10 Vegetarian Foods in Vietnam You Should Try: A Complete Guide
Vegetarian food in Vietnam
Vietnamese cuisine is famous for pho, banh mi, grilled meats, and seafood, but there is another side of the country’s food culture that travelers sometimes overlook: vegetarian food.
Known as đồ chay or simply món chay in Vietnamese, vegetarian food can be found throughout the country. From small local eateries to modern restaurants, travelers can discover meat-free versions of many familiar Vietnamese dishes.
Vietnam also has a long tradition of vegetarian eating connected to Buddhist culture. On certain days of the lunar calendar, some Vietnamese people choose vegetarian meals, and vegetarian restaurants can become noticeably busier.
For travelers, this means eating vegetarian in Vietnam is often easier than expected.
Here are 10 vegetarian foods in Vietnam you should try during your trip.
1. Pho Chay – Vegetarian Vietnamese Noodle Soup
Pho does not always have to contain beef or chicken.
Pho chay is the vegetarian version of Vietnam’s most internationally recognized noodle dish.
Instead of a meat-based broth, restaurants typically prepare the soup using vegetables, mushrooms, spices, and herbs.
Common toppings include tofu, mushrooms, bok choy, carrots, bean sprouts, and fresh herbs.
The result is usually lighter than traditional beef pho while still retaining many of the fragrant characteristics associated with Vietnamese noodle soup.
For first-time vegetarian visitors to Vietnam, pho chay is one of the easiest dishes to find and enjoy.
2. Banh Mi Chay – Vietnamese Vegetarian Baguette
Few Vietnamese foods are as convenient for travelers as banh mi.
The vegetarian version, known as banh mi chay, replaces meat and pâté with ingredients such as tofu, mushrooms, vegetarian pâté, or seasoned vegetables.
Fresh cucumber, pickled carrot and daikon, cilantro, chili, and sauces provide the familiar combination of freshness, acidity, spice, and crunch.
It is inexpensive, portable, and easy to eat while exploring a city.
That makes banh mi chay an excellent breakfast or quick lunch during a busy day of sightseeing.
3. Goi Cuon Chay – Fresh Vegetarian Spring Rolls
Goi cuon chay is a fresh and relatively light vegetarian option.
Soft rice paper is wrapped around ingredients such as rice vermicelli, tofu, lettuce, cucumber, carrots, mint, and other fresh herbs.
Unlike fried spring rolls, goi cuon are served fresh.
The rolls are usually accompanied by a dipping sauce, which may be peanut-based or prepared using other savory ingredients.
The combination of chewy rice paper, soft noodles, crunchy vegetables, and fragrant herbs makes these rolls particularly refreshing in Vietnam’s warm climate.
4. Cha Gio Chay – Vegetarian Fried Spring Rolls
If you prefer something crispy, look for cha gio chay.
The filling varies from restaurant to restaurant but can include mushrooms, taro, carrots, mung beans, tofu, and glass noodles.
The rolls are fried until golden and crunchy before being served with lettuce, herbs, and dipping sauce.
Some people wrap the fried roll in lettuce with fresh herbs before dipping it into sauce.
This combination of hot, crispy spring roll and cool fresh vegetables is common in Vietnamese cuisine.
5. Com Chay – Vietnamese Vegetarian Rice Meals
The term com chay can refer broadly to vegetarian rice meals.
A typical meal may include steamed rice accompanied by several dishes such as braised tofu, mushrooms, stir-fried vegetables, vegetable soup, and pickles.
These meals are particularly useful for travelers who want to experience the everyday style of Vietnamese home cooking rather than only famous street foods.
Small vegetarian restaurants sometimes display a variety of prepared dishes, allowing customers to choose several items to eat with rice.
This can also be an affordable way to sample multiple vegetarian flavors in one meal.
6. Mi Quang Chay – Vegetarian Central Vietnamese Noodles
Travelers visiting Da Nang and Quang Nam should look for Mi Quang chay.
Traditional Mi Quang is one of Central Vietnam’s most recognizable noodle dishes, and vegetarian restaurants often prepare their own meat-free versions.
Wide noodles are combined with tofu, mushrooms, vegetables, peanuts, fresh herbs, and crispy rice crackers.
Like traditional Mi Quang, there is usually only a relatively small amount of concentrated broth.
This makes the dish feel quite different from pho and other Vietnamese noodle soups.
7. Bun Hue Chay – Vegetarian Spicy Noodle Soup
Travelers who enjoy stronger flavors should try bun Hue chay.
This vegetarian noodle soup takes inspiration from the bold flavors associated with Hue cuisine.
The broth commonly features lemongrass and chili, while thick rice noodles provide a noticeably different texture from pho.
Tofu, mushrooms, vegetables, herbs, and other plant-based ingredients replace the traditional meat toppings.
It is a good option for vegetarians who want something more aromatic and spicy than a mild vegetable noodle soup.
8. Dau Hu Sot Ca Chua – Tofu in Tomato Sauce
Not every memorable vegetarian dish in Vietnam needs to be complicated.
