These Vietnamese noodle bowls with lemongrass tofu make for a healthy fresh meal that is completely vegan & gluten-free!
Oh Vietnamese food, how I love you so!
Especially Vietnamese bowls. THEY. ARE. THE. BOMB.
These noodle bowls are made with traditional Aisan rice noodles, topped off with so fresh salad, and some marinated lemongrass tofu that gets crisped up to perfection. Like omg, these bowls are the real deal friends!
How to make a Vietnamese noodle bowl
One thing I love about these bowls is that they’re so perfectly balanced. We’ve got some rice noodles for the carbs, some crispy tofu for the protein and some fresh and light salad for some veggies.
This recipe is based off of a bowl I love from an authentic Vietnamese noodle shop, Pho Lien. (So you know this recipe has that authentic feel to it! 😉 )
Vietnamese noodle bowls are made with rice vermicelli, (or noodles) a protein, (traditionally grilled pork or chicken) and some salad. The bowls are typically served with a fish sauce type of dressing, but for this recipe we’re doing a soy sauce based dressing!
The elements are then assembled in a bowl and served with some sriracha spicy sauce, lime and cilantro on the side.
A few notes on the recipe
The marinated tofu in this recipe should be left to marinade for at least 1 hour, though if you have the time I’d recommend to let the tofu marinade overnight. This will really intensify the flavour!
You’ll want to use a good non-stick pan to cook the tofu and make sure you’re pan is well coated with oil to prevent the tofu from sticking. You can also alternatively bake the tofu if you prefer at 450 degrees F for 25 minutes, flipping it halfway through.
Make sure to remove the lemongrass stalks from the marinade and not to eat them. They are very tough and not pleasant to chew on!
More Asian noodle recipes to try
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These Vietnamese noodle bowls are loaded with rice noodles, lemongrass tofu, and salad for a simple healthy and delicious meal!
Ingredients
Lemongrass tofu:
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 1-inch slices
- 1 block tofu (extra-firm), cut into cubes
- 2 tbsp avocado oil for frying
Dressing:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp coconut sugar
Bowls:
- 1/2 pack rice noodles (approx 6 oz), cooked according to package directions
- 1 cup lettuce, shredded
- 1/2 cup purple cabbage, shredded
- 1/4 cup carrots, shredded
- 1/4 cup sliced cucumbers
- 1 handful cilantro, roughly chopped
- Lime, sesame seeds hoisin sauce and sriracha to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Marinade the tofu: Mix the marinade ingredients together in a shallow dish then add the tofu. Let sit and marinate for at least one hour or overnight
- Cook the tofu: Remove the tofu pieces from the marinade then add to the pan with oil on medium-high heat. Do not discard the marinade sauce. Fry the tofu until golden brown on each side. Once the tofu pieces are browned, discard the lemongrass from the marinate and pour any leftover marinade sauce into the pan with the tofu, and stir to coat. Discard the chunks of lemongrass
- Prep the dressing: Mix the dressing ingredients together. Set aside
- Assemble the bowls: Place the noodles at the bottom of the bowl then top with the tofu and salad. Pour the dressing everywhere and garnish with cilantro
Notes
The tofu is even better if you have time to let it marinade overnight!
Keywords: how to make noodle bowls, Vietnamese recipe, vegan, vegetarian
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Your lemongrass tofu sounds and looks amazing! Have to make this marinade 🙂
★★★★★
Thanks so much Melanie!
Seriously the best tofu marinade! I added some edamame and sliced broccoli to the salad and it was delicious!
★★★★★
Thank you Ben! Glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
These bowls are beautiful, Jess! Love the colors so much. 🙂
★★★★★
Thanks so much Ela!
Do you have to press the tofu first?
Hi Anna, if you’re tofu seems a bit liquidy you can press it. I generally don’t bother because I use a really firm tofu!