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This vegan bún bò huế is a famous central Vietnamese noodle soup that is normally served with beef bones and hyper-stank shrimp paste… but this one? This version is so hyper flavorful that you'll have convenient amnesia that the OG only relied on animal anything.
Of course, it's rocking deep red annatto lemongrass broth and the spicy-sweet stock that's built the legit traditional way with pineapple, daikon, apple, aromatics, and about 16 metric tons of lemongrass.
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Every well-traveled food nerd out there will tell you that bún bò huế is famous for its unapologetically intense flavor being soaked up by tender vermicelli noodles and accented with fresh herbs and chilies. If you've messed with vegan pho, consider this the more boot-to-the-head with umami version. Both are delish in their own and can be inhaled by the massive bowl-full next to a vegan banh mi or goi cuon spring rolls.
Time to make some Vietnamese soup that'll have you swearing you just astral-projected into the city of Huế wearing mismatched flip flops.
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🥰 Why you'll adore this Vegan Bún Bò Huế recipe
✊ Vegan AF & GF: This vegan Bún Bò Huế stays pretty authentic to the flavors of central Vietnam while ditching pork bones and beef stock, sliding straight into your collection of gluten-free vegan recipes too.
⏰ Weeknight Friendly: Batch the stock, freeze it, forget about it, then rediscover it later at 1 am on a random Tuesday.
✅ Tested and Approved Worldwide: Before anything hits my blog, I have hundreds of testers that run my Vietnamese vegan recipes through enough scrutiny to scare a sub-par soup into early retirement.
I'm on my knees staring weirdly into your eyes, asking you in a soothing voice to be my taste-testing partner in crime. Sign up for the recipe testing crew and get early access to new recipes before they're published.
🍲 Vegan Bún Bò Huế Ingredients
Lemongrass
Make this soup with plenty of fresh lemongrass stalks for extra extra flavor. Ideally pick ones with fewer dried up external leaves, but you can also put those lemongrass scraps to good use in making some bandrek.
Frozen lemongrass and lemongrass paste pull through at roughly 1 tablespoon to replace each stalk.
Jicama
Jicama is all over Asian cooking from Filipino vegan lumpiang sariwa to Indonesian buah to Vietnamese bánh bao chay. If you can't find it, using more daikon in place of it is fine.
Coconut Sugar
Coconut sugar is a mainstay in my pantry because my wife avoids processed cane sugar. Brown sugar, or palm sugar both work fine in this vegan bun bo hue recipe too though.
Annatto Powder
Annatto powder also goes by achiote and yes it's the exact same mega-Santa-Claus-flavored bright red I use in my pancit bihon to crank the color and make it look more alive. If you sub with paprika or Kashmiri red chili powder you'll get close enough to the hue we are looking for.
Gochugaru
Gochugaru isn't really a Vietnamese staple, but this Korean seedless chili flake helps us get the right spice/sweetness that a banging bún bò Huế should have, without adding seeds.
It's the same stuff you would have on hand if you already make vegan kimchi, radish kimchi, or vegan Korean fried chicken. If you have none, crushed red pepper flakes can be used, but are a bit hotter, and will contribute less to the broth being red.
Vegan Shrimp Paste
I know this isn't something you can generally find in stores, which is why my vegan shrimp paste recipe is so handy. Don't feel like making that? Just leave it out or stir in a tiny spoonful of miso to somewhat echo the umami from the shrimp paste or fish sauce that most non-veg folks make this with.
Tofu Puffs
Tofu puffs are the same spongy little cubes you'll spot in mee rebus and vegan curry laksa, and they soak up the flavorful broth in the best way. If your local Asian grocery store doesn't have them (I'd be surprised, honestly), just pan-fry or air-fry up some cubes of firm tofu and use those instead.
Dried Rice Vermicelli Noodle
Dried rice vermicelli are thick round noodles that are super convenient to keep in your pantry to rock out ca ri chay, bihun goreng, and this very soup. For real, you can make bún bò huế with just about any kind of noodle you have on hand though, as long as you don't overcook them. Always check package instructions before cooking.