Dau hu sot ca chua is a simple combination of tofu and tomato sauce that can be found in home-style Vietnamese cooking.
Pieces of tofu are usually fried until lightly golden and then cooked with a fresh tomato-based sauce.
It is commonly eaten with steamed rice and other vegetable dishes.
The ingredients are simple, but the combination of soft tofu, slightly crisp edges, savory tomato sauce, and rice makes it an easy comfort food.
When ordering, vegetarian travelers should still confirm that the sauce has been prepared without fish sauce or other animal-derived seasonings.
9. Rau Muong Xao Toi – Stir-Fried Morning Glory with Garlic
Rau muong xao toi, or morning glory stir-fried with garlic, appears on menus across Vietnam.
The vegetable is quickly stir-fried at high heat with garlic, creating a dish that remains slightly crisp while absorbing the aroma of the garlic.
It is usually ordered as a shared side dish alongside rice and other foods.
However, strict vegetarians should ask how it is seasoned.
Some restaurants may use fish sauce, oyster sauce, or other non-vegetarian ingredients even in dishes that appear to contain only vegetables.
At dedicated vegetarian restaurants, this is much less likely to be an issue.
10. Lau Chay – Vietnamese Vegetarian Hot Pot
For a meal shared with friends or family, try lau chay, or vegetarian hot pot.
A pot of simmering broth is placed in the center of the table along with plates of vegetables, mushrooms, tofu, noodles, and other ingredients.
Diners add ingredients to the broth and cook them gradually during the meal.
Different restaurants use different broth styles, so lau chay can range from mild and slightly sweet to sour, spicy, or aromatic.
It is particularly enjoyable when traveling with a group because the meal is designed to be shared slowly around the table.
What Does “Chay” Mean in Vietnamese?
Vegetarian travelers will quickly notice the word “chay” on restaurant signs and menus.
In a food context, chay generally indicates vegetarian food.
Useful terms include:
- Món chay – vegetarian dish
- Đồ chay – vegetarian food
- Cơm chay – vegetarian rice meal
- Phở chay – vegetarian pho
- Nhà hàng chay – vegetarian restaurant
Seeing the word “chay” is therefore one of the easiest ways to identify vegetarian food while traveling around Vietnam.
Is Vegetarian Food in Vietnam Always Vegan?
Not necessarily.
This is an important distinction for travelers.
Some Vietnamese vegetarian dishes may contain eggs, dairy products, or other ingredients that vegans avoid.
There can also be differences between a dedicated vegetarian restaurant and a regular restaurant offering a meat-free version of a dish.
If you follow a strict vegan diet or have dietary restrictions, it is always better to confirm the ingredients before ordering.
You can ask:
“Món này có hoàn toàn thuần chay không?”
This means approximately:
“Is this dish completely vegan?”
Be Careful With Fish Sauce and Oyster Sauce
One of the biggest things vegetarian travelers should know about Vietnamese food is that a dish that looks vegetarian may not necessarily be vegetarian.
Fish sauce is an important ingredient in Vietnamese cooking and can appear in dipping sauces, stir-fries, marinades, and dressings.
Oyster sauce and meat-based stocks may also be used.
For example, a plate containing only vegetables might still have been seasoned with fish sauce.
Dedicated vegetarian restaurants are therefore often the easiest option for travelers who strictly avoid animal products.
Look for signs containing words such as “Chay” or “Nhà hàng chay.”
Why Is Vegetarian Food Common in Vietnam?
Vegetarian eating in Vietnam has historical and cultural connections with Buddhist traditions.
Some Vietnamese Buddhists and other people who observe the custom eat vegetarian meals on particular days of the lunar calendar.
As a result, vegetarian cuisine in Vietnam is not simply a modern trend aimed at international tourists.
It has developed its own local cooking traditions, restaurants, ingredients, and interpretations of familiar Vietnamese dishes.
This is also why travelers may find surprisingly elaborate vegetarian versions of foods normally prepared with meat.
Is It Easy to Travel Vietnam as a Vegetarian?
For most travelers, yes.
Large destinations such as Hanoi, Da Nang, Hoi An, and Ho Chi Minh City have numerous vegetarian restaurants.
Even outside dedicated vegetarian restaurants, rice, tofu, vegetables, noodles, and fresh herbs are fundamental ingredients in Vietnamese cooking.
The main challenge is not necessarily finding vegetables.
It is identifying sauces, stocks, and seasonings that may contain animal products.
Learning a few Vietnamese food terms and choosing dedicated vegetarian restaurants can make traveling considerably easier.
Vegetarian Food Is Another Side of Vietnamese Cuisine
Vietnamese cuisine is often introduced internationally through beef pho, banh mi, grilled pork, and seafood.
But those dishes represent only part of the country’s food culture.
Vegetarian cooking provides another way to experience Vietnamese ingredients, herbs, noodles, vegetables, tofu, mushrooms, sauces, and regional flavors.
Whether you are a committed vegetarian or simply want a lighter meal during your trip, trying a few local vegetarian foods in Vietnam is worth adding to your itinerary.
You may discover that some of your favorite Vietnamese dishes do not need meat at all.
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