Vegetarian Bun Cha with Seared Tofu

Vegetarian Bun Cha

with Seared Tofu

2 Servings
Wellness at Blue Apron
Find recipes that suit your lifestyle with our new nutritionist-approved dietary tags.
Vegetarian
These recipes don’t contain meat, poultry, fish, or seafood.* They’re made with fruits and vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. *Select artisanal cheeses may contain animal-derived rennet.
Carb Conscious
These meals have 48g or less of net carbs (total carbs minus dietary fiber) per serving. They replace refined carbohydrates from sources like white flour, rice, and cane sugar with high-fiber foods like fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
600 Calories Or Less
Coming in at 600 calories or less per serving, these recipes are ideal for those choosing to monitor their caloric intake without sacrificing flavor. The US Food & Drug Administration uses 2000 calorie daily intake for general advice. The 600 calorie cap equates to 30% of the total 2000 calories per day based on 3 meals per day with 200 calories remaining for snack or beverage.
Wellness Grain
These recipes feature grains such as barley, quinoa, farro, orzo, couscous and more, handpicked by our Culinary team in collaboration with our Registered Dietitian.
Pescatarian
These recipes feature a wide array of nutritious seafood options like salmon, cod, tilapia, crab, and shrimp. While these dishes never contain meat, pork or poultry, they may contain animal derived ingredients such as milk, butter, cheese and/or honey.
To view a recipe's full nutrition information, head to your Upcoming page at blueapron.com, click on a specific recipe, then head to the Nutrition tab and select 'View Full Nutrition.' Nutrition Facts Panels are available up to 1.5 weeks in advance

From the Test Kitchen

Bun cha is a Vietnamese pork and rice noodle dish, especially beloved in the capital city of Hanoi. At one time, cooks could be seen selling bun cha up and down the streets, carrying improvised grills on their heads (fashioned from metal bread boxes). In this recipe, we’re using pan-seared tofu to make bun cha deliciously vegetarian. Topped with a traditional, savory sauce featuring bird’s eye chile and coconut palm sugar, this meal is worthy of the crowds that would gather around Hanoi’s famous, bun cha street vendors.

Get Plans
  • Nutrition
    PER SERVING
  • Calories
    600 Cals (est.)
fresh
ingredients
Vegetarian Bun Cha with Seared Tofu
Title
time-saving
tips & techniques
Coconut Palm Sugar
Bean Sprouts
step-by-step
instructions
Cook Along Triangle Created with Sketch.
Prepare the ingredients:
1 Prepare the ingredients:

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Cube the tofu. Peel and cut the carrot into thin matchsticks. Remove and discard the core of the cabbage; thinly slice the cabbage leaves. Thinly slice the bird’s eye chile into rounds; remove the seeds. (For a less spicy dish, discard half the chile.) Pick the mint and Thai basil leaves off the stems; discard the stems. Roughly chop the peanuts. Using a peeler, remove the rind of the lime, avoiding the pith; mince to get 2 teaspoons of zest. Quarter the lime.

Make the bun cha sauce:
2 Make the bun cha sauce:

In a medium bowl, combine the golden mountain sauce, coconut palm sugar, bird’s eye chile, lime zest and the juice of all 4 lime wedges; whisk until thoroughly combined and the sugar has dissolved.

Cook the tofu:
3 Cook the tofu:

In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the tofu and cook, flipping occasionally, 7 to 9 minutes, or until evenly browned. Transfer to a bowl and toss with 1 teaspoon of the bun cha sauce; season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Cook the noodles:
4 Cook the noodles:

While the tofu cooks, add the noodles to the pot of boiling water. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold water for 30 seconds to 1 minute to stop the cooking process.

Mix the noodle salad:
5 Mix the noodle salad:

In a large bowl, combine the cooked noodles, carrot, cabbage and remaining bun cha sauce; season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss gently to mix.

Plate your dish:
6 Plate your dish:

Divide the noodle salad between 2 dishes. Top each with half the cooked tofu and half the bean sprouts. Garnish with the Thai basil, mint and peanuts. Enjoy!

Tips from Home Chefs

Get Plans

Vegetarian Bun Cha

Prepare the ingredients:
1 Prepare the ingredients:

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Cube the tofu. Peel and cut the carrot into thin matchsticks. Remove and discard the core of the cabbage; thinly slice the cabbage leaves. Thinly slice the bird’s eye chile into rounds; remove the seeds. (For a less spicy dish, discard half the chile.) Pick the mint and Thai basil leaves off the stems; discard the stems. Roughly chop the peanuts. Using a peeler, remove the rind of the lime, avoiding the pith; mince to get 2 teaspoons of zest. Quarter the lime.

2 Make the bun cha sauce:

In a medium bowl, combine the golden mountain sauce, coconut palm sugar, bird’s eye chile, lime zest and the juice of all 4 lime wedges; whisk until thoroughly combined and the sugar has dissolved.

Make the bun cha sauce:
Cook the tofu:
3 Cook the tofu:

In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the tofu and cook, flipping occasionally, 7 to 9 minutes, or until evenly browned. Transfer to a bowl and toss with 1 teaspoon of the bun cha sauce; season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

4 Cook the noodles:

While the tofu cooks, add the noodles to the pot of boiling water. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold water for 30 seconds to 1 minute to stop the cooking process.

Cook the noodles:
Mix the noodle salad:
5 Mix the noodle salad:

In a large bowl, combine the cooked noodles, carrot, cabbage and remaining bun cha sauce; season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss gently to mix.

6 Plate your dish:

Divide the noodle salad between 2 dishes. Top each with half the cooked tofu and half the bean sprouts. Garnish with the Thai basil, mint and peanuts. Enjoy!

Plate your dish:
Browse Steps
1 of 6