Vietnamese Coriander
Vietnamese coriander drops a bright peppery jolt that makes everything taste fresher and cleaner and yes, the fresh uncooked leaves wake the whole bowl up in the best way. You can certainly just leave them out, but I use these leaves as key toppings in bánh tráng trộn, tofu larb salad, and banh trang cuon because I'm honestly obsessed.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
📖 How to make Vegan Bún Bò Huế
If this recipe is the only thing standing between you and ordering takeout, hop to the printable card below. But if you're a visual learner like me, hang in there, you're gonna lerv the visuals!
Step One
Huếs Your Daddy:
Place the raw onion slices, garlic, carrots, lemongrass, cilantro, shiitake mushrooms, jicama, daikon, pineapple, apple, water, coconut sugar, and salt in a large stockpot.
Bring everything to a boil over high heat, then lower to a steady simmer for 60 minutes.
Step Two
Scallion Oil Be Watching You:
While the broth cooks, prepare the scallion oil we'll use later to dress the soup.
Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. After about 90 seconds when the oil is hot, stir in the scallions, garlic, annatto, and salt.
Reduce the heat and let it gently cook for 90 seconds until fragrant, then remove from heat and set aside.
Step Three
Broth IRA:
Pour the broth through a wire-mesh strainer and return the clear liquid to the stockpot.
Step Four
Miami Spice:
Warm the olive oil for the soup base in a clean stockpot over medium-high heat. After 90 seconds, add the ground coriander, ground cinnamon, annatto powder, and gochugaru. Stir-fry the spices for about 90 seconds.
Step Five
Nice Try, Tofu Puff Daddy:
Add the vegan shrimp paste, sliced lemongrass, and tofu puffs. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until the tofu puffs are fully coated in the spiced oil.
Step Six
Huếy P. Newton:
Pour in the strained broth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 10 minutes.
Step Seven
Nood Looks Like a Lady:
In a separate pot, bring water to a boil. Add the rice vermicelli and cook for 4-6 minutes until just barely tender.
✅ Cooking times vary depending on brand and thickness.
Step Eight
Huế Spin Me Round
Divide the cooked vermicelli into serving bowls and place the shredded cabbage on one side.
Ladle the hot broth and tofu puffs over the noodles, spoon scallion oil on top, and serve with scallions, fresh cilantro, Thai basil, bean sprouts, Vietnamese coriander, mint, and sliced bird's eye chilies.
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💡Serving Ideas
If you want to turn this into a full Viet-style feast with some of everyone's favorite vietnamese dishes, go wild and stack the table with a few sides and sweets.
Fresh stir-fried rau muống or banh bao make a light starter that cools everything down between brothy slurps, and my easy Vietnamese peanut sauce works perfectly alongside it for drizzling into your buns.
Lemongrass tofu served over Vietnamese sticky rice is my wife's fave, and probably a great thing to serve with this for the people in your fam who aren't as obsessed with rice noodles as you are. My kids' fave? Probably vegan Vietnamese fried chicken. Not probably. Definitely.
OH, WHY HELLO it's dessert time. Chè ba màu, banh flan, banh da lon, or kem chuoi are all lovely ways to finish off the meal.
👉 Top tips
- Dial In Your Lemongrass Prep: Peel off the tough outer layers and smash the stalks with the side of a heavy knife or cleaver. That way the lemongrass oils more efficiently dissolve into the broth as it cooks.
- Bloom Those Spices Properly: Let the coriander, cinnamon, annatto seeds, and gochugaru sizzle just until the aroma blasts upward like it is trying to high-five your forehead but move forward with the cooking process before they get burnt. Thin pot owners, stay alert because tiny particles of spice will burn super-fast for you.
- Check Your Noodles Early: Vermicelli cooks whenever it feels like it so do not trust the package and start testing early. Slightly underdone is the sweet spot since the hot broth finishes the job as the noodles sit in it.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
Traditionally it is pretty heat-forward, but every bowl can be tweaked to your comfort zone. Keep my chili garlic sauce and sambal oelek on the table so everyone can blast their own bowl with whatever spice they can tolerate.
