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This pancit bihon recipe is basically the classic Filipino party-staple noodle dish, minus any real effort or animal products. If you're looking for a fast, absurdly flavor-forward noodle dish that checks the "hyper-tasty for the whole fam" box, this one's ready to go. Nothing even a little bland, nothing boring, just a full-throttle flavor riot in under 30.
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You'll glaze up tofu in sweet soy sauce and sriracha, then toss it into a flash-sauté of crunchy veg. The broth that the noodles soak up? Straight umami thunder. Fun fact: pancit bihon is a must-serve at Filipino birthdays because those long, thin noodles symbolize long life. And unlike pancit canton, it just happens to be completely gluten-free, so all your peers can get in on the action.
It uses the same thin rice noodles you'll find in Indonesian bihun goreng, Thai pad ba mee, or even Vietnamese steamed banh bao chay-I guess there's a good reason every country does something awesome with thin vermicelli, am I right?
Whether you're flying solo or feeding famished guests, this pancit makes a wild entrance and leaves no noodle behind. Bonus points if you hit it with a fresh squeeze of calamansi.
My Filipino neighbor made me pancit when we first moved in as a "welcome to the neighborhood" present and now I have a version I can actually eat. Thank you!!!
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🥰Why you'll adore this vegan pancit bihon guisadorecipe
✊ Vegan AF & GF: Like all my vegan Filipino recipes, this pancit bihon steers clear of chicken, pork, fish sauce, and eggs. It snags its spot on the leaderboards of your gluten-free vegan recipes file, the one you keep bookmarked for when the whole fam's coming over and you need something that offends absolutely no one.
⚡ Fast Lane Dinner: Done in under 30 minutes, even with the optional tofu. No slow-simmered drama here.
✅ Tested and Approved Worldwide: Like all of my vegan recipes, this pancit bihon guisado was trialed and tested by a massive team of hundreds of recipe testers-and they polished off every last noodle.
🤫 Learn the secrets for perfect vegan Filipino meals
This guide to my most popular plant-based recipes from the Philippines is 100% FREE, & you'll love the actual heck out of it 🥰
🍜Pancit bihon ingredients
Fried Tofu
You can use pre-fried tofu to save time, or pan fry, or air-fry your own for a less oily option that still delivers the chew and texture. If you DGAF about gluten, you can also swap it in for pan-fried bits of vegan chicken or chunks of vegan yakitori.
Sriracha
Sriracha brings tangy heat with a touch of sweetness that fires up both the tofu marinade and the pancit broth. If you're heat-sensitive, reduce the amount or swap for a milder chili garlic sauce. Can't find sriracha at all because of another one of those common supply chain issues with the stuff? Try my homemade sriracha recipe!
Kecap Manis
This Indonesian sweet soy sauce is thick, molasses-y, and packed with umami-it caramelizes tofu like magic. If you can't find the popular ABC brand, you can make an even better one using my kecap manis recipe.
Achiote Powder (Optional)
Achiote powder lends a reddish hue that's traditional in some Filipino guisado styles. It's purely aesthetic and optional, but a nice touch if you have it. Kashmiri red chili powder can also be used, but it will not color the noodles quite as actively.
Vegetarian Oyster Sauce
Veg oyster sauce, usually mushroom-based, gives these noodles a very nice flavor backbone. If you can't find any, hoisin sauce makes a perfectly good stand-in.
The Noodles
Filipino bihon, or thin rice vermicelli, soaks up the flavorful broth and holds everything together. Look for bihon specifically labeled for pancit in Asian groceries, and make sure they don't contain egg (most do not).
Fried Shallots
Fried shallots deliver savory crunch and a hit of deep onion flavor at the finish. They are shelf stable, and I keep them on hand for topping everything from Filipino laing to Japanese somen salad and Vietnamese rau muống. No shallots? Use the crispy fried onions you'd throw on a vegan green bean casserole. Same crunch, pretty similar flavor, though they are rarely GF.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
🤯Variations
Pancit Canton
Swap in pancit canton noodles for chewy flour-stick goodness that clings to sauce like it's got trust issues. Toss in meaty soy curls to do the heavy lifting, and load up on lots of veg. You can follow my vegan pancit canton recipe to get it just right.
Pad Ba Mee
Thai-style noodles get the wok treatment with tamari-glazed tofu, crisp veggies, and a spicy-sweet sauce that sings. Think of pad ba mee as pancit bihon's chewier Thai cousin, sometimes topped with mung bean egg strips.
Bihun Goreng
This Indonesian staple turns thin rice vermicelli into a glossy, golden tangle of kecap manis-coated goodness. Bihun goreng brings sweet-savory heat, wok-charred tofu, and veg in every bite, a must for those craving serious noodle energy.
