Vietnamese Recipes
115 recipes found
Bánh Cuốn
Bánh cuốn, or Vietnamese steamed rice rolls, pack platefuls of flavor into every bite. The dish originated in northern Vietnam, utilizing a batter that forms a delicate rice sheet, which gets rolled around a mixture of pork and wood ear mushrooms. Bánh cuốn’s accompaniments generally include bean sprouts, fried shallots, herbs and chả lụa (Vietnamese pork sausage), along with a dipping sauce of nước chấm. Though the dish has a number of ingredients, its preparation consists of simple steps; give yourself ample time to prepare and the cooking process will be seamless. This meal is best eaten immediately, but it can hold in the refrigerator for a day or two.
Bún Kèn (Coconut Fish With Noodles)
This version of bún kèn, a deeply delicious street food specialty of Kiên Giang Province in southern Vietnam, comes from the chef Diep Tran, who traveled to the region while researching “The Red Boat Fish Sauce Cookbook,” written with Cuong Pham and Tien Nguyen. The dish is built by infusing fish stock with aromatics and coconut cream, then ladling this fish curry over rice noodles and topping the bowls with fresh herbs, vegetables and a drizzle of sweet and salty coconut nuoc chăm. While you can often find yellowtail collar at Japanese and Korean markets in the United States, Ms. Tran suggests using a snapper head or grouper head, or any small whole fish that isn’t too oily, if you can’t get your hands on collar.
Suon Kho (Pork Ribs in Savory Caramel Sauce)
A richness permeates these ribs, which are first marinated, then grilled until charred and finally simmered in a bittersweet caramel sauce. They become so dark and savory that some people mistake them for beef. For Tet festivities in northern Vietnam, pigs are often slaughtered to celebrate the Lunar New Year, and this preparation is among the best ways to use the ribs. It reheats and freezes well, a perfect make-ahead dish for the holiday since it’s a time when everyone is supposed to relax rather than work hard in the kitchen. Pair the ribs with a side of dua hanh to cut their richness, and serve with rice and stir-fried greens to round out the meal.
Pork Meatballs With Ginger and Fish Sauce
These nuoc cham-inspired meatballs are perfect to fill lettuce cups topped with fresh basil or cilantro. (Add steamed rice for a more substantial meal.) The Ritz crackers here make for a juicier meatball, but feel free to substitute plain dry bread crumbs. To make the Ritz crumbs, place the crackers in a resealable plastic bag and lightly crush them with the back of a wooden spoon or measuring cup. For an easy dipping sauce, spike 1/4 cup mayonnaise with 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil or soy sauce. And save any leftover meatballs: They're great simmered in chicken broth the next day. The ginger and garlic in them release their aromatics into the broth for a deeply flavorful soup base.
Nước Chấm
A classic Vietnamese condiment with a base of fish sauce, nước chấm brings a bouquet of garlic and chile notes to everything that absorbs it. Extremely versatile, it’s served alongside a wide range of dishes, adding heat, sweetness and savor to rice, grilled meat and fish.
Nem Nuong (Vietnamese Sausage)
Traditionally grilled over charcoal, these little sausages also cook up beautifully in a cast-iron pan. Serve them in a bowl over rice noodles or steamed jasmine rice with fresh mint and cilantro, cucumbers and pickled carrots. Top with green chiles and toasted peanuts, then drizzle with fish sauce and lime. Or, use to make banh mi sandwiches. Be sure to use ground pork with enough fat or you'll end up with dry, flavorless sausage. Twenty percent by weight is a good ratio, though 25 doesn’t hurt. If the ground pork available to you is too lean, ask the butcher to replace two ounces or so of the lean meat with ground pork belly or bacon.
Vietnamese Sangria
Thit Heo Kho Trung (Pork and Eggs in Caramel Sauce)
Tet is for savoring abundance, which explains why this rich, savory braise of pork and eggs in bittersweet caramel sauce is a must-have on many southern Vietnamese Lunar New Year menus. It’s an extravagant treat. Pork leg with the skin attached (fresh ham) is the cut of meat traditionally used, but pork shoulder or belly also offers the delicious balance of fat and lean meat. The eggs lend an interesting contrast of chewy white and buttery yolk, while the sauce featuring coconut water is softly sweet. Searing the meat and including peppercorns are modern touches that induce greater complexity. The cook time can be cut nearly in half by making the braise in a pressure cooker. Crunchy pickled bean sprout salad is the traditional accompaniment, along with plenty of rice. Stir-fried greens can be served alongside too.
Dua Gia (Pickled Bean Sprout Salad)
Delicately crunchy and bright tasting, this easy southern Vietnamese favorite is technically a pickle because the vegetables steep in brine. But it is eaten in large amounts like a salad, usually with intensely flavored fish or pork kho (dishes simmered in savory caramel sauce). The vegetables provide a refreshing contrast to the inky, deep flavors of kho but they’re also terrific paired with dumplings or sandwiches. The bean sprouts and carrot are typically combined with flat Chinese chives. Since those kinds of chives can be hard to find, you can also use thin green scallion tops.
Simple Vegetarian Pho Broth
The focus of this broth, a base for pho dishes with tofu and a variety of mixed vegetables, is the charred ginger and onion. Spice comes from a bag filled with star anise, peppercorns, cinnamon stick and cloves and more flavor flows from an abundance of sweet vegetables. Nonvegetarians can add fish sauce to this aromatic and beautiful vegan broth if they wish.
