The Best Vegan Asian Recipes (2024)

Here are 20 easy and delicious vegan Asian recipes that will turn a meat eater into a plant based food lover!

The Best Vegan Asian Recipes (1)

Easy plant based meals Here are some of my favorite vegan Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Thai dishes. Whether you are looking to serve a main dish or add a couple of sides to your meal, these vegan recipes are simple and easy enough for everyone to make.

1. Miso Soup

A classic Japanese vegetarian appetizer or side. And it only takes a few minutes to make. GET THE RECIPE

2. Korean Cucumber Salad

Spicy and smoky, this vegan Korean salad is often served as banchan (small dish served with rice). GET THE RECIPE

3. Chinese Lotus Root Salad

Dishes such as this lotus root salad is why I love vegan Chinese so much. It’s light, slightly sour and salty, with a satisfying crunch. GET THE RECIPE

4. Nasu Dengaku

Another traditional Japanese dish, nasu dengaku are eggplant broiled until tender, and brushed with a sweet and salty miso glaze. It’s one of my favorite eggplant dishes of all time. GET THE RECIPE

5. Doenjang Jjigae

A light and spicy vegetarian Korean bean paste soup packed with vegetables and tofu. GET THE RECIPE

6. Thai Potato Curry

A creamy and silky vegan potato and onion curry infused with flavors of Thailand. Delicious. GET THE RECIPE

7. Sweet and Sour Tofu

This sweet and sour dish is so delicious that your meat eating friends won’t believe it’s vegan! GET THE RECIPE

8. Baby Bok Choy Soup with Garlic and Ginger

Lots of depth of flavor in this simple Chinese vegetarian baby bok choy soup. The addition of dried shiitake mushrooms infuse the broth with plenty of umami. You will love this! GET THE RECIPE

9. Vegan Tantanmen

Vegan Japanese food like this bowl of tantanmen is what I crave when I want comfort food without the meat. GET THE RECIPE

10. Sour and Spicy Chinese Shredded Potatoes

A classic vegan Chinese dish, these shredded potatoes are pan fried with dried chilis and vinegar for a smoky and sour taste. I personally find this dish addictive! GET THE RECIPE

11. Smacked Cucumber with Chili Oil

Smacked and chopped cucumber pieces are drenched in a mix of chili oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and garlic. GET THE RECIPE

12. Vegan Jajangmyeon

A vegan Korean dish that’s not spicy! This jajangmyeon is made with mushrooms, cabbage, and zucchini (to replace the meat), while the noodles are coated in the traditional black bean sauce. Served with freshly chopped cucumber, this plant based version is both filling and satisfying! GET THE RECIPE

13. Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce

This is another eggplant dish I love. Tender pieces of eggplant stir fried with garlic, dried chilis, soy sauce, sesame oil, and vinegar, and topped with chopped scallions. GET THE RECIPE

14. Vegan Mapo Tofu

If you asked me to pick between vegan Chinese food and vegan Japanese, I wouldn’t be able to choose. Both cuisines are so good at finding the perfect ingredients to substitute for meat. This vegan mapo tofu is the perfect example – finely chopped mushrooms are used instead of ground meat and add so much depth of flavor and umami to the dish. It’s so good that I no longer eat the traditional version with ground meat. GET THE RECIPE

15. Tofu Chow Fun with Watercress

Pan fried noodles coated with soy sauce and topped with marinated tofu and watercress. Simple yet tasty! GET THE RECIPE

16. Spicy Vegan Sichuan Noodles

The original dish comes with pork but I thought it would be fun to use celery instead. You don’t miss the meat because the celery, when stir fried with mushrooms, gochujang, and soy sauce, takes on a meaty texture. It’s spicy, salty, and slightly pungent. GET THE RECIPE

17. Kung Pao Cauliflower

Beside looking stunning, this vegan kun pao cauliflower packs a punch in the flavor department. Crushed peanuts and Thai chilis add heat and nuttiness to this otherwise savory dish. GET THE RECIPE

18. Vegan Dan Dan Noodles

We’ve arrived at my favorite vegan Chinese noodle dish – the dan dan noodles. We make these noodles almost every week! The flavor profile has it all – spicy, salty, pungent, a little sweet, and a little sour. Perfection. GET THE RECIPE

19. Tofu Miso Dengaku

This is the tofu version of the Japanese vegetarian nasu dengaku recipe. Just as yummy but more filling. GET THE RECIPE

20. Easy Vegan Fried Rice

And finally, we couldn’t end the list of vegan Asian recipes without throwing a fried rice in there! This is a simple vegetable fried rice made with brown rice and seasoned with soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and ground black pepper. GET THE RECIPE

For A List Of Japanese Vegan Recipes, Read:

The Best Vegan Asian Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is vegan fish sauce? ›

