Vegan Vietnamese Lemongrass Tofu Bowl (Bún Đậu Hũ Sả) is one of the classic, simple Vietnamese dishes that my mom often made at home.

When the sun was about to dip, I would follow her into the kitchen watching her pull out an old, dented metal mixing bowl and the rest of the ingredients to marinate the tofu in. Without a second thought, she would quickly drop a couple tablespoons of chopped onions, lemongrass and all the seasonings used in the dish without measuring them at all.

I would stand at the other end of the kitchen counter watching in fascination, wondering how she didn’t need precise measurements but still makes everything so good, until my mom would tell me I could mix everything together. That was my main role.

I served these with vermicelli noodles, but you can also have them with rice.

Vegan Vietnamese Lemongrass Tofu Bowl (Bún Đậu Hũ Sả)

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Vegan Vietnamese Lemongrass Tofu Bowl (Bún Đậu Hũ Sả) is one of the classic, simple Vietnamese dishes that my mom often made at home. It is easy to make and can be served for lunch or dinner.

• Author: Helen Au
• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 4
• Category: Lunch/Dinner
• Method: Cooking
• Cuisine: Vietnamese
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

1 package (14 oz, 400g) firm tofu

1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil

½ cup yellow onion, diced

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup lemongrass, chopped 

2 tbsp tamari soy sauce

To Serve

Vermicelli noodles, cooked

Mung bean sprouts

Chopped lettuce

Pickled carrots

Sliced cucumbers

Sliced green onions or cilantro

Vegan Nước Chấm

Instructions

1. Wrap the tofu in a thin dish towel and gently squeeze the tofu with both of your palms to extract as much water as you can. Alternatively, place a large plate over the tofu. Stack the plate with a heavy book on top and let it sit for 10-15 minutes until all the water is drained from the tofu.
2. Slice the tofu into triangular pieces by slicing the tofu first into 8 lengthwise, in half and finally for each square piece, slice in half diagonally.
3. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add ½ tbsp of the vegetable oil to the skillet. Add the tofu and cook until the tofu is lightly goldened. Remove from the skillet.
4. Using the same skillet, add the remaining oil over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion and garlic and allow it to cook until fragrant. Add the lemongrass. Stir for about 30 seconds. Add the tofu and tamari sauce. Allow the tofu to cook for about 5-8 minutes, flipping halfway through. Taste and add an additional tablespoon of tamari if desired. Remove from the heat.
5. To a bowl, top with vermicelli noodles, some tofu, mung beans, chopped lettuce, pickled carrots, sliced cucumbers, and green onions. Drizzle the bowl with 1-2 tablespoons of the vegan Nước Chấm and some tamari sauce (optional). Enjoy!

Keywords: lemongrass tofu, vietnamese tofu bowl