Mì Quảng chay, a vegetarian recipe from Vietnam

Name: Mì Quảng chay
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: 400 g fresh flat rice noodles; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 300 g firm tofu, cubed; 6 fresh shiitake, sliced; 1 onion, sliced; 4 garlic cloves, chopped; 1 litre vegetable stock; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tsp sugar; 80 g roasted peanuts, crushed; 2 sesame rice crackers; A large bunch of mint, Thai basil and lettuce

Mì Quảng chay

Local name: Mì Quảng chay

Also written: my quang chay

Turmeric-stained rice noodles in a shallow broth with tofu, peanuts and shards of toasted sesame rice cracker.

Published on 19 June 2026·Updated on 26 September 2026

Vegan#noodles#turmeric#tofu#peanuts#herbs

Method

Toss the noodles with the turmeric and a spoonful of oil so the colour coats them evenly. Set aside.
Brown the tofu cubes on all sides in an oiled pan, then lift them out.
In the same pan, fry the onion and garlic for 3 minutes, add the shiitake and cook for another 5.
Pour in the stock, soy sauce and sugar, return the tofu, and simmer for 15 minutes. The liquid should stay shallow and concentrated.
Grill the rice crackers for 1 minute a side, until they puff and brown in patches. Break them into shards.
Divide the noodles between bowls, ladle over enough broth to cover them halfway, then add tofu, peanuts, herbs and cracker shards.

Mì Quảng comes with very little broth, halfway up the noodles, which is what sets it apart from phở. The herbs and the crisp cracker go on last so they keep their texture. Tamari labelled wheat free replaces the soy sauce to avoid gluten.

The techniques this recipe uses

Sweat the aromatics
Medium heat, no browning: the onion should turn translucent and sweet, not toasted.

Frequently asked questions

Why is there so little broth in the bowl?

That is the signature of mì Quảng: the liquid comes only halfway up the noodles and stays short and concentrated, unlike phở which submerges them. You toss the bowl before eating so that dense broth coats the noodles. Resist the urge to add more.

What can replace the sesame rice cracker?

It supplies the crunch that gives the bowl its structure. Failing that, a larger handful of roasted peanuts or some fried shallots give comparable contrast. Either way, add it at the last moment, as it softens the instant it meets the broth.

How do I make this gluten free?

Swap the soy sauce for tamari labelled wheat free, which does exactly the same job. Also check the fresh rice noodles and the cracker, which should be rice-based only. Nothing else in the recipe contains wheat, provided the stock is homemade or labelled gluten free.

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Mì Quảng chay

Method

The techniques this recipe uses

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Nutrition per serving

Frequently asked questions

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