The following are the key ingredients to this Vegan Fish Sauce:
  • Soy Sauce. Soy sauce serves as the base for this vegan fish sauce recipe. ...
  • Seaweed and Kelp. You can use all different kinds of seaweed for this fish sauce recipe. ...
  • Mushrooms. ...
  • Shallots. ...
  • Vinegar and Mirin. ...
  • Korean Apple Pear.
Mar 5, 2024

How to eat vegan without cooking? ›

16 No-Cook Vegan Recipes to Beat the Heat
  1. Berry Overnight Oats.
  2. Chia Breakfast Parfait.
  3. Enchanted Smoothie Bowl.
  4. Chickpea Salad Rolls.
  5. Tofu "Egg" Salad Sandwich.
  6. Rainbow Hummus Sandwich.
  7. Thai Crunch Salad With Peanut Dressing.
  8. Rainbow Salad.
Jul 21, 2022

How to make vegan food satisfying? ›

5 Tips for Making a Vegan Meal Feel Filling and Satisfying
  1. Balance the plate. I think the misconception that vegan meals are all veg and nothing else gets to the issue at hand. ...
  2. Flavor with herbs and spices. ...
  3. Take on the traditional. ...
  4. Mix up the cooking technique. ...
  5. Showcase the produce.
May 2, 2019

What sauce can vegans eat? ›

Many of these condiments may contain ingredients for which animals are harmed, so be sure to check the label.
  • Aioli. Aioli is traditionally a vegan condiment made with just garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. ...
  • Barbecue Sauce. ...
  • Chutney. ...
  • co*cktail Sauce. ...
  • Comeback Sauce. ...
  • Curry. ...
  • Fish Sauce. ...
  • Honey.

What is a vegan substitute for shrimp paste? ›

Is there a vegan alternative to shrimp paste? If you're buying curry paste or making your own, you may often find shrimp paste included as an ingredient. One way to replace that salty and umami taste that shrimp paste adds is to substitute in fermented soy paste or miso.

What snack foods can vegans eat? ›

Try These Popular Vegan Snacks (Chips, Cookies, and More)
  • Vegan Rob's Chips.
  • Rivalz Extra Chedda' Mac.
  • Outstanding Foods PigOut Pigless Pork Rinds.
  • Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars—Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate.
  • Trader Joe's Almond Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets.

What not to eat when going vegan? ›

Vegans don't eat any foods made from animals, including:
  • Beef, pork, lamb, and other red meat.
  • Chicken, duck, and other poultry.
  • Fish or shellfish such as crabs, clams, and mussels.
  • Eggs.
  • Cheese.
  • Butter.
  • Milk, cream, ice cream, and other dairy products.
  • Mayonnaise (because it includes egg yolks)
Nov 3, 2023

Is vegan the healthiest way to eat? ›

Is vegan a healthy lifestyle? Vegan diets can be a part of a healthy lifestyle when planned and implemented correctly. Like any eating plan to restrict specific food groups, vegan diets can come up short in essential nutrients such as protein, calcium, iron and vitamin B12.

What do vegans struggle with the most? ›

Numerous studies have shown that vegans consume insufficient calcium and vitamin D, not only owing to the absence of dairy products but also due to calcium bioavailability problems in plant-based diets [28]. Vitamin D insufficiency exacerbates calcium shortage further owing to impaired intestinal absorption.

How to be vegan while poor? ›

Staple vegan foods such as oats, lentils, pasta, rice and chickpeas are among the cheapest foods and are in *a lot* of vegan recipes, so should definitely make an appearance on your list. Oh, and avoid shopping whilst hungry.

Why do I feel hungry after going vegan? ›

The most common challenge we see is that “new” vegans and vegetarians do not eat enough calories throughout the day. Snacking is a great way to stay full! Make sure you are incorporating snacks between meals. These snacks allow you to meet your calorie needs as well as manage your hunger between meals.

Does vegan fish sauce taste like fish sauce? ›

Vegan fish sauce alternatives can be made from a mixture of soy sauce and seaweed, or from plant-based ingredients such as soybeans, chickpeas, and pea protein, which are fermented and then combined with salt and other seasonings to give it a similar flavor profile to fish sauce.

What is vegan fish Flavour made of? ›

Like the real thing, it enhances South East Asian style sauces for spring rolls, curries, stir-fries and salad dressings. Ingredients: Non-GMO Fermented Soy Beans, Kelp Seaweed, White Carrot, Chinese Yellow Cabbage, Dry Mustard Greens, Sea Salt and Energised Water.

Does vegan fish sauce taste the same? ›

We'll cut to the chase: it's a big yes. It turns out, there are a few different ways to replicate the signature deep flavor of fish sauce using only plant-based ingredients. But if you don't want to make it, you can also buy it, too. Here, we've gathered some of the best vegan fish sauce brands on the market.

Does vegan fish sauce have fish? ›

Yes, there are vegetarian and vegan alternatives to traditional fish sauce that are made without fish or other seafood. These alternatives can be made from a variety of ingredients, such as soy sauce, seaweed, and mushrooms.

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