18 Most Popular Vietnamese Vegetarian Dishes

Each Vietnamese food has its own particular flavor. Lemongrass, ginger, mint, Vietnamese mint, long coriander, Saigon cinnamon, bird’s eye chile, lime, and Thai basil leaves are all used in Vietnamese dishes. Fresh vegetables or fruits, minimal dairy or oil, unique textures, and the use of Vietnamese herbs and fresh veggies have all been highlights of traditional Vietnamese food. Fish sauce is the most popular table sauce in Vietnamese households, amounting for over 70% of the market, whereas soy sauce has a market share of less than 20%. It is also low in sugar and generally gluten-free, because of the use of rice noodles, rice sheets, and rice flour instead of wheat in many of the Vietnamese dishes.

Vegetarian food in Vietnam sometimes has the same name as their meat counterparts, such as pho bo, but in restaurants with a chay (vegetarian) signage, those dishes are served with tofu rather than meat. You can find vegetarian food in nearly every soup, sandwich, and Vietnamese street food.

Words such as “pho chay,” “bánh mi chay,” and “mi chay”, which is vegetarian sandwich, or “com chay”, which is vegetarian rice can also be seen.

In comparison to traditional Vietnamese cuisine, Vietnam vegetarian dishes are nearly usually less expensive, about half the price. Chay eateries are largely visited by religious Vietnamese, and they are seldom seen in touristy locations. Moreover, vegetarian cuisine is consumed to bring good fortune at important holidays and festivals, particularly around the Lunar New Year, when vegetarian food is served to all Vietnamese people regardless of religion. If you want to learn more about the most popular vegetarian Vietnamese dishes, scroll down and keep reading.

Vietnamese Vegetarian Dishes

Che Chuoi

It is a banana tapioca. Che Chuoi is a delectable Vietnamese vegetarian dish made from the Chuoi Xiem banana variety. Che Chuoi, which is made with sago pearls and cooked in creamy coconut milk, has a sweet and creamy flavor, a faint banana aroma, and the appearance of pudding. A sprinkle of roasted peanuts topping cuts through the creaminess and gives a pop of color to the dish.

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Che Troi Nuac

Che Troi Nuoc is a type of glutinous rice dumpling with mung bean paste inside and served in a sweet ginger syrup. The name of this amazing food comes from the fact that when the balls are boiled, they rise from the bottom of the pot to the surface, floating on water. Che Troi Nuoc is best eaten hot, with white sesame seeds and coconut milk. The golden sticky syrup gives the sweet broth a sweet flavor and an aromatic ginger scent.

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Pho Chay

Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup made with broth, rice noodles (bánh pho), herbs, and meat (typically beef (pho bo) but occasionally chicken (pho gà). Its vegan version is Pho Chay. Pho is a popular dish in Vietnam, where it may be found in homes, street vendors, and Vietnamese restaurants all around the country. The national food of Vietnam is pho.

The Vietnamese dish includes tofu, shitake mushrooms, green onions, a few fresh vegetables, and condiments such as soy sauce to give it some extra flavor.

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Banh Khoai Hue or Vietnamese Crepes

In Vietnamese cuisine, Banh Khoai Hue is a crispy, filled rice pancake. When the rice flour batter is thrown into the hot skillet, it produces a loud sound called xèo-sizzling. Rice flour, tapioca starch, water, mixed vegetables, tofu, and turmeric powder are used to make this savory fried pancake. This Vietnamese dish is also known as a Vietnamese crepe.

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Tofu Banh Mi or Banh Mi Chay

Banh mi is a Vietnamese short baguette with a thin, crunchy crust and a light, airy feel. Banh mi thit is a meal made by slicing it lengthwise and stuffing it with flavorful ingredients like a submarine sandwich. Banh mi is also a staple cuisine in Vietnam.

