banh Mi (Vietnamese Sandwich)
It is famous for the best and most delicious street food in Vietnam. The dish consists of a baguette that is stuffed with many ingredients like lettuce, fresh cilantro leaves, cucumber, tomato, radish, carrot, chilies, mint, and mayo. You can also use tofu and mushrooms which are very rich in protein.
Altogether, you can customize this Vietnamese food according to your taste. For the topping, hot soy sauce is the best that will spice up the flavors.
Rau Muong (Stir-Fried Water Spinach)
It is a delicious and nutritious vegan Vietnamese dish. Typically, people fry the water-spinach with garlic pieces and Nuoc cham chay sauce. It is very tasty to eat with brown rice. Being a healthy dish, it is a good source of antioxidants, vitamins, and iron.
Its cooking process is so effortless. You need to make the leaves of the spinach smooth by sinking them into the boiling water. After a few minutes, they are removed and washed using cold water. Consequently, this process speeds up the cooking procedure.
Ca Ri Chay (Vegetarian Vietnamese Curry)
It is one of the healthy dishes for vegan people which consists of nutritive tofu and green vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, celery, and shallots. The garnishing includes lemongrass, curry spices, and coconut milk. All these ingredients provide a super flavorful and creamy texture to the dish.
People stir-fry all the fresh veggies and tofu in a pan. Both the ingredients are dipped in the yellow coconut batter and then roasted properly. The best fact about this cuisine is that it is low in calories and rich in protein which makes it a healthy food option.
Summing Up
Every vegan Vietnamese food we have mentioned above consists of various ingredients which are very delicious and have nutritional value. People can enjoy every flavor by keeping the vegan diet into consideration. Try all these mouthwatering and flavorful cuisines when you will make your visit to Vietnam. Each dish has its own specialty which will definitely satisfy your taste buds.
So, if you are planning your vacation, we recommend visiting our Dakao Hoang restaurant. You will surely have an adventurous dining experience enjoying the wide variety of vegan dishes.