Vietnamese Crab Coleslaw
Sweet and Salty Grilled Steak With Cucumber Salad
The marinade on this steak is inspired by a classic Vietnamese dipping sauce called nuoc cham. Since it consists mostly of pantry staples – Asian fish sauce, brown sugar and garlic – all you need to pick up on the way home are some fresh limes and jalapeño. Nuoc cham works as a salad dressing, too. Here we drizzle it on crisp cucumbers and radishes, but sliced ripe tomatoes work just as well. You could serve it as it is with the salad on the side, or put everything on top of a bed of rice noodles or rice for a more substantial meal.
Green Papaya Salad
This tangy, piquant salad is a version of the classic Vietnamese dish, which can be served as a first course, or a fiery side dish next to simple grilled meats or fish. It comes from Chris Shepherd, a Houston chef who is trying to tell the story of his city's food, among the most diverse in the country. If Thai chiles are too hot to bear (or not available), substitute other, milder peppers like serrano or jalapeño. Just don't use regular papaya even if it seems unripe; it won't have the right flavor and texture as a true green papaya. And if you can’t get green papaya, you can make this with green mango, seeded cucumber, cabbage or kohlrabi. The intense, funky dressing will work with any practically any cooling, crunchy vegetable you’ve got.
Dua Hanh (Pickled Shallots)
During Vietnamese Lunar New Year, rosy, northern-style pickled shallots are a must-have on many menus. In fact, there is a traditional Tet couplet that includes dua hanh as one of the foods required for the holiday. The shallot’s delightful tanginess and mild bite cut the richness of traditional dishes like suon kho, banh chung sticky rice cakes and charcuterie. They’re also good any time in a salad or sandwich, on a cheese board or in a gin on the rocks. Peeling small shallots on your own can be tedious, so make the task a group project. Tet is about family bonding time too.
Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce
Vietnamese-Style Chicken With Fragrant Rice Noodles
Nuoc cham, the Vietnamese dipping sauce, does double duty here: As a marinade, it soaks into the chicken as it roasts. And as part of a rich pan sauce for rice noodles, it marries with the chicken juices. Look for rice noodles that are flat and similar in width to linguine, those normally used for pad Thai. Since the noodles are served at room temperature, run them under cool water after boiling to keep them from clumping. Raw snap peas offer a refreshing crunch, and fans of half-sour pickles will enjoy the extra tanginess they add to the dish.
Daikon and Carrot Pickle
Vietnamese Braised Pork Ribs
Not all ribs are baked or grilled. These are oven braised with a Vietnamese spice mixture, which makes them succulent and juicy, and very tender. You can braise them a day ahead and keep them refrigerated in their juices; they reheat beautifully.
Crunchy Vietnamese Cabbage Salad With Pan-Seared Tofu
Cabbages are the quintessential storage vegetable. You can cut a cabbage in quarters or thirds and use one piece at a time. The other hunks will keep, wrapped well in the vegetable crisper, for at least two weeks, and potentially a lot longer if you mist them with water every once in a while. That means you can buy one large cabbage and use it several times for different recipes, experiencing the deceptively versatile vegetable many ways. Fried tofu turns this Vietnamese-inspired slaw into more of a meal.
Vietnamese Pork Salad
Vietnamese Spiced Turkey Tacos
These tacos aren’t wrapped in tortillas, but in large leaves of Boston lettuce, also called Bibb or butter lettuce, which makes them a good option for those following a low-carb or gluten-free meal plan. Traditional taco seasonings are left behind in favor of Vietnamese ingredients, Thai chiles, rice wine vinegar, lime juice and Vietnamese fish sauce.
Shortcut Banh Mi With Pickled Carrots and Daikon
Authenticity is not the goal of this banh mi. Nor is coming up with a newfangled variation. This is a sandwich that, with quick work, maintains the porky-pickled-fiery essence of a classic banh mi with easy-to-find ingredients.
Banh Xeo
Banh xeo are Vietnamese rice pancakes filled with various vegetables and meats. Thin and crispy, the finished pancakes are cut into pieces, tucked into lettuce wraps, and finished with fragrant herbs and a spicy nuoc cham dipping sauce. This recipe features the classic shrimp and pork, using bacon for the hit of smoky flavor. If bean sprouts are unavailable, try finely shredded cabbage instead. The batter can be made two days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. When ready to use, bring it to room temperature and whisk until well blended, adding water if needed to thin the batter. (It should be slightly thicker than the texture of heavy cream.) Banh xeo are best eaten as they are made, but if you need to keep them warm while making all four pancakes, heat the oven to 200 degrees and set a rack over a baking sheet. As you make the pancakes, transfer them to the rack to keep warm.
Rice Porridge With Squash and Brown Butter
This recipe for a rich, winter-y rice porridge comes from Minh Phan, the owner of Porridge + Puffs in Los Angeles. Ms. Phan is a porridge whisperer, creating all kinds of complex, beautiful rice bowls, and her velvet porridge rich with roasted squash is no exception. To make a simple version of it at home, roast a mix of squash then purée it with brown butter and a little half and half. Stir the mixture into loose, cooked rice for a comforting meal you can eat plain, topped with pickled vegetables and herbs, some browned sausage or dressed salad leaves. Ms. Phan lets the cooked rice rest overnight so the grains absorb the seasoning evenly, but if you’re in a rush, you can go ahead and eat it right away.