Vegan Vietnamese Bún Bowls
These sweet and spicy vegan, gluten-free, noodles bowls area perfect in the summer heat when you're craving a healthy and satiating cold noodle salad! I have outlined an array of raw vegetables below, but these noodles and sauce taste delicious with any vegetables you have in your kitchen! The marinated and seared tofu adds the perfect amount of protein to keep you satiated and is so yummy even meat-eaters will ask for more. I love to display all the ingredients separately, creating a colorful presentation for guests to pick and design their bowls.
Prep Time 35 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 50 minutes mins
Course Brunch, Dinner, Lunch, Salads, Vegetable Main Dishes
Cuisine Vietnamese
Servings 6 people
Calories 131 kcal
Bún Bowls
- 1 16 oz package vermicelli noodles
- 1 14 oz block medium-firm tofu, cut into ½ inch cubes
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 4 tbsp palm sugar
- 1 lime, juiced (plus extra limes cut into wedges for garnish)
- ½ cup basil leaves, chiffonade
- ½ cup bee balm or mint
- 3 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced into rounds
- 4 carrots, sliced into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
- 1 cup green beans, chopped
- 3 red beets, thinly sliced into rounds (using a mandolin or vegetable peeler)
- 1 snap peas, chopped
- 3 green Bell peppers, thinly sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
- Coconut oil
- Lime wedges for garnish
Nuoc Cham Sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 3 tbsp palm sugar
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 limes, juiced
- 1 Thai chili, minced (or one teaspoon hot chili sauce)
Bún Bowls
Boil water in a pot or hot water kettle and submerge the noodles for 3-5 minutes, until the noodles are slightly transparent and tender.
Drain them and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Reserve for plating.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the tofu, garlic, fish sauce, palm sugar, and lime. Allow this mixture to marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. (This can also be done ahead of time and marinate overnight).
Take the tofu out of the marinade, dry on paper towels, and reserve the liquid.
Heat a large sauté pan over moderate heat and coat with coconut oil.
When the oil glistens, add the tofu to the pan in a single layer.
Do not touch or move the tofu, allow to cook for 3-5 minutes on this side, until you start to see a golden browned color peeking around the edges.
Flip the tofu and continue to cook until all sides are golden brown, about 3-5 more minutes.
Add the reserved marinated liquid to the tofu and toss to combine. All the tofu should be coated in the sauce. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until little no liquid remains.
Serve the tofu with the chopped vegetables, cold noodles, Nuoc Cham sauce, and extra lime wedges for garnish.
Calories: 131kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 3gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 857mgPotassium: 603mgFiber: 5gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 7595IUVitamin C: 74mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 2mg
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