Bánh Canh Chay (Vegetarian Tapioca Noodle Soup)

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Banh canh chay is a light vegetarian noodle soup topped with various mushrooms, fresh and fried tofu. This version will have a light-tasting broth but packs amazing flavors in the brouth from all the vegetables that are slow simmered.

Banh canh chay is a great vegetarian alternative to Bánh Canh Giò Heo Tôm (Pork hock) or Bánh Canh Cua (Crab and Shrimp). The broth is thickened by adding cornstarch slurry and is a great dish to make to switch up the noodle soup menu at home.

Many Vietnamese noodles soups are simmered with pork or chicken bones like pho ga, while this may not have the depth of flavors from the bones it will pack major vegetable broth with all the vegetables that are added to simmer. 

Why we love this recipe

Vegetarian option. This broth had depth even though it is made strictly with vegetables. Some days I want to just eat a light and clean noodle soup on a cold winter night or have a light lunch on a spring day. Check out my Banh Bao Chay for more vegetarian recipes

Less time to make the broth. There is no doubt a bone broth will yield a deep-flavored soup, but don’t be mistaken this vegetarian option can satisfy those noodle cravings if you are short on time or don’t have any bones available. This can be made in the instant pot in under 30 minutes or if you want to simmer it on the stovetop can be made in 1 hour.

Why make this?

Light broth. Bone broth is commonly made for many Vietnamese noodle soups, this vegetarian option is a nice alternative to bone broth. Using vegetables to create a deep vegetable flavor to change up the so you can have a variety of soups to enjoy.

Fresh banh canh. Banh can noodles are made with tapioca starch. It has a lovely bounce when you bite into it. You can buy premade banh can noodle or make them fresh at home.

What is banh canh

Banh canh is the type of noodle made with tapioca or a mixture of tapioca flour and rice flour. It is thicker and round shaped compared to pho noodles. This is the lesser-known type of noodle that is used in many Vietnamese noodle soups. The first dish to come to mind when you think of Vietnamese food is Pho, but when you try banh canh (tapioca noodles)

Ingredients, adjustments and variations

Celery. I was never a huge fan of celery growing up. Now I always have celery in my fridge ready to chop up and add to a soup or broth. Celery adds a nice slightly sweet flavor to the broth.

Carrots. Carrots will sweeten the broth as well.

Daikon radish. Daikon radish is also one of those vegetables that I love to add to my cart when I’m grocery shopping. The daikon also adds a mellow sweetness.

Chinese cabbage. Chinese cabbage is sweet compared to round cabbage. 

Onion. Char the onions to bring out the flavor. I char it in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove the dark charred parts to keep the broth from turning dark.

Shiitake mushrooms. I use dried shiitake mushrooms and you can find them at your local Chinese supermarket in the dried food section. I always have them on hand because it’s a pantry item that you always want to have ready to rehydrate if you want to whip up a Chinese dish. Shiitake mushrooms have an earthy and smoky flavor. I love that the mushrooms will absorb flavor when you cook or steam them in many Asian dishes. However, when you make a broth with mushrooms its adds that flavor to the broth when you simmer it long enough. They eventually lose their flavor as it gets developed into the broth.

Vegetable stock powder. The brand I use is made by Maggi.

Salt. Will elevate the flavors from the vegetables.

Sugar. Only a little bit is needed to add more sweetness.

Annatto oil (optional). Annatto oil is made with annatto seeds and oil. Heating the oil will bring out the orange/red and create a oil that is nicely colored.

Cornstarch. Used to make the cornstarch slurry. Unlike the popular pho, Banh canh is unique in that the broth is thicker. It makes slurping the noodles easier and it slips right down your throat! I always make the cornstarch slurry.

Fresh mushrooms. Add your favorite fresh mushrooms. I like to use a combination of fresh shiitake, king and enoki mushrooms. 

Fried tofu. At Asian supermarkets, you will find various types of tofu. The firm fried tofu works best for this recipe. When the tofu is fried it keeps its shape even after it is been stir-fried. I also love the outer texture of fried tofu.

Medium firm fried tofu. The fried firm tofu will give more variety of toppings. If you would prefer to skip tofu you can add vegetarian meat.  To find authentic vegeratiaran meat used in Asian cuisine, look for it at specialty shops.

