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Are you traveling to Vietnam and curious about its vegetarian offerings? Fret not, our animal-loving friends, you’re in good culinary hands in the Land of Rice.
There’s plenty of vegetarian Vietnamese food. This includes whole dishes, or many of the country’s iconic plates are cooked as a vegetarian version. Look out for the word “chay” attached to menu item titles.
A cơm bình dân (affordable rice buffet eatery) is a great place to start and offers many vegetarian Vietnamese food and vegetarian sides. An assemblage of dishes is spread out, and you pick and choose what to add to your plate — which always begins with a helping of rice. But beware, if you’re a super strict vegetarian, the same serving spoon used for the meat dishes is typically used to distribute your food.
In this ultimate guide, I’ll share my favorite vegetarian Vietnamese food that you can find in restaurants across the country. If you are a vegetarian visiting Vietnam, you’ll want to keep this guide handy!
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Guide for ordering vegetarian food in Vietnam
Vegetarian travelers should keep these useful phrases on hand:
- Vegetarian = người ăn chay
- No meat = không thịt
- Vegetarian restaurants usually include the words ‘cơm chay’ or ‘quán chay’ on their signage
Travel tip: Nuoc cham dipping sauce (containing fish sauce) decorates every table in Vietnam. Many dishes are cooked with the condiment (a key Vietnamese ingredient).
Vegetarian Vietnamese Food
1. Đậu sốt cà chua (Tofu in tomato sauce)
Living in Tay Ho (the working expat area in Hanoi), there are tons of vegetarians. The local bia hoi fling out this dish like hotcakes!
It’s simple yet scrumptious. Think crispy fried tofu cooked in and then topped with the same fresh tomato garlic sauce and served with rice.
Foodie tip: Add a handful of peanuts to the dish. I’m certain this is not the traditional way, but it takes this unassuming meal to another level, creating a tasty crunchy element/texture.
Other must-try tofu-based dishes include:
- Đậu hũ chiên sả ớt = crispy tofu with fried lemongrass and chili
- Đậu hũ khìa nước dừa = braised tofu in coconut water
A family-style meal found across the country, I always ate dậu sốt cà chua in the northern region. My favorite is from a local bia hoi in Tay Ho, Hanoi, Beer TayTa.
2. Bánh xèo chay (Vietnamese crepes)
Bánh xèo chay is a classic and I recommend it to any newbies. Typically made with prawns and pork, luckily for our veggie friends, there’s a meat-free version. It looks like a crepe/omelet (it’s yellow because the rice flour base is mixed with turmeric) and is super crispy. Folded inside are bean sprouts and carrots, and tofu replaces the meat protein.
A vegetarian Vietnamese food found all over Vietnam, bánh xèo originates from Binh Dinh (between Da Nang and Nha Trang). Ẩm Thực Thuần Chay BỒ ĐỀ SAO – Nha Trang is a wonderful vegetarian Vietnamese food restaurant in Nha Trang for bánh xèo chay.
3. Lẩu Chay (Vegetarian hot pot)
Hot pot is mega popular in Vietnam and there are dozens of hot pot restaurants. It’s an excellent option if you’re vegetarian because you’re in charge of what goes into the hot pot. The steamboat is delivered to the table, and you add the ingredients to the soup and cook. To order one without meat accompaniments, ask for ‘lẩu chay.’
It arrives with veggies such as cabbage, rau muong (water spinach), chayote, kohlrabi, corn, and various mushrooms (like oyster, enoki, king oyster, and shitake). Then you have your tofu and noodle varieties, too.
A common vegetarian version enlisted on menus is lẩu nấm chay, i.e., mushroom hot pot.
Lẩu chay is a classic across all Asian cuisines. Locals will tell you that the best hot pot restaurants in Hanoi for vegetarian eaters include Nhà hàng Chay Vị Lai and Nhà hàng chay Aummee.
4. Phở Chay (Vegetarian phở)
So, if chay means vegetarian and phở refers to the iconic Vietnamese rice noodle soup, you do the math. The essence of any phở is the stock — the flavor-builder. For phở chay, instead of a bone broth simmered for hours (sometimes even days), the broth is root vegetable-based. Key phở notes such as star anise, cinnamon, and cloves still shine through in the vegetarian version. Meat, like beef, chicken, fish, prawns, or duck, is substituted with tofu or mushrooms.
Local tip: It’s important when ordering vegetarian phở to mention this version, and not simply take out the meat components. Remember, the basis of phở is the meat-rich stock!
Hailing from Northern Vietnam (and only arriving in the south circa the 1950s!), my top spot for a bowl of veggie phở in Hanoi is Pho Chay 168 Lo Duc street, and in Ho Chi Minh City it’s Phở Chay Như.
5. Canh bí đỏ đậu phộng (Peanut pumpkin soup)
Vietnam is steeped in mysticism and this peanut pumpkin soup is a prime example. Locals believe it’s fantastic for pregnant women, or if you’re on a detox. The key ingredients are pumpkin, peanuts, spring onion and garlic.
Unlike an American or European pumpkin soup, the contents are not blended. Instead, the pumpkin is boiled together with the peanuts and once ready, served as-is! Peanuts lend a richness, and the soup is ultra filling because of the squash.
There’s no one single restaurant that dishes out this traditional pumpkin peanut soup. Discover canh bí đỏ đậu phộng at homestyle restaurants/buffets or a homestay out in the countryside.
P.S. It’s occasionally served with minced meatballs — stay on the lookout and avoid.
P.P.S. Vietnamese homestays are an awesome way to get acquainted with the country’s locality and people. Some of the yummiest vegetarian Vietnamese food I’ve tasted is here. Embark on an adventurous motorbike trip to Pu Luong and thank me later!
