When it comes to Vietnamese food, if there is one dish you have to try, it’s definitely this bún chả giò chay! Aka cold noodle salad with egg rolls and a ton of other toppings!
It comes with crunchy pickles, bean sprouts, roasted peanuts, cilantro, and a bright and fresh vegan fish sauce!
What is Bún Chả Giò
Bún Chả Giò is a traditional Vietnamese noodle salad. Bún describes the noodles while Chả Giò the egg rolls. It is a very popular dish in Viet Nam, and there are many different versions depending on the region. Bún Thịt Nướng is another version where egg rolls are replaced with grilled meat.
Here, we are preparing the version with egg rolls. It is served with many other toppings and a flavorful sauce called nước chấm.
How to Make Bún Chả Giò
Assembling this dish is quick and easy, but there is some preparation required. Let’s take a look at the main components of Bún Chả Giò:
- Noodles make the base of this dish. You want to use white rice noodles called bun, these noodles are thin and round.
- Egg rolls bring the crunch and another level of texture. You can use any vegan egg roll, or make your own, which I would highly recommend!
- Pickles and cucumbers for freshness. You can find out how to make pickles in the recipe notes, it keeps for up to 2 weeks so you can use the leftovers in salads, bánh mì, sandwiches, etc!
- Croutons and fried onions/shallots, while optional, I personally love the natural sweetness fried onions bring. Croutons can be replaced with fried diced tofu, or simply omitted.
- Bean sprouts for an extra crunch.
- Cilantro and lettuce for flavor, and what would be a Vietnamese salad without cilantro!
- Finally, the rich nước chấm sauce, that is a key ingredient to this dish. It’s basically vegan nước mắm diluted with water, sugar, lime, garlic, and some chili. If you don’t have or can’t find vegan nước mắm, you could use soy sauce instead but unfortunately you won’t get an authentic flavor.
Vegan Fish Sauce
Nước mắm chay, or vegan fish sauce, is a Vietnamese condiment. While the original version is made from fermented fish, this vegan version is made from fermented soybeans.
First, add the cooked noodles to a bowl, then top with the veggies: pickles, cucumber, bean sprouts, and herbs.
Next, cut your egg rolls into thick slices and place them on top of the noodles. I usually go with two egg rolls per bowl, but that is up to you, and to your hunger!
Next, add the crunchy toppings: peanuts, fried onions, and croutons, and pour in the sauce. When it comes to the sauce, feel free to adjust the chili to your liking. Half a Thai chili is already quite spicy for my taste, so you might want to use less if you are not used to spicy dishes.
I hope you will love this noodle dish! It’s super fresh, a bit sweet, spicy, and has a lot of different textures. It’s packed with veggies, and makes a filling and healthy meal!
Looking for more Vietnamese-inspired recipes? Check out this Vegan Bún Bò Huế, Vegan Bánh Tráng Nướng, or this Vietnamese Savory Sticky Rice!
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!
Vegan Bún Chả Giò
Ingredients
- 2.5 ounces rice noodles adjust to your liking
- 1/3 cup bean sprouts
- 1/4 cup chopped lettuce
- 1/4 cup chopped cucumber
- 2 tbsp carrot and radish pickles see notes
- 2 vegan egg rolls cut into 1-inch thick slices
- 1 tbsp roasted peanuts
- 1 tbsp croutons
- 1 tbsp fried onions or shallots
- chopped cilantro, to taste
Nước chấm sauce
- 1 tbsp vegan nước mắm
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 clove of garlic finely minced
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 1/2 Thai chili finely chopped
Instructions
- Please note: This makes one bowl. Use the servings slider to adjust the quantities if you want to make more.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the noodles and cook according to the package instructions, or until tender.
- In the meantime, prepare the sauce: in a small bowl, combine the vegan nước mắm, sugar, water, minced garlic, lime juice, and chili. Taste and adjust spiciness and sweetness to your liking.
- Drain the noodles and rinse under cold water. Transfer to a large serving bowl.
- Top with bean sprouts, chopped lettuce, chopped cucumber, and pickles. Arrange the sliced egg roll on top of the noodles.
- Top with the roasted peanuts, croutons, fried onions, and chopped cilantro. Pour in the nước chấm sauce and stir to combine everything. Serve immediately!
Wow, that vegan-fish-flavored soysauce is $27 for 375ml
You can also check out local Asian stores, I buy mine for 4.9€ for 500ml, different brand but same ingredients.
Thomas! You are an inspiration and a one-person PR campaign for the deliciousness of vegan living! I can’t wait to try this recipe, it looks wonderful! Thanks for all your wonderful recipes, the cheese book and your generous nature!
Thanks so much for your kind words Nancy! 🙂
This is one of my most missed meals after going vegan and this is spot on! Loved it so much thank you for the recipe!
You’re welcome Sarah, thanks for your feedback!