Bún Chay (Vegan Vietnamese Noodle Salad)

This herbaceous, flavor-packed vegan Vietnamese noodle salad (bún chay) recipe is so, so satisfying.

We’re talking about a big bowl of goodness packed with tender vermicelli noodles, vibrant, raw vegetables, crunchy peanuts, heaps of fresh herbs, and a tangy-salty-spicy dressing.

Overhead view of a bowl of bún chay with chopsticks.

Here’s why you’ll love this salad:

  • It’s bright, fresh, herbaceous, tangy, crunchy, spicy, salty, citrusy, healthy, and oh, so satisfying.
  • It’s perfect for a brunch, lunch, dinner, a summer picnic, or a midnight snack — it really doesn’t matter. It’s delicious any time, day or night.
  • It’s naturally vegan and is best served cold, so you can prep the dressing and veggies ahead of time if needed.

What Is Bún Chay?

Bún chay is a typical Vietnamese dish usually made up of white rice vermicelli noodles, lots of herbs, veggies, and a tangy dressing.

And just so you know, in Vietnamese, bún means noodle, and chay means vegetarian.

Fresh ingredients needed to make a Vietnamese noodle salad

Ingredients You’ll Need

I don’t even know where to start with this bún chay recipe. I have entirely too many good things to say about it, so I may as well start with the obvious: the ingredients.

  • White rice vermicelli noodles. It wouldn’t be bún chay without the noodles!
  • Fresh vegetables. Think carrots, cucumbers, red bell peppers, radishes, bean sprouts, and romaine lettuce.
  • Fresh herbs. The blend of basil, mint, and cilantro adds so much freshness and flavor to the salad.
  • Peanuts. The perfect crunchy garnish for this veggie-packed salad.
  • Dressing. The tangy, spicy, salty dressing is made by combining rice vinegar, lime juice, sriracha, freshly grated lemongrass, vegan fish sauce, and sugar.

Oh, so much goodness in one bowl.

Overhead view of two bowls of Vietnamese rice noodle salad.

How to Make Vietnamese Bún Chay

Another thing I love about this Vietnamese rice noodle salad recipe is how fast and easy it is to throw together.

It’s just five simple steps:

  1. Stir together the dressing. A small bowl and a fork are all you need to whisk together the simple dressing.
  2. Cook those noodles. Vermicelli noodles typically cook in 3 minutes or less. Take care to drain and rinse them under cold tap water to prevent them from overcooking.
  3. Chop up the veggies, herbs, and peanuts. You can do this step in advance and refrigerate the veggies and herbs in separate containers until you’re ready to combine and serve.
  4. Toss it all together. Grab a large bowl so you have plenty of room to coat the noodles and veggies in the dressing.
  5. Enjoy every last morsel. Go on and pair your salad with a few fresh spring rolls dunked in peanut sauce. You know you want to.
A close up, overhead view of a fresh Vietnamese salad with rice noodles.

Recipe Variations

  • Add protein. I like to use firm or extra firm tofu that’s been crisped up in an oiled skillet.
  • Play around with textures. I’ve shared my favorite ways to prep the veggies in the recipe card below. You’re welcome to slice the carrots instead of grating them, chop the bell pepper instead of slicing it, etc.
  • Swap the vermicelli rice noodles. White vermicelli noodles are traditional in Vietnamese bún chay, but brown rice vermicelli noodles also work.
  • Swap the sugar. Use an equal amount of pure maple syrup in place of the granulated sugar to keep this dish refined sugar-free, noting that the flavor profile will change.

Make-Ahead Instructions

Once the veggies have been tossed with the cooked rice noodles and tangy dressing, you’ll need to devour the crispy, crunchy Vietnamese salad right away.

You can prep a few things in advance, though.

  • Dressing. Whisk together the dressing and refrigerate it for up to 5 days.
  • Veggies. Chop, grate, and slice the veggies as instructed. Then, refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 4 days.
  • Herbs. Tend to wilt quickly once chopped, so keep them whole until ready to use.
  • Rice noodles. Don’t keep well in the fridge, so it’s best to cook these just before assembling the salad.

Into Asian-inspired vegan recipes? Check out my Authentic Thai Vegan Larb, Vegan Black Pepper Stir-Fry, and Vegan Gado Gado Salad.

Print

Vegan Bún Chay: Vietnamese Noodle Salad with Fresh Herbs and Tangy Dressing

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

This bún chay recipe couldn’t be more satisfying. Full of tender noodles, fresh vegetables, vibrant herbs, and a zingy dressing, you will love this Vietnamese noodle salad. It’s bright, fresh, tangy, spicy, citrusy, crunchy, herbaceous, and absolutely delicious. Plus, it’s quick and easy to make, and it’s vegan!

  • Author: Maddy’s Avenue
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 5 mins
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 people 1x
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Chop & Toss
  • Cuisine: Vietnamese
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale

For the dressing:

  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tbsp sriracha
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp lemongrass (grated)
  • 1/4 tsp vegan fish sauce (or regular)

For the bún chay:

  • 1 package white rice vermicelli noodles (cooked according to package directions)
  • 2 cups romaine lettuce (roughly chopped)
  • 2 Persian cucumbers (halved and sliced)
  • 2 carrots (grated)
  • 2 radishes (halved and sliced)
  • 1/2 red bell pepper (sliced)
  • 1 cup bean sprouts
  • 1 cup basil (Thai or regular) (roughly chopped)
  • 1 cup mint (roughly chopped)
  • 1 cup cilantro (roughly chopped)
  • 1 cup peanuts (roughly chopped)

Instructions

  1. In a bowl, stir together the rice vinegar, lime juice, sriracha, sugar, lemongrass, and vegan fish sauce. Set aside.
  2. Cook noodles according to package instructions. Strain and rinse under cold water until noodles are lukewarm.
  3. Prepare the vegetables, herbs, and peanuts.
  4. In a bowl, toss together the dressing, noodles, vegetables, herbs, and peanuts.
  5. Serve, and if desired, garnish with lime wedges, sriracha, red pepper flakes, and/or extra peanuts.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment and rating below to let us know what you thought.

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5 Comments

  1. LOVE this salad. It has texture, tang, & crunch. My husband wants me to add it to our dinner rotation. I think it would be good with shrimp too.

  2. Vietnamese food is so unique. When I got to Vietnam in 2015 I was a bit shocked and had to adjust to the food, so I did not try loads of dishes..which I regretted as soon as I got back home.
    I did try bun cha and it was pretty tasty :)

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