Banh mi are Vietnamese sandwiches created by using a French baguette and a variety of meats, cheeses, fried eggs, pickled vegetables, and spicy sauces. While banh mi are most usually made with beef, there is also a vegetarian version of this delicious meal. To make it vegetarian, tofu is substituted for meat. Banh Mi Chay is as tasty as any protein, marinated in olive oil, tamari, lime, garlic, and ginger. The amount of wonderful vegetables and sauce in the vegan version has an amazing flavor, and is enough to make it a satisfying meal.

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Xoi Chay

Xôi is a Vietnamese meal made with glutinous rice and other seasonings that can be savory or sweet. Xôi is a popular snack and on-the-go breakfast dish. Although it is commonly served as a breakfast or dessert, it is also eaten as a main dish at lunch or dinner in many parts of Vietnam.

Cooking sticky rice and slicing it into flat round forms is how Xoi Chay is produced. After it has dried, the steamed rice pieces are fried in a hot oil pan till golden and crisp. Chickpeas, mushrooms, coconut, pepper, sugar, broccoli, red chilli, and green onion are common ingredients in the vegetarian version of Xoi Chay.

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Banh Khoai Tay Chien

Banh Khoai Tay Chien, also known as deep-fried Potato Cakes, are created by mashing sweet potato, green beans, and coconut together, then forming them into cakes and cooking or frying them until they are golden brown in color. These traditional Vietnamese dishes come with a peanut dipping sauce and spices. Potato Cakes are a popular Vietnamese street food with a high nutritional value. These delicious dishes can be found on street stalls all around Vietnam.

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Banh Beo Hue or Steamed Rice Cakes

A banh beo is a Vietnamese delicacy from Hu, which is located in Central Vietnam. Water fern cakes is the English translation for this cuisine. Rice flour and tapioca flour are mixed together to make banh beo. In Vietnam, it is a popular street dish. Rice cakes, crispy pig skin, dried shrimps, scallion oil, and dipping sauce are among the ingredients. This recipe is also available in a vegetarian variant. It is usually served as a snack, although it’s now considered a restaurant meal that can be served for lunch or dinner.

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Goi Đu Đu or Green Papaya Salad

Green papaya salad is a spicy salad prepared from shredded unripe papaya that may have originated in Laos but is now popular in Southeast Asia, particularly in Vietnam. Typically, the salad is a little spicier.

The sourness of the lime, the spiciness of the chili, the saltiness of the fish sauce, and the sweetness of the palm sugar are all combined in this meal. The ingredients are blended and pounded using a mortar.

This vegetarian food is frequently paired with sticky rice and kai yang/ping gai (grilled chicken). It can also be served with fresh rice noodles or as a snack on its own, with crispy pork rinds, for example. However, there is also a vegetarian version.

It can be served without meat. To balance out the spiciness of the dish, fresh green vegetables, like water spinach and white cabbage wedges are frequently served as a side dish.

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Vietnamese Tofu in Tomato Sauce

This Vietnamese dish is simple to prepare but rich in flavor. Baked Tofu or fried tofu is soaked in an onion-tomato sauce. It is best consumed with rice or noodles.

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Cao Lau

Cao lu is a regional Vietnamese noodle dish from the city of Hoi An in the Quang Nam Province of central Vietnam. Traditionally, pork and greens are often served over a bed of rice noodles cooked from rice that has been soaked in lye water, giving them a distinct texture and color that distinguishes it from other Vietnamese noodle meals, including some from the same region, such as mi Quang.

Rice noodles, pork, greens, bean sprouts, and other Vietnamese herbs are the key ingredients of cao lu, which is usually served with a modest amount of liquid. The vegetarian version of this dish uses a vegetable broth, and uses tofu as a substitute for the meat. Fried dough crackers are also served with this dish.

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Bun Cha

Traditionally, it is a grilled pork noodle Vietnamese dish that is believed to have originated in Hanoi, Vietnam. Bun cha is a dish that consists of grilled fatty pork (cha) over a bed of white rice noodle (bun) and herbs, with a dipping sauce on the side. However, you can have the vegetarian version of bun cha, it doesn’t contain meat. The vegan version has a veggies broth, and can include spring rolls. You also have the option to add condiments, such as lime, vinegar, garlic, hot sauce and a dipping sauce.

