vietnameseeasy
Vegetarische Bún Chay (Vietnamesische vegetarische Reisnudelschale)
35 min 2
Read 01 / Cuisines · Southeast Asian
Vietnamese.
Three ingredients in tight conversation.
6 recipes4 core techniques10-item pantry
02 / Intro · The shape of it
Vietnamese cooking is restraint disguised as variety. A bowl of phở looks complex but is fundamentally three things in tight conversation: a clean broth, the right noodles, and a riot of fresh herbs. A bánh mì is bread, pâté, pickles, herbs, protein — five components that have to land at exactly the same time on a soft-crust baguette.
The herb-and-vegetable counter is the unsung hero. A Vietnamese cook doesn't think of basil, mint, perilla, cilantro, and rau ram as garnish — they're ingredients you bite into raw, in handfuls, alongside whatever's in the bowl. The herbs make the dish.
Souschef's Vietnamese recipes lean into the daily food of Hanoi and the Mekong Delta — phở, bún, cháo, gỏi cuốn, bánh mì. We won't shortcut the broth (six hours minimum, Anh Linh insists), but we'll show you how to do it once on a Sunday and freeze portions for fast weeknight lunches.
03 / Techniques · The four that matter
Master these first.
01
Charring aromatics for broth
Whole onion and a knob of ginger, blackened directly on a gas flame or under the broiler before going into the pot. The char is the smoke at the bottom of every great phở.
02
Skimming with patience
First 30 minutes of broth, scumming and skimming every 5 minutes until the surface runs clear. A muddy phở starts with skipped skimming. There's no recovery.
03
Toasted spice satchel
Star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, clove, coriander — dry-toasted in a pan until fragrant, then tied in cheesecloth. Goes into the broth at the 4-hour mark, comes out at hour 5.5.
04
Raw herbs at service
Phở, bún, gỏi — every Vietnamese noodle/salad dish gets a fistful of raw herbs at the bowl, not in the pot. Heat from the broth wilts them just enough.
04 / Soundtrack · Saigon Acoustic Cafe
Cook to this.
05 / The library · 6 vietnamese recipes
Tonight's dinner.
vietnamesemedium
Cơm Tấm Sườn Bì Chả (Vietnamesischer Reis mit gegrilltem Schweinekotelett)
55 min 2
Read 
vietnamesemedium
Gỏi Cuốn (Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls with Shrimp and Pork)
Rice paper wraps stuffed with tender shrimp, pork belly, rice noodles, and fresh herbs. The trick is hydrating the wrapper just enough—too long and it tears, too short and it won't seal.
25 min 2
Read 
vietnamesemedium
Bún Chả (Vietnamesische gegrillte Schweinefleisch-Nudeln)
50 min 2
Read 
vietnameseeasy
Bánh Mì Thịt Nguội (Vietnamesisches Baguette-Sandwich)
15 min 2
Read 
vietnamesemedium
Phở Bò (Vietnamesische Rindernudelsuppe)
210 min 2
Read 06 / FAQ · The cook's questions
About vietnamese.
Can I shortcut the phở broth?
Yes — Better than Bouillon pho base is a decent shortcut for weeknight bowls. But for the real version, set aside a Sunday afternoon, do it once, freeze in 500ml containers. The next phở is a 15-minute lunch.
What's the difference between Hanoi and Saigon phở?
Hanoi (northern) phở is clearer, less sweet, served with fewer raw herbs. Saigon (southern) phở is darker, sweeter, comes with a heaped plate of bean sprouts and Thai basil. Both are correct. Pick a side.
Do I really need fish sauce?
Yes. Vietnamese cuisine without fish sauce is like Italian without olive oil — the substitution changes the dish into something else. Get one bottle. It lasts forever.
Souschef · Vietnamese · 2026