If you want to make the overall batch of soup less spicy, just cut back on the chilies.
You can, but you'll lose that trademark red-orange color, even though the overall flavor still works fine. Kashmiri red chili powder is probably the best substitute, and doesn't add much more heat.
❄️ Refrigeration
Place the broth in an air-tight container and keep the noodles and toppings in separate containers so they do not get soggy. Store everything in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The scallion oil can stay refrigerated for up to one week.
🧊 Freezing
Freeze only the broth and fried tofu puffs since cooked noodles and herbs do not freeze well. Pour the cooled broth into a freezer-safe container, leaving a little space at the top. It will keep for about 3 months.
🌬️ Thawing
Move the frozen broth to the refrigerator and let it thaw slowly overnight. If you are in a rush, place the sealed glass container in a bowl of warm water until loosened.
🔥 Stovetop Reheating
Warm the broth in a pot over medium heat until it begins to simmer, then add fresh or leftover noodles to heat through for a minute or two. Add your herbs and toppings just before serving so they stay crisp.
⚡ Microwave Reheating
Place noodles in a microwave-safe bowl, pour broth over them, and microwave in thirty-second bursts until hot. Add your herbs, chilies, and greens once it is warmed so they do not wilt.
✌️You'll love these vegan Vietnamese recipes too:
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Vegan Bún Bò Huế Recipe
Ingredients
For the Broth:
- 1 ½ cup onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 cup carrots diced
- 2 stalks lemongrass bashed
- 1 cup cilantro chopped
- 6 shiitake mushrooms with stems
- 2 cups jicama peeled and diced
- 2 cups daikon peeled and diced
- 2 cups pineapple peeled and diced
- 2 cups apple cored and diced
- 18 cups water
- 4 teaspoons coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt or to taste
For the Annatto Scallion Oil:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 scallions minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon annatto powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Soup Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ¼ teaspoon annatto powder
- 4 teaspoons gochugaru or to taste
- 3 tablespoons vegan shrimp paste optional
- ½ cup lemongrass the tender inner core, thinly sliced
- 12 tofu puffs cut in half
- 7 oz. dried rice vermicelli noodles
- 2 cups napa cabbage chopped
Toppings:
- 4 scallions thinly sliced
- ½ cup cilantro leaves
- ½ cup Thai basil leaves
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- ¼ cup Vietnamese coriander leaves
- ¼ cup mint leaves
- Sliced bird's eye chilies to taste
Instructions
- Combine the onion, garlic, carrots, lemongrass, cilantro, shiitake mushrooms, jicama, daikon, pineapple, apple, water, coconut sugar, and salt in a large stockpot. Bring to a simmer over high heat and then lower to a steady simmer for 60 minutes.
- While the broth simmers, in a saucepan, warm the olive oil for the scallion oil over medium heat. After 90 seconds when the oil is hot, add the scallions, garlic, annatto, and salt. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 90 seconds until fragrant. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Strain the broth through a wire-mesh strainer and return the clear broth to the pot.
- Warm the olive oil for the soup base in a stock pot over medium-high heat. After 90 seconds when the oil is hot, add the ground coriander, ground cinnamon, anatto powder, and gochugaru. Stir-fry for 90 seconds.
- Add the vegan shrimp paste, the sliced lemongrass, tofu puffs, and sauté for 2-3 minutes until the tofu puffs are well coated in the seasoned oil.
- Pour in the strained broth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 10 minutes.
- In a separate pot, bring water to a boil. Add the rice vermicelli and cook for 4-6 minutes until just barely tender (different brands and thickness require different cooking times).
- Distribute the cooked vermicelli among serving bowls placing the shredded cabbage to one side of the bowl. Ladle the hot broth and tofu puffs over the noodles. Spoon some scallion oil over each bowl and serve with scallions, cilantro, Thai basil, bean sprouts, Vietnamese coriander, mint, and sliced bird's eye chilies.
Notes
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Monique says
Everyone asked where the recipe came from.