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Cha Gio Chay or Fried Vegetarian Spring Rolls

In Europe and North America, where there is a significant Vietnamese community, cha gio, also known as fried spring roll, is a popular dish in Vietnamese cuisine and is frequently served as an appetizer.

Typically, seasoned ground pork, mushrooms, vermicelli noodles, and chopped vegetables such as carrots, kohlrabi, and jicama are rolled up in a sheet of damp rice paper as the main structure of a cha gio roll. After that, the roll is deep fried until the rice paper coating is crispy and golden brown in color.

The ingredients, however, are not fixed. For vegetarian spring rolls (Cha Gio Chay), tofu are used as substitute for meat.

The filling of this vegetarian food is slightly crunchy when sliced carrots and jicama are used, which matches the crispy fried rice paper, but the juice from these veggies can cause the rolls to soften after a short period of time. If the rolls are to be kept for an extended period of time, mashed sweet potato or mung beans can be substituted to retain the crispiness of the rolls. Bean sprouts and rice vermicelli are also options. Eggs and a variety of spices can also be added to suit one’s tastes. If jicama is unavailable, the ingredients may use julienned taro root and carrots. Taro roots impart a fatty, crispy flavor.

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Lemongrass Tofu

Tofu is also known as bean curd. Tofu has a low calorie count while providing a significant amount of protein. It is rich in iron, and can also be high in calcium or magnesium.

The flavor of tofu is usually regarded as bland, which is the taste most buyers in North America prefer. In East Asia, a more beany flavor is desired.

o enhance the flavor of tofu, Vietnamese cooking style is to fry it with lemongrass, olive oil, chili flakes, soy sauce, and garlic.

It goes well with rice, noodles, or spring rolls. It’s also great with banh mi and pho! In any case, it’s a delight.

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Cai Xao Nam

Cai Xao Nam is a vegetarian Vietnamese meal composed of bok choy, shitake mushrooms, steamed sticky rice, and tofu. The bok choy and the mushroom or soy sauce in which it is fried bring out the flavor of the shitake mushrooms, making it one of the most delightful vegetarian delicacies in Vietnam.

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Rau Muong Xao Toi

One of the healthiest Vietnamese recipes is Rau Muong Xao Toi or Sauteed spinach. It is made by selecting fresh water spinach and frying it with garlic and other Vietnamese herbs before serving with a peanut powder coating. This meal may be found at practically every restaurant in Vietnam. Water spinach is stir- fried with veggies and spices.

This recipe has become famous since it is one of the simplest, easiest, and most affordable Asian vegetable dishes. In tropical Southeast Asia and southern China, water spinach thrives in streams, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. In a pan with high heat and a little oil, garlic, shallot, or onion are sautéed, then added to the chopped and rinsed morning glory or spinach. The ingredients will somewhat be caramelized when stir-fried. Sauces are seasoned to taste and according to the recipe. Some people like to make the dish spicy by adding a few slices of red chile, as well as fresh or dried shrimp. Tofu pieces may also be added to this good food.

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Xoi Dau Phong or Peanut Sticky Rice

Xoi dau phong is a traditional Vietnamese dish. To make a dish that is both delicious and filling, glutinous rice is blended with hearty peanuts. It’s a great combination of starchy and mealy with just the right amount of sweet and salty, garnished with a crunchy peanut sesame topping. Peanut Sticky Rice is a delicious hot breakfast or snack at any time of day.

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Nam Xao Xa or Lemongrass Chili Mushroom

The vegetarian side dish Nam xao xa is composed from a variety of mushrooms.

To obtain its most flavor and texture, use as many different types of mushrooms as possible.

They’re seasoned with a zesty lemongrass paste that complements the mushrooms’ woodsy and earthy flavor.

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How To Make Green Papaya Salad

Ingredients

• 1 cup shredded Cabbage
• Medium-sized papaya, sliced
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup fried onions
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts
• Chopped lettuce

Dressing

• 2 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon chili paste
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions