Vegan Vermicelli Bowl with Sesame Ginger Tofu
Super fresh + energizing, this 30 minute vegan vermicelli bowl is inspired by Vietnamese bun chay: packed with veggies, herbs and tofu quickly marinated in a juicy sesame ginger dressing. It’s perfect for nights you don’t want to turn the oven on, but still want a high protein (21g!) healthy plant-based dinner.
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We don’t do takeout a ton these days, both because we’re watching our food budget (have you ever fed a 16 year old boy?!?) but also…I’m a professional home cook. Getting dinner on the table without a lot of fuss is kinda my thing.
But when we do treat ourselves, it’s probably something Vietnamese. Living in Vancouver, there are so many incredible Vietnamese restaurants that offer vegan options that it’s just kinda become our default move.
I wanted to honour that love with this tofu vermicelli bowl, inspired by one of my faves: bun chay, or vegetarian noodle bowl. I love the contrasts of this dish: cold, bouncy rice noodles, tender tofu, crisp cucumber, a juicy dressing and plenty of aromatic fresh herbs. It’s so good when you want something light but still nourishing.
Also, because it’s actually way too hot to cook in my un-insulated house right now, I’m doing a bit of a no cook spin where we simply quick marinate the tofu in the sesame ginger dressing as we prep the rest of the ingredients. And then the marinade becomes the dressing for the bowls…so zero waste!
It’s a super flavourful, fresh and balanced meal with lots of veggies and 21g protein per serving. It’s also gluten free and low FODMAP friendly…because you know this gut health dietitian is never gonna forget her fussy gut friends.
Looking for more fun to eat, nourishing plant-based recipes? Grab a copy of my book, Plant Magic!
Make this vegan vermicelli bowl in 30 minutes flat
First things first: set the water to boil, and whip up a batch of my sesame ginger dressing before you do anything else, so the tofu can marinate! You’ll prep all the veg while that’s happening.
This is very much a choose your own adventure kind of dinner: I’m using more classic bun chay veggies but you can use any fresh veggies you have on hand. What you don’t want to skip? The fresh herbs. Honestly, the herbs and the dressing are what make this meal so good.
More tofu recipes for dinner:
- Easy 20 Minute Tofu Burgers
- 30 Minute Crumbled Tofu Vegan Tacos
- Baked Vegan Tofu Fajitas with Homemade Seasoning
- Crumbled Tofu Fried Rice
- Saucy Baked Black Bean Tofu Dinner Bowls
Vegan Vermicelli Bowl with Sesame Ginger Tofu
Ingredients
Sesame Ginger Tofu
- 12 ounce package extra firm tofu, patted dry
- 1 batch Sesame Dressing with Ginger and Lime
Vegan Vermicelli Bowl
- ½ pound angel hair rice vermicelli noodles
- 4 cups red leaf lettuce, roughly chopped
- 2 cups fresh mung bean sprouts
- 2 cups sliced cucumber
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems
Instructions
- Start by making the dressing and getting the water boiling for the noodles!
- You've got two options for cooking the noodles: boil in a pot as directed, typically about 3 minutes. OR, a true no-cook option: place the noodles in a pot, and boil a full kettle. Pour the boiling water over the noodles, cover and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Once the water is going, slice the tofu: I typically slice the block in thirds, horizontally, so you end up with 3 thinner blocks. Then I slice into thin, maybe 1/4 inch, matchsticks.
- Place tofu in a glass sealable container and pour over the dressing so it can marinate while you prep the vegetables. It needs 15 minutes to marinate. Don't discard the marinade! We'll use it to dress the bowls.
- Prepare all the veggies while things marinate/cook.
- Once the noodles are done, rinse them thoroughly under cold running water so they don’t stick. You can even toss with a tiny drizzle of a neutral flavoured oil if worried they'll stick.
- Arrange the ingredients among four bowls, drizzle each bowl with 2-3 tablespoons of the dressing/marinade, and serve.
