I discovered bánh xèo just recently but I instantly fell in love!
If you have never heard of it, Bánh Xèo is a Vietnamese dish that consists of a crispy rice flour crepe filled with a variety of vegetables, meat and/or seafood.
To make it vegan, I went with tofu, mushrooms, carrots, bean sprouts, and some split mung beans. The best part of this recipe is that it’s super versatile, you can use any veggie you have on hand, and even add vegan Chick’n for something meaty!
It all starts with the crepe batter that requires rice flour, tapioca starch, coconut milk, water, and turmeric for the color. Then we add chopped green onions for flavor. Whisk everything together and the batter is ready, that’s it!
Next, we have the filling: mushrooms (I recommend using a mix of different ones), tofu, carrots, and mung bean sprouts. Feel free to be creative and use red bell pepper, zucchini, tempeh, smoked tofu, etc. The possibilities are endless!
Stir-fry everything, except the mung bean sprouts, until cooked but still slightly crunchy. Then set aside and lightly grease the skillet to make the crepe.
Pour some of the crepe batter into the skillet and cook for about 3 minutes. Then add the cooked veggies and mung bean sprouts on half of the crepe and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until the crepe is crispy on the sides. Fold in half and serve immediately with a sweet and salty dipping sauce!
These thin Vietnamese crepes are crispy on the edges, softer in the center, and stuffed with crunchy veggies and protein-rich tofu. It’s definitely one of my favorite meal!
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!
Vegan Bánh Xèo
Ingredients
Crepes
- 3/4 cup white rice flour
- 2 tbsp tapioca starch
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 tbsp chopped green onions
- 1/3 cup cooked split mung beans optional
The Rest
- 1 tbsp oil
- 5-6 cremini or white button mushrooms sliced
- 3 small blocs fried tofu you can use tempeh, smoked tofu, or vegan chick'n
- 1 small carrot cut into thin matchsticks
- 2 cups mung bean sprouts
Dipping Sauce
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp lime juice
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp water
- optional: finely diced red pepper or sriracha to taste
Instructions
Crepes
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the white rice flour, tapioca starch, salt, and turmeric.
- Add the coconut milk and mix using a spoon until it forms a smooth paste. Add the water and whisk until you get a very thin batter. Add the chopped green onions and whisk again. Cover and set aside.
- Heat the tablespoon of oil in a non-stick skillet. Once hot, add the mushrooms and sautée for about 5 minutes.
- Cut the tofu into thin strips and add it to the skillet with the carrots. Sautée for another 5 minutes, you still want the carrots to be slightly crunchy. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
- To make the Bánh Xèo: heat a teaspoon of oil in a non-stick skillet over low-medium heat. Once hot, use a kitchen paper towel to remove excess oil. Pour about 1/4 cup (or less if using a small skillet) of the batter in the skillet and tilt to spread it into a very thin even layer. If using, sprinkle about 1 tbsp of cooked mung beans on top of the crepe.
- Cover with a lid and cook for about 3 minutes. Remove the lid, arrange about 1/4 cup of sautéed mushrooms, tofu and carrots on half of the crepe. Top with some mung bean sprouts and cook uncovered for another 3-5 minutes, or until the crepe is golden brown and crispy.
- Fold the Bánh Xèo in half and transfer to a serving plate. Repeat with the remaining batter and vegetables.
- Serve the Bánh Xèo warm with the dipping sauce and fresh herbs on the side!
I made this on the weekend and my god it was delicious.
Question; do you think a good frying pan is key? I have cheap ones and it took until the third pancake for it to be successful – they kept sticking and even then I had to be super careful?
Glad you liked it!
Definitely! The frying pan plays a big role in the final texture/look of the pancake. I recommend using a non-stick pan (preferably one that is still non-stick, not an old one).
I nearly converted my in laws to veganism with this one! Wow, wow, wow! There’s a vegan restaurant where I would order this dish in San Francisco bay area… I love this version even more!
Bahn xeo is probably my favourite food in the whole world. Thank you so much for the recipe, and if you are ever in Sydney do your self a favour and visit Vena Vegan in Newtown. It is a totally vegan Vietnamese restaurant with the best Bahn Xeo ever!
Thanks for the tip Belinda, I also love banh xeo!
This was actually the recipe that brought me to this Full Of Plants blog. I had searched on “vegan Bánh Xèo”, and voilà, here’s this amazing recipe on this incredible site!
So naturally, I needed to try it and was very pleased with the result. The ingredients and instructions are super simple, I did find my timing and temperature needs to be fine-tuned. I also over-did it with the amount of batter, so will go with smaller crepes next time.
Curiously, the turmeric didn’t turn the dough very yellow – it went mostly orange-pink, but the flavor didn’t seem off in any way.
I’m sure practice will make perfect, and am planning to keep practicing very frequently. In fact, my friends and family insist I do so. 😉
Thank you!
Making bánh xèo takes a bit of practice for sure 🙂
Thanks again for your rating and feedback, I appreciate it!
do i grind the yellow cooked mung beans ?
No, you simply add them as a topping.