6. Bánh mì chay (Vegetarian banh mi)
Just because you’re vegetarian doesn’t mean you have to miss out on Vietnam’s most beloved foods. Itching to try the famous banh mi? Fear not, there are vegetarian versions. Order one without the pate and sausage (Hanoi-style); however, in cities like Saigon, banh mi is a little more “creative” and pure veggie-style banh mi pulls out all the stops.
Dried mushrooms, vegan ribs, tofu, bean curd skin, peanuts, and fresh goods (carrots, lettuce, cucumber, daikon, etc.) are some examples of what goes inside. Certain banh mi spots even throw in fruit, like dragon fruit!
Munch down on bánh mì chay from Bánh Mì Xanh in Ho Chi Minh City. Love your heat? Go for the spicy tofu option!
7. Mì xào chay (Vegetarian stir-fried noodles)
Signs and menus with ‘mì xào’ refer to stir-fried noodles and these will outline the name of the heroing meat, for example, mì bò xào (beef stir fry) or mì gà xào (chicken stir fry). Want the meat-free rendition? Order a plate of mì xào chay. Proteins are replaced with mushrooms, small bits of tofu, and vegan Vietnamese sausage (xúc xích chay).
Another must-try vegetarian stir-fry noodle dish is phở xào chay = vegetarian stir-fried pho. Various versions of the dry noodle dish (some with bamboo shoots, others extra spicy) are available. Sharing one commonality, all are wokked using pho noodles.
Best mì xào chay in Hanoi? Loving Hut
Best mì xào chay in Hoi An? Quán Chay Đạm
Best mì xào chay in Ho Chi Minh City? Nhà Hàng Chay Liên Tỏa
Vegetarian sides
Vegetarian restaurants (nhà hàng chay) are often buffet-style. At your cơm bình dân, the countertop is lined with silver warming dishes. Here, pick and choose what vegetarian Vietnamese food side dishes to add to your plate.
8. Gỏi đu đủ (Green papaya salad)
Traveled to Thailand before and done a happy food dance over a Thai green papaya salad? The Vietnamese version is kind of similar, except it’s not made with tamarind and a hell of a lot spicier! Young green raw papaya and carrots are julienned and tossed with a soy-chili vinaigrette. Sprinkled peanuts add a scrumptious saltiness to the salad.
Other must-try similar Vietnamese salads include:
- Nộm hoa chuối = banana flower salad with lime
- Gỏi rong biển = seaweed salad (the raw green seaweed is cut into thin strips, similar in width to spaghetti)
9. Cà tím mỡ hành (Eggplant with onion)
Mmm mmm, I love cà tím mỡ hành! It’s a common side dish found at your local cơm bình dân. Thanks to its simplicity, the grilled eggplant becomes a base for the other ingredients: sauteed garlic, onion, spring onions, and chili. For me, the garlic always comes through — if there’s one ingredient I can’t live without, it’s garlic — and it goes down a treat.
10. Rau muống xào tỏi (Stir-fried morning glory with garlic)
Did you know that morning glory and water spinach are the same? I ate this side dish all the time until I had tired myself out with it (I think I went overkill). Nonetheless, when the veggie cravings hit, I cook up stir-fried morning glory (with plenty of garlic) at home.
It’s not only served at a cơm bình dân; this vegetarian Vietnamese food also appears on many restaurant menus, and it’s quite literally as the name explains.
11. Mì căn xào sả ớt (Stir-fried seitan with lemongrass and chili)
Have you ever heard of ‘seitan?’ Frequently used in Asian cuisine, it’s a protein manufactured from wheat and the texture is a little like if kimchi and tofu had a baby (it’s practically gluten in pure form). Widely used in dishes in Vietnam or served as a side, stir-fried seitan cooked in fragrant lemongrass and chili is one of the many renditions.
Vegetarian snacks
12. Banh it tran (Sticky rice flour dumpling with mung bean)
These poached rice dumplings are scrumptious. Think sticky rice balls which are traditionally full of mung bean paste, rolled up from glutinous rice flour, and poached. It’s then topped with chopped green spring onions – but beware: some places add minced pork inside. For banh it tran the old-school way, mention “không thịt.”
Travel tip: Also, pro tip, avoid the dipping sauce typically containing fish sauce.
Another must-try vegetarian sticky rice dumpling is Bánh Ít Lá Gai. This intriguing sticky rice parcel is wrapped in gai leaf, filled with mung bean, and is sweet. Once neatly bundled together in a pyramid-shaped banana leaf, it’s steamed.
13. Gỏi Cuốn Chay (Vegetarian rice paper rolls)
Fresh Vietnamese spring rolls are next level! The exterior comprises a raw rice paper sheet (not deep-fried), used to roll the contents inside like sliced cucumber, carrots, lettuce, and vermicelli rice noodles. Gỏi cuốn typically contains meat (normally shrimp and pork), but the vegetarian version is gỏi cuốn chay.
Meats are swapped for mushrooms and tofu and in the south, young mango slices are sometimes added to gỏi cuốn chay.
Another vegetarian rice roll to try is bánh cuốn chay. The steamed broad rice paper sheet encloses the ingredients of vegetables, mushrooms, and tofu, and a scattering of crispy shallots adds the finishing touch.
14. Banh Bao Chay (Vegetarian steamed buns)
What is it about the slight sweetness of a bao bun that’s so addictive?! Every Asian country has its version, although bao buns originate from Northern China.
Banh bao chay is a vegetarian Vietnamese food option and is pretty much vegan. A fluffy sweetish bun (made from rice flour) is first stuffed with minced ingredients (like mushrooms, vegetables, and tofu), and then steamed. A handful of local supermarkets stock banh bao chay.
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