To me, Vietnam is the epitome of an Asian wonderland. Just picture yourself being immersed in the chaos of a busy street, with motorbikes swerving around each other to avoid collisions. Every narrow alleyway (which I happen to love) is filled with lovely elderly women tossing anise star and fresh cilantro into the air while concocting their latest culinary creation.
Traditional Pho Cuon
First I think we need to define a Pho Cuon. This is rice noodle roll packed with the same flavors and ingredients from a traditional Vietnamese pho soup. It is rolled similarly to a spring or egg roll and served traditionally in and around the city of Hanoi. I spent several months working with the bears over in that region of Vietnam and quickly fell in love with the cuisine. That the whole point of traveling right? Snacks.
The traditional way to cook Pho Cuon is to roll all the ingredients up in a sheet of rice noodle. For this recipe I have stuffed the Pho Cuon with rice noodles and rolled them in spring roll wrappers. I think just think this recipe will be more doable for people that way… plus I can’t find sheets of rice noodles to save my life.
Ingredients
Pho Cuon (Pho Rolls)
- Canola Oil to fry
- 8 oz Shitake Mushrooms sliced in thin strips
- 1/2 Yellow Onion sliced thin
- 3 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 tbsp Ginger grated
- 3 tbsp Vegan Oyster or Fish Sauce
- 2 oz Rice Noodles Vietnamese style
- 8-10 stalks Green Onion
- 8-10 stalks Cilantro
- 8-10 Romaine Lettuce Leaves
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 8-10 Rice Paper Wraps
- Lime optional
Instructions
Pho Cuon (Pho Rolls)
- Heat cooking oil in pan over medium heat. Sauté mushroom and onion for 10-15 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and cook an additional 1-2 minutes. Add oyster or fish sauce, mix thoroughly , remove from heat, and set aside.
- Boil rice noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under ice cold water until noodles are cold. Toss in a small amount of sesame oil (so they don’t stick together) and set aside.
- Prepare your rolling station! You will need a shallow dish of cold water to dip the rice paper in, rice paper, lettuce, cilantro, green onion, prepared rice noodles, and prepared veggies.Dip rice paper in cold water and lay on a flat surface. Add a layer of each ingredient and roll the spring roll closed.
- Tip: If you have never rolled a spring roll, the package always has a diagram.
- Serve: Add a dipping sauce of your choice. I enjoy a sweet asian chili sauce, but even some extra vegan oyster sauce or soy sauce will do.***THIS RECIPE WILL MAKE ABOUT 10 SPRING ROLLS***
Instructions
1. Heat cooking oil in pan over medium heat. Sauté mushroom and onion for 10-15 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and cook an additional 1-2 minutes. Add oyster or fish sauce, mix thoroughly , remove from heat, and set aside.
Dip rice paper in cold water and lay on a flat surface. Add a layer of each ingredient and roll the spring roll closed.
Tip: If you have never rolled a spring roll, the package always has a diagram.
Serve: Add a dipping sauce of your choice. I enjoy a sweet asian chili sauce, but even some extra vegan oyster sauce or soy sauce will do.
***THIS RECIPE WILL MAKE ABOUT 10 SPRING ROLLS**
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Vkind Vibes is our popular weekly newsletter where we share the latest news, tastiest recipes, and hottest trends impacting the VegEconomy. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
WANT MORE?
JOIN US AT VKX 2023! The Vkind Experience (VKX) is an immersive plant-based event celebrating travel, culture, and cuisine around the world as guests explore 11 experiential rooms while sampling an elevated fusion of world flavors.JOIN THE VKIND COMMUNITY Download the Vkind app on the App Store or Google Play to create your social profile and start sharing reviews of vegan businesses, watch original content, and explore the plant-based world with your friends!
JOIN THE VEGECONOMY Are you a vegan brand owner or professional? Add your listing to our business search platform to get more eyes on your vegan enterprise.
TAKE THE VEGECONOMY PLEDGE Take the VegEconomy Pledge to show support for sustainable business practices and make a commitment to Spend Like You Give A Damn.
WATCH & LEARN Subscribe to our YouTube channel for our latest shows, live events, interviews, videos, news, secret giveaways & more!
STREAM “PEELED”, THE ALL-VEGAN COOKING COMPETITION SHOW Produced by Vkind Studios in a limited 3-part web series, Peeled is the award-winning all-vegan cooking competition show that’s on a search to find “America’s Hottest Vegan Chef”.
FOLLOW & SHARE Our content is always entertaining, educational, and inclusive. Follow us everywhere on social media!
SHARE VEGAN RECIPES Share your delicious vegan recipes with the Vkind Community on our app and website.
