Vegan Tofu-Stuffed Bánh Xèo (Vietnamese Crepes) Recipe

If you're tired of people commenting about the lack of options in a vegan diet — or if you're looking to open your mind and cooking repertoire to more vegan recipes — we've got a delightful option. Set aside any reservations about tofu because this Vietnamese crepe recipe will blow you away. For a dish packed with flavor and textural contrasts, this vegan tofu-stuffed bánh xèo is a worthy candidate. 

Tasting Table recipe developer Tanika Douglas brings us this savory recipe, which she describes as "incredibly easy to make," adding that it "is a fantastic, wholesome vegan meal [that] truly hits the spot with the protein-packed tofu, tender vegetables, and crispy golden crepe." Douglas raves, "I absolutely adore this dish, because even though it's simple, it always impresses guests. The bánh xèo is full of flavor, texture, and [it] is the perfect, fresh meal." 

The combination of elements really takes this dish up a notch, as Douglas describes, "The crispy crepe, moorish filling, and zingy dressing are a match made in heaven." Follow her lead: "I serve this bánh xèo when I'm craving a fresh, delicious plant-based dinner that is simple to whip up!" 

There are four components to this dish: the dipping sauce, crepes, filling, and garnish. For the sauce, you'll need soy sauce, lime juice, sugar, water, minced garlic, and a finely chopped long red chili. For the crepe batter, get rice flour, cornstarch, ground turmeric, salt, coconut milk, water, finely chopped scallions, and vegetable oil. Next, the filling calls for vegetable oil, a minced garlic clove, sliced brown onion, firm tofu (cubed), sliced brown mushrooms, julienned carrots, and fresh bean sprouts. Finally, the crepe is garnished with mint, basil, and lettuce leaves.

While this is Douglas' take, she comments, "‌This recipe is incredibly versatile and a great way to use up leftover vegetables in your fridge! The mushrooms could be substituted for red peppers, broccoli, or cauliflower. Tempeh is also a brilliant alternative to tofu, if you don't have it on hand." Get creative!

Set out a small bowl and add the soy sauce, lime juice, sugar water, a minced garlic clove, and chopped red chili. Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves and the contents are properly combined. Set it aside for serving.

"The dipping sauce takes inspiration from the traditional nuoc cham, whilst omitting the fish sauce to ensure the recipe is vegan," Douglas explains. She describes it as an "irresistible dipping sauce that is perfectly salty, sweet, and sour."

Grab a large mixing bowl and dump in the rice flour, cornstarch, ground turmeric, and salt. Whisk the components together to distribute them evenly. Slowly pour the coconut milk and water into the bowl while continuously whisking. Once all the liquid is added, keep whisking the mixture until it becomes a smooth batter. Stir in the chopped scallions and let the batter sit for 30 minutes or so to give the flavors time to combine.

Set a large pan on the stovetop over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Once it's hot, add the minced garlic clove, onion, cubed tofu, and sliced mushrooms. Cook the vegetables for 5 to 7 minutes as you stir occasionally until the tofu is lightly brown and the mushrooms become tender. Transfer the mixture to a plate and set it aside.

Clean out your pan or place another large pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Splash in some vegetable oil, swirling to coat the base of the pan. Give the crepe batter a final whisk, since you'll notice the rice flour tends to settle to the bottom with time. Then, pour a ladleful into the pan, swirling it to cover the entire surface evenly. Cook the crepe for 3 to 5 minutes until it becomes crispy and golden brown. Scoop a nice portion of tofu and vegetable filling onto one side of the crepe.

Add the julienned carrots and bean sprouts over top, then fold the crepe over the filling into a half-moon shape. Cook it closed for another minute so the carrots and bean sprouts warm up. Gently transfer the bánh xèo to a serving plate, then repeat the steps with the rest of the batter and filling until all the ingredients are used up.

To garnish, you'll want to serve the bánh xéo with mint, basil, and lettuce leaves, along with the dipping sauce you made. Douglas notes, "The dish is best served fresh from the pan so the crepe remains crispy!" If you miscounted and end up with a leftover stuffed crepe, she notes that "[it] could be placed back into a hot pan prior to serving, to crisp up the base once again."

This is a great recipe to impress guests, and you can even prepare some of it ahead of time. Douglas says that "the dipping sauce and cooked vegetables can be made a few days in advance and stored in the fridge prior to using. Additionally, the crêpe batter can be made the day before and kept refrigerated in an airtight container until you are ready to use it."