Banh Canh or Japanese Udon. Not going to lie. Often times I have no time to make fresh banh canh from scratch. I buy Japanese udon noodles because it saves me a lot of time. Find the Japanese udon at the local Asian supermarket. They are packaged in individual sizes so you will need about 1 pack per serving. If you are ambitious and looking to make your own homemade banh canh 

Green onions. Chopped finely and top the soup.

Cilantro/coriander. Chopped finely and add as a topping. The combination of green onions and cilantro in this broth makes a huge difference in the flavor of the broth.

Fried shallots. This is known as crispy fried shallots or Hành Phi. Making this in advance and having a jar stocked to last you for a couple of weeks so you can add it to any soup is going to be a game changer. Adding the fried shallots brings out this kick of smoky shallot flavor. 

Lemon or lime juice. Balances out the flavors of the soup.

How to make this recipe

Char Onion. Char the onion by either baking in the oven at 400F for 15- 20 minutes or over the stovetop. Scrape off the charred parts. Set aside.

Simmer the broth. In a large stockpot, bring to boil the water (3 litres) and add celery, carrots, daikon radish, Chinese cabbage, onion and shiitake mushrooms. Turn the heat down to simmer for 1.5 hours. Once the broth is ready drain the vegetables and set aside.

Cook the toppings. In a large pan heat up oil. Add the mushrooms and fried tofu and stir fry for 3-4 minutes. Add the medium-firm tofu, vegetable stock powder and salt. Gently stir for 2-3 minutes. Avoid stirring to hard otherwise, the medium-firm tofu will break apart. Set aside.

Prepare noodles. Follow the instructions on the noodle package. For this recipe I used Japanese udon noodles. I bring a pot of water to boil and add the udon noodles. Using chopsticks I loosen the noodles and let it boil for about 1-2 minutes. Drain the noodles and set aside.

Flavor the broth. Add the vegetable stock, salt and sugar to flavor the broth. Add the annatto oil if you are adding to the broth. Turn the heat to medium high and pour the cornstarch slurry. Stir continuously until the soup thickens. Adjust the flavoring to your preference.

Put together your noodle bowl. Add the noodles to the bowl. Top with a variety of vegetarian toppings. Ladle the thickened broth and top with green onions, fried shallots and squeeze some lemon/lime juice. Enjoy!

Success Tips for making the best Banh Canh Chay

Add cornstarch. Adding a cornstarch slurry to thicken the soup. Traditionally banh canh gio heo tom or banh canh cua which is made with bone broth and topped with pork and shrimp use cornstarch slurry to thicken the soup. It gives it a nice bite and goes down really nicely while you slurp the tapioca noodles. 

Fresh vegetables. Using fresh ingredients for the broth to get the best flavors. Fresh ingredients makes the broth taste better, and the broth is the heart of the dish.

Recipe FAQs

Is tapioca vegetarian?

If you have tapioca noodles available at your Asian supermarket tapioca noodles are vegan. However, depending if you make your own homemade banh canh or purchase the premade ones you should check the ingredients list to make sure it vegan.

Tapioca by itself is vegan and does not contain any animal products.

Is banh canh gluten free?

Tapioca flour and rice flour are both gluten-free. Generally, when banh canh is made its made with tapioca flour, rice flour is a combination of both types of flour.

Can I skip the annatto oil for this recipe?

The annatto oil is optional. The oil has a mild fragrance and the taste is subtle. The oil adds a beautiful red/orange color to the broth. Adding or omitting this will not alter the taste of the broth but will surely make a nice aesthetic color. Feel free to skip this if you do not have the seeds available.

How to serve

Banh Canh Chay can be served for lunch or dinner. On a spring day enjoy this noodle soup with a Vietnamese Avocado Smoothie.

How to store

If you have extra banh canh chay soup store it in an airtight container for 3 days in the refrigerator. Unfortunately, since the broth has been thickened it does not freeze well. 

The banh canh noodles can be stored in refrigerated for 3 days. You can toss the cold noodles in the broth when you warm it up. It will absorb all the flavor into the noodles. 

If you make this recipe, and like it, please give it a rating in the recipe card below and let us know in the comments at the end of the post.

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