📖 How to make vegan pancit bam-i
You're hangry, I'm not judging. Scroll to the recipe card if you're racing the dinner clock, or follow along here to absolutely nail it on the first go:
Step One
Curd Your Enthusiasm:
In a medium bowl, stir together sriracha and kecap manis. Add fried tofu, toss to coat, and set aside.
Step Two
Onion Square:
Heat olive oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step Three
Achiote the Sheriff:
Add garlic, bird's eye chilies, and optional achiote powder. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Step Four
Veggie Watts:
Add green beans, carrots, snap peas, and napa cabbage. Cook for 2 minutes, tossing occasionally.
Step Five
When You Whisk Upon a Star:
In a separate bowl, whisk together tamari, veg oyster sauce, sriracha, and stock.
Step Six
Boil George:
Pour the stock into the pan with the veg and bring it to a boil.
Step Seven
Oh Brave Nood World That Has Such Veggies In't":
Toss in the vermicelli and stir with tongs for 3-4 minutes until tender and most liquid is absorbed.
Step Eight
Desperate House Chives:
Slice the tofu and gently mix it into the noodles. Garnish with shallots, chives, and extra chilies
💡Serving Ideas
Pair this pancit with a sizzling plate of tofu sisig, ensaladang pipino, or a smoky bowl of ensaladang talong for full flavor whiplash.
Want to ride the creamy-salty wave? Drop in a bowl of ginataang langka, ginataang gulay, or adobong sitaw with jackfruit "pork" and let the veg-fueled bliss pop off with a side of vegetable okoy, okay?
Planning a birthday spread? Gosh darn right you are. Let pancit flex as your long-life noodle centerpiece. Surround it with stupidly-good vegan lumpiang shanghai, a wiggly bowl of buko pandan salad, and a frosty pitcher of sago't gulaman.
👉Top tips
- Use a High-Sided Skillet or Wok: The bigger the pan, the easier the toss, and the less stovetop splatter you have to clean up later.
- Always Use Tongs: Tongs give you the grip and finesse to integrate the veggies into the noodles that a mixing spoon will suck at.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
Bihon is a type of rice noodle, but not all rice noodles are bihon. Look for "pancit bihon" on the label for the most authentic results. Otherwise, the common and very cheap Wai Wai brand vermicelli noodles work well in this, too.
You probably skipped the toss party. Tongs are your friend-use them continuously as the noodles cook and soak.
❄️ Refrigerating:
Store leftover pancit in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Add a splash of broth or water before reheating.
🔥 Stovetop Reheating:
Reheat with a bit of broth in a skillet over medium heat, stirring gently until warmed through.
Technically, yes-but why would you commit such a crime against noodles? Pancit is meant to be celebrated, not sadly chiseled off the back of your freezer with an ice pick. This is almost as fast to make as a dang smoothie, so just make it fresh!
🇵🇭You'll love these vegan Filipino recipes too:
Learn to make absurdly good vegan food from the Philippines in a super-fun recorded cooking class with Chef Adam Sobel!
Pancit Bihon Recipe
Equipment
- wok optional
Ingredients
For the Optional Tofu:
- 9 oz. fried tofu or air-fried tofu (made from 14 oz. of fresh tofu)
- 2 tablespoons sriracha
- 2 tablespoons kecap manis
The Guisado:
- 4 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 cup onion diced
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 2 bird's eye chilies thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon achiote powder optional
- 2 cups green beans cut into 2-inch sections
- 1 cup carrots sliced or ridge cut
- 1 cup sugar snap peas sliced
- 3 cups napa cabbage chopped
Pancit Stock:
- 3 tablespoons tamari
- 3 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 4 cups unsalted vegetable stock or water
The Noodles and Garnishes:
- 8 oz. dried rice vermicelli noodles or Filipino bihon
- 1 tablespoon fried shallots
- 2 tablespoons chives thinly sliced
- 2 bird's eye chilies thinly sliced
Instructions
- Combine the sriracha and kecap manis in a medium bowl. Add the fried tofu whole and toss until coated. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large wok or skillet over medium heat. After 90 seconds, when the oil is hot, add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic, chilies, and achiote powder (if using) and sauté for 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant
- Add the green beans, carrot, sugar snap peas, and napa cabbage and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Whisk together tamari, vegetarian oyster sauce, sriracha, and vegetable stock in a medium bowl to form the pancit stock.
- Pour the pancit stock into the pan of cooking vegetables. Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Add the noodles and toss with tongs for 3-4 minutes until the noodles are just tender and have absorbed most of the liquid.
- Slice the prepared tofu and gently fold it into the cooked noodles. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with fried shallots, chives, and sliced chilies.
Notes
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Meg says
Oh my! Fabulous! Quick, easy, tasty. Highly recommended. I didn’t have specified Veges, just used what I had. Completely yum. Thank you Chef Adam
Dushenka Silberfarb says
My Filipino neighbor made me pancit when we first moved in as a “welcome to the neighborhood” present and now I have a version I can actually eat. Thank you!!!