Gluten Free
High Protein Vermicelli Noodle Bowl with Crispy Tofu (Vietnamese-Inspired)
Prep
30 minutes
Cook
1 hour
Yield
3 - 4 servings
This Vermicelli Noodle Bowl recipe is an easy, fresh, and healthy recipe loaded with protein. It's perfect for a summer lunch or dinner!
This delicious high-protein vermicelli noodle bowl is inspired by the flavorful, colorful Vietnamese noodle dishes that are fresh and the perfect summer meal. This Vermicelli Noodle Bowl recipe is a great one for a hot summer day, and easy lunch or dinner. It is loaded with healthy ingredients that’ll keep your body, and most importantly, your gut healthy. Speaking of gut, I like to pair a healthy lunch like this with Seed which is a go-to capsule I take every day for overall health, but especially gut health. I’ll talk more about that below!
Why you’ll love this Vermicelli Noodle Bowl:
- Easy: This recipe can be created in only 90-minutes but prepped in just 30.
- Flavorful: The Vietnamese-inspired flavors in this bowl are so flavorful and delicious. I love the fresh herbs, the peanut sauce, and the spring rolls
- Good for You: This recipe is so good-for-you and combines the health benefits of a ton of veggies alongside the protein that is so necessary for a fulfilling meal
Ingredient Notes:
Tamari: This is a Japanese sauce made from fermented soybeans. It’s thicker than Chinese soy sauce, making it great for dipping as well. However, you’ll often find it as an ingredient in Asian-inspired dishes and sauces like this one. The good news is, that it’s also vegan and gluten-free.
Thai Basil: What’s the difference between Thai basil and regular basil? Let me tell you. Thai basil is part of the same family that regular basil is in but it’s more commonly used in Asian and Thai cuisine. Unlike its cousin, Italian basil, this basil has a sturdy, resilient leaf that can stand up well through cooking vs. wilting like Italian basil.
Tofu: The crispy tofu in this bowl is your protein source and it’s so good. Not everyone LOVES tofu, but I strongly believe it’s because they’ve never had it cooked for them properly. Tofu can be made so many different ways, and crispy is one of my favs because it adds a crunch to a bowl like this.
How to make a Vermicelli Noodle Bowl:
- To make the crispy tofu: Preheat the oven to 400F and prepare a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Drain the excess water from the tofu package and cut it into small cubes.
- Transfer to a medium-sized bowl and add the tamari, cornstarch, olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
- Mix the ingredients together, without breaking the cubes.
- Set onto the prepared tray and bake for 25 – 30 minutes until golden brown. Make sure to flip halfway through.
- To make the spring rolls: Add olive oil and garlic into a pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the smoked tofu and cook until slightly golden.
- Add the remaining vegetables and cook for 3 – 4 minutes, until they are wilted.
- Mix together the cornstarch, oyster sauce, and tamari in a small bowl.
- Add this mixture to the veggies and combine until everything is coated and slightly sticky.
- Set aside and allow to cool.
- Mix together a small amount of cornstarch and water, to seal the rolls.
- One at a time, peel off a spring roll wrapper and place the smooth side down.
- Place a spoonful of the mixture at the bottom of the wrapper.
- Roll it up halfway, fold in the sides and finish rolling.
- Use the cornstarch and water mixture to seal.
- Repeat these steps for all of the spring rolls.
- Add enough avocado oil into a large saucepan so that it is double the height of the spring rolls.
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat until 365F.
- Carefully place the spring rolls in the oil, about 5 at a time, cook, and turn until deep golden brown in color. This will be about 1 ½ – 2 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked spring rolls to a paper towel to drain excess oil.
- Repeat these steps for all of the spring rolls.
- Set all of the prepared salad bowl ingredients into separate dishes.
- Prepare individual bowls using all of the ingredients, adding a couple of spring rolls to each dish.
- Serve with the peanut sauce and ENJOY!!
Expert Tips & FAQ:
I don’t have cornstarch: Replace the cornstarch in the recipe for equal parts of arrowroot powder.
Get Creative: Personalize your bowl by adding or swapping any ingredients; add peppers, green onion, and sesame seeds… it’s ENDLESS!
I don’t like peanut butter: Swap the peanut butter in the sauce with almond or cashew butter.
Spring Roll Tip: The spring rolls can be made with gluten-free wrappers AND prepared ahead of time and frozen. Bake the frozen spring rolls at 400F for 15 – 20 minutes. If you would like, use premade spring rolls! However, this recipe is delicious!!
