Vietnamese cuisine

Jicama and Tofu Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

These vegan Vietnamese spring rolls are filled with sautéed jicama, fried tofu, mint, perilla, and sautéed radishes, and served with a peanut dipping sauce. Chef Cam Van shows us how to make this popular Vietnamese street food, which she prepares with Chef Mai Pham from Lemon Grass Restaurant.
Ordained as a Buddhist monk in 2019, Nguyen Dzoan Cam Van has since focused on teaching vegetarian cooking. The Spice Garden is a cooking school in Củ Chi, a rural district of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam where Cam Van now teaches her cooking classes. 
Watch the full series at: https://www.plantforwardkitchen.org/southeast-asia

Introduction to The Plant-Forward Kitchen: Southeast Asia

In The Plant-Forward Kitchen: Southeast Asia, we explore the bold, aromatic cuisines of Vietnam and Thailand — where plant-forward traditions are deeply rooted in everyday meals. Southeast Asian cuisine has long embraced plant-forward principles, drawing from its Buddhist roots that promote compassion for all living beings and encourage followers to adopt an occasional or ongoing vegetarian diet.
In this series, we cook vegetarian pho with Buddhist monk, Nguyen Dzoan Cam Van, and we sample a family-style spread of vegetarian offerings at Buddhist Vĩnh Nghiêm Pagoda Temple Restaurant. We make some Vietnamese classics, such as Vietnamese Lemongrass Tofu, with Chef Mai Pham of Lemon Grass Restaurant. At the Michelin-starred Vietnam House Chef/Owner Luke Nguyen shows us his take on a vegetarian pork belly salad.
In Thailand, renowned chef and television presenter, Ian Kittichai gives us a whirlwind tour of Thai curries. Finally, we head to Michelin-starred Bo.Lan Restaurant in Bangkok, where Chefs Bo Songvisava and Dylan Jones make an eggplant relish, and discuss the importance of championing local farmers.
Watch the full series at: https://www.plantforwardkitchen.org/southeast-asia
 

Lemongrass Tofu

Lemongrass tofu is intensely flavorful -- packed with fragrant and citrusy lemongrass and crispy golden tofu. This plant-based dish, called đậu hũ sả in Vietnamese, is delicious served with rice or rice noodles. Chef Skyler Hanka from the Culinary Institute of America shows us how she tops the lemongrass tofu with peanuts, cilantro, sliced chilies, and some freshly shaved lemongrass for an added layer of aromatics.
Get the Lemongrass Tofu recipe here!

Crispy Vegetarian Spring Rolls with Tofu and Mushrooms

These crispy Vietnamese spring rolls, or chả giò, are traditionally made filled with vermicelli noodles, wood ear mushrooms, pork and, sometimes, shrimp, though this can vary regionally. Chef Skylar Hanka from the Culinary Institute of America shows us how to make a vegetarian version, filled with tofu and vegetables. In Vietnam, these spring rolls are enjoyed as an appetizer, wrapped in lettuce and herbs before dipping in nước chấm.
Get the Vegetarian Spring Rolls recipe here!

Vietnamese Crepes with Teriyaki Tofu: Banh Xeo

Bánh xèo are crispy and savory crepes made with rice flour that are a popular street food in southern Vietnam. Bánh xèo literally means “sizzling pancake” in Vietnamese and refers to the sizzling sound when the rice batter is poured onto the hot skillet. The crepes are stuffed with all sorts of ingredients, such as pork, prawns, mung beans, and bean sprouts. Chef Toni Sakaguchi from the Culinary Institute of America shows us a plant-forward version stuffed with mushrooms, bean sprouts, and tofu.
Get the Banh Xeo recipe here! 

Banh Mi: Vietnamese Sandwich with a French Accent

Fusion food is nothing new. On the streets of Vietnam, sidewalk vendors sell a popular sandwich that reflects the country’s history in every bite. Banh mi, (Bahn Mee) Vietnam’s version of a baguette sandwich, shows the obvious influence of both China and France, countries that had a long presence here. Stop at a street cart some afternoon and treat yourself to a traditional banh mi. Made on an airy baguette spread with mayonnaise—that’s the French legacy—the banh mi includes a variety of Vietnamese charcuterie, depending on the maker and the customer. Chinese-style roast pork is customary, but a French-style pâté scented with star anise may be an option, too. Secret sauces are often part of the ritual, with the Vietnamese contribution last: crunchy onions, sliced chilies, fresh herbs and pickled vegetables. Without them, it’s not banh mi.
Get Recipes and watch the full series with closed captioning at:
http://www.ciaprochef.com/wca/vietnam/

Vietnamese pho bo

In the early morning hours, on side streets and street corners, Hanoi’s hard-working cooks begin setting up their pho stations. A soup, a meal, a national treasure—pho is a widespread addiction. Many Vietnamese start the day with a steaming bowl of this divine noodle soup. Often mispronounced, but immediately appreciated, pho is pronounced like “fur” with a soft “r.” Once the broth is prepared, it takes only seconds to assemble—and not much longer to eat. Truly, pho is a fast food that even a dietitian can love.
Get Recipes and watch the full series with closed captioning at:
http://www.ciaprochef.com/wca/vietnam/

Rice: Vietnam’s Foundation Grain

It is hardly an exaggeration to say that Vietnam runs on rice. The humble grain is the country’s most important crop, and the major source of calories in the diet. Vietnam is the world’s second-largest rice exporter, after Thailand, a huge achievement for such a small country. Vast rice paddies blanket the nation, from the terraced highlands of the north to the fertile river valleys of the Mekong Delta. Rural people still work these verdant fields by hand, sowing, weeding and harvesting the grain according to nature’s schedule, in a cycle that defines their way of life.
Get Recipes and watch the full series with closed captioning at:
http://www.ciaprochef.com/wca/vietnam/