Vietnam had a remarkable achievement on the Asian section of the international food magazine TasteAtlas’s list of top vegan dishes, with vegan pho ranking at number 34 and tomato tofu (dau hu sot ca) placing at number 92.
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Bowls filled with vegan pho featuring plant-based toppings at a restaurant in Hanoi. Image courtesy of VnExpress/Duk Sun |
Ranking at number 34, vegan pho presents a vegetable-focused version of Vietnam’s iconic noodle soup. The broth achieves its rich flavor from a foundation of mushrooms, ginger, onions, soy sauce, along with aromatic spices such as cloves and cinnamon.
The toppings consist of bean sprouts, tofu, mushrooms, and chili peppers, with additional vegetable or fruit choices available. While coriander typically tops the dish, fish sauce, which may be provided separately, is not suitable for vegans.
Ranked at number 92,
dau hu sot ca
(tofu in tomato-pepper sauce) consists of cubed tofu that is first pan-fried and then smothered in a flavorful sauce made from garlic, shallots, chili, and tomatoes. It is typically finished off with a sprinkle of cilantro for added freshness.
The list of “100 Top Vegan Dishes in Asia” is derived from 12,294 reviews, out of which 5,717 were deemed valid.
At the top of the list was Lebanon’s hummus, a dip made from pureed chickpeas blended with tahini sesame paste, lemon juice, and garlic. This was closely followed by Japan’s atsuage deep-fried tofu. Coming in third place were South Korea’s mayak gimbap—small rice rolls containing rice, roasted seaweed, along with ingredients such as carrot, pickled radish, and spinach.