Storage: Store this Vermicelli Noodle Bowl, without the dressing, in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 – 4 days. Add the dressing upon serving.
How to support your gut health: To further support a healthy microbiome, I recommend incorporating Seed’s DS-01™ Daily Synbiotic into your routine. DS-01™ is a pre-and-probiotic containing 24 clinically and scientifically studied probiotic strains (and 53.6 billion AFU) for benefits in and beyond the gut. Think healthy regularity, ease of bloating, smooth skin, heart health, and so much more.
What is at is your microbiome? The human microbiome is a community of 38,000,000,000,000 (that’s 38 trillion) microorganisms, mostly bacteria, living in and on your body. The genes harbored in these trillions of microbial cells are essential for human development, immunity, and nutrition. There is a close relationship between what we eat and our gut microbiome, which means that we can improve our health by modifying our diet. No surprise there, right?
Use code FOODBYMARIA for 15% off your first month’s supply of Seed’s DS-01™. And be sure to follow Seed for more information on the importance of nutrition and digestion.
Other healthy recipes to enjoy:
For more eBooks:
If you want more deliciousness at the click of your finger, be sure to check out FoodByMaria’s Newest Mini Cookbooks. Limited time offer of 3 for $20USD.
For more Greek Recipes:
If you want more Greek Recipes, check out our Free Greek Recipe Mini Cookbook! We also have an incredible APP for you to access at all times (yes, online and offline) all our recipes with a click of your finger – check it out here.
For more amazing recipes:
Loved this recipe? Good! We can give you access to Maria’s most famous recipes, check out our Top Ten Recipes Mini Cookbook! We also have an incredible APP for you to access at all times (yes, online and offline) all our recipes with a click of your finger – check in out here.
Vermicelli Noodle Bowl
Ingredients
For the Crispy Tofu:
- 350 g package of firm tofu
- 2 tbsp. tamari
- 1 ½ tbsp. corn starch
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. black pepper
For the Spring Rolls:
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 cup smoked tofu finely diced
- 2 cups shiitake mushrooms finely diced
- 1 large carrot shredded
- 1 ½ cups bean sprouts
- 2 cups green cabbage shredded
- 1 tsp. corn starch
- 2 tbsp. oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp. tamari
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 15 - 20 spring roll or egg roll wrappers
- avocado oil for frying
For the bowl:
- 3 cakes Lotus Foods Ramen OR vermicelli cooked
- 1 small head of romaine lettuce shredded
- 1 large carrot matchsticks
- ⅔ long English cucumber matchsticks
- 1 fresh mango diced
- ½ cup peanuts chopped
- 2 tbsp. fresh Thai basil chopped
- 2 tbsp. fresh mint chopped
- Peanut Sauce Recipe
Instructions
To make the crispy tofu:
- Preheat the oven to 400F and prepare a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Drain the excess water from the tofu package and cut it into small cubes.
- Transfer to a medium-sized bowl and add the tamari, cornstarch, olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
- Mix the ingredients together, without breaking the cubes.
- Set onto the prepared tray and bake for 25 - 30 minutes until golden brown. Make sure to flip halfway through.
To make the spring rolls:
- Add olive oil and garlic into a pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the smoked tofu and cook until slightly golden.
- Add the remaining vegetables and cook for 3 - 4 minutes, until they are wilted.
- Mix together the cornstarch, oyster sauce, and tamari in a small bowl.
- Add this mixture to the veggies and combine until everything is coated and slightly sticky.
- Set aside and allow to cool.
- Mix together a small amount of cornstarch and water, to seal the rolls.
- One at a time, peel off a spring roll wrapper and place the smooth side down.
- Place a spoonful of the mixture at the bottom of the wrapper.
- Roll it up halfway, fold in the sides and finish rolling.
- Use the cornstarch and water mixture to seal.
- Repeat these steps for all of the spring rolls.
- Add enough avocado oil into a large saucepan so that it is double the height of the spring rolls.
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat until 365F.
- Carefully place the spring rolls in the oil, about 5 at a time, cook and turn until deep golden brown in color. This will be about 1 ½ - 2 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked spring rolls to a paper towel to drain excess oil.
- Repeat these steps for all of the spring rolls.
- Set all of the prepared salad bowl ingredients into separate dishes.
- Prepare individual bowls using all of the ingredients, adding a couple of spring rolls to each dish.
- Serve with the peanut sauce and ENJOY!!
