Banh Mi Bowl With Rice Noodles
This vegan Banh Mi Bowl recipe is colourful, flavourful, and loaded with textures! Chewy rice noodles are topped with crispy tofu and veggies, then drizzled with a sweet-and-savoury sauce and creamy sriracha mayo.
You might say I’ve been on a banh mi kick lately. My Air Fryer Tofu inspired me to make a Crispy Tofu Banh Mi With Quick Pickled Veggies, and then I just wanted ALL the banh mi ALL the time. When I ran out of bread, I raided the pantry and found a package of rice noodles instead. That’s when inspiration struck: a banh mi bowl! Friends, you are going to LOVE this recipe. Chewy rice noodles are the perfect complement to the crunchy veggies and creamy, spicy mayo in a traditional banh mi.
Why You Need to Try This Banh Mi Bowl
If you’re looking for a new meal bowl to add to your repertoire, this is the ONE! Let’s talk about what makes it so good:
- Bright and colourful. They say we eat first with our eyes and if that’s the case, then this banh mi bowl is an absolute feast! That rainbow of fresh veggies makes me so excited to dig in.
- Big flavours and textures. You’ve got the crispy air fried tofu, the chewy rice noodles, crunchy raw veggies; then there’s the rich and creamy sriracha mayo and vegan nuoc cham sauce, which has the perfect balance of sweet and savoury.
- Awesome for meal prep. This is a recipe that stands up well to meal prepping, and you can enjoy it warm or cold, so it’s great for bringing to school or work.
Notes on Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make your own banh mi bowls! Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
For the Bowl Assembly:
- Rice noodles – I like to use brown rice noodles for some extra whole grain goodness.
- Air fryer tofu – If you don’t have an air fryer, you can use my Fried Tofu or Easy Baked Tofu recipes.
- Purple cabbage – You can save yourself a little time and buy shredded cabbage at the grocery store!
- Cucumber
- Pickled radishes and carrots – Follow the instructions from my Tofu Banh Mi recipe.
- Jalapeño – You can skip this for a milder banh mi bowl.
- Fresh cilantro leaves – If you’re not a cilantro fan, mint or basil will work too.
- Lime
Nuoc Cham Sauce:
- Lime juice
- Rice vinegar – Be sure to use unseasoned rice vinegar, which doesn’t have sugar added.
- Maple syrup – Or your preferred vegan sweetener.
- Garlic
- Tamari – Soy sauce can be used instead, but tamari is gluten-free.
- Chilli flakes
Sriracha Mayo:
- Vegan mayonnaise – I use my homemade Vegan Mayo.
- Sriracha – As much or as little as you’d like!
How to Make a Banh Mi Bowl
Making this recipe is easy! Here’s what you’ll need to do.
- Cook the noodles. Follow the instructions on the package, then drain and rinse in cold water.
- Prep the veggies. Slice the vegetables and make the pickles.
- Mix the nuoc cham sauce. Whisk together all of the ingredients. Taste and add water if desired.
- Make the sriracha mayo. Stir together the vegan mayo and sriracha.
- Assemble. Divide the noodles into bowls, followed by the nuoc cham sauce. Add the air fryer tofu, veggies, and cilantro, followed by the sriracha.
- Serve. Add a lime wedge and serve with additional sauce.
Variation Ideas
If you like to switch things up, here are some ideas to get you started. Or come up with your own!
- Use a different protein. Instead of tofu, try tempeh or Vegan Chicken. Edamame or or even Crispy Roasted Chickpeas would work too!
- Try another base. Instead of noodles, you can use cooked white or brown rice, or try quinoa for a little extra protein.
- Make it a salad. Skip the noodles and serve with a spring mix or chopped romaine.
Meal Prep Tips
If you’re making this banh mi bowl recipe for meal prep, storage containers with compartments will come in handy. Store the noodles tossed with sauce in one compartment, the tofu in another, and the veggies in a third. Bring the mayo in a little container and drizzle it on just before serving. (If you don’t have containers with compartments, you can store everything together; the textures just won’t be quite as fresh!)
How to Store
These banh mi bowls will last in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you’d like, you can heat the noodles and tofu before serving, but I usually just eat them cold!
Banh Mi Rice Noodle Bowl
Ingredients
For the Bowl Assembly:
- 8 ounces rice noodles, 225g
- 1 batch air fryer tofu
- 1 cup thinly sliced purple cabbage, 70g
- 1 cup cucumber slices, 120g
- ½ cup pickled radishes and carrots, 85g
- 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, 15g
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
Vegan Nuoc Cham Sauce
- 3 tablespoons lime juice, 45mL
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 30mL
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 15mL
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tamari, 30mL
- ¼ teaspoon chilli flakes, 0.5g
Sriracha Mayo:
- ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise, 60g
- 1-2 teaspoons sriracha, adjust to spice preference – 5–10mL
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook rice noodles according to package instructions (usually 4–6 minutes), then drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
- While noodles are cooking, thinly slice the purple cabbage, cucumber, jalapeño, and radishes if not already pickled. Wash and dry the cilantro leaves.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, rice vinegar, maple syrup, minced garlic, chilli flakes and tamari for the nuoc cham sauce. Add a splash of water if you want a lighter flavor.
- In another small bowl, stir together vegan mayo and sriracha. Adjust to taste.
- Divide the noodles evenly between 4 bowls.Toss the cooked noodles in a tablespoon of the Nuoc Cham Sauce. Top with air fryer tofu, purple cabbage, cucumbers, pickled radish and carrot, jalapeño slices, and fresh cilantro.
- Finish with a generous drizzle of sriracha mayo. Serve with a lime wedge on the side and additional Nuoc Cham sauce.
Notes
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
