herbs

Crispy Tempeh Vermicelli Bowls with Sweet and Sour Lime Sauce

April 16, 2025 By Courtney West Leave a Comment

Fresh, light, and packed with protein, these crispy tempeh vermicelli bowls with sweet and sour lime sauce are ready in just 20-25 minutes. This vegan lunch or dinner recipe is full of colorful veggies and is perfect for days when you want to keep cooking at a minimum. (vegan and gluten free recipe)

These vermicelli bowls are what I dream of eating as the weather starts to warm up. They’re inspired by one of my favorite Vietnamese dishes, Bún Chay, which is typically made up of a combination of vermicelli rice noodles, lettuce, crisp veggies like cucumber and carrot, fresh herbs, and a vegetarian protein like tofu. For my version, I used crispy tempeh to keep it high protein and simple to prepare. While the tempeh crisps up in the pan, you can chop the veggies, cook the noodles, and whisk together the sauce making prep for this vegan dinner recipe a breeze!

Why You’ll Love This Crispy Tempeh Vermicelli Bowl

It’s ready in about 20 minutes!
It’s both vegan and gluten, as long as you check the ingredient labels on the hoisin and sweet chili sauce.
There’s minimal cooking involved.
It’s fresh and light but still packed with protein (about 25g per serving!).

Vermicelli Bowl Ingredients

Don’t be frightened by the longer ingredient list of this recipe! It’s mostly made up of veggies and the sauce components. Here’s a closer look at what makes these vermicelli bowls absolutely delicious:

Crispy Tempeh — for the protein, we’re cooking up crumbled tempeh in a pan until crispy. While the tempeh crisps up (about 10-15 minutes), you’ll be able to complete all of the remaining components of the recipe!
Vermicelli Rice Noodles — I love using these because they’re gluten free AND cook really quickly. The brand that I buy just needs a soak in boiled water for about 4 minutes. You can use different noodles if you prefer but I really like the lightness of vermicelli here.
Veggies, Herbs, and Garnishes — While any fresh veggies and herbs work here, I went with a combination of crisp romaine lettuce, Persian cucumbers, carrots, radishes, cilantro, and mint. Roasted peanuts add a crunchy element and a touch more protein. For a mild onion flavor, I scattered chopped scallions on top but you can leave them off if you prefer.
Sweet and Sour Lime Sauce — honestly, this is my favorite part of these vermicelli bowls! Don’t be thrown off by the boring brown color. This sauce is sweet, tangy, spicy, and has such a gorgeous depth of flavor thanks to the hoisin.

If you’re vegan, make sure to check that your sweet chili sauce is as well. Hoisin can sometimes contain gluten so make sure to check the label if you’re gluten free!

Putting Everything Together

You’ll need just about 20 minutes to bring everything together from start to finish. I recommend getting the tempeh started first as it will take about 10-15 minutes to crisp up in the pan. Make sure to crumble it into small pieces because it will cook faster! While the tempeh cooks, you can tackle the noodles, the veggies, and the sauce components. You can either serve everything like I did in the photos and create a separate mound of each component in your bowl. Or, you can toss the noodles and veggies together. Either way, don’t forget to drizzle on some of the sweet and sour lime sauce!

Want more Vegan and Vegetarian Dinner Recipes?

If you love these vermicelli bowls, I have a feeling you’ll really like this veggie sushi bowl with tofu and spicy mayo or these peanut noodles with edamame. Or, you can peruse all of the dinner recipes here.

Crispy Tempeh Vermicelli Bowls with Sweet and Sour Lime Sauce

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Author: Courtney West
Total Time: 20-25 minutes
Yield: 2 servings 1x
Diet: Vegan

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Description

Ingredients

Units Scale

8 ounces tempeh
1 tablespoon avocado oil
sea salt, to taste
1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
1/4 cup hoisin
2–3 tablespoons tamari
1 medium lime, zested and juiced
Sriracha, to taste (optional)
4 ounces vermicelli rice noodles
2 medium carrots
5–6 romaine lettuce leaves
2 Persian cucumbers, or 1 English cucumber
4–5 radishes
3 scallions
2–3 tablespoons roasted peanuts
1 handful fresh mint leaves
1 handful fresh cilantro

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Instructions

Heat a large skillet over medium. While the skillet comes to temperature, crumble the tempeh with your hands into small pieces (the smaller the better as it will cook faster).

Add the avocado oil to the hot skillet, followed by the crumbled tempeh and a pinch or two of salt. Stir, then allow the tempeh to cook undisturbed for about 3-4 minutes. After that, stir every 1-2 minutes until the tempeh is golden brown and crispy. This should take 10-15 minutes.

While the tempeh cooks, complete the remaining components. Add the sweet chili sauce, hoisin, 2 tablespoons of the tamari, and the lime juice and zest to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Taste the sauce and add more tamari as needed for saltiness and sriracha if you prefer a spicier flavor. Set the sauce aside.

Prepare the vermicelli rice noodles according to the package instructions then drain and rinse them under cold water.

Peel or scrub the carrots well then use a vegetable peeler to peel them into ribbons or use a box grater to shred them. Thinly slice the romaine lettuce. Ribbon the cucumbers or cut them into thin slices. Cut each radish in half then thinly slice. Trim off the roots and bruised tops then thinly slice the scallions. Chop the peanuts.

Divide everything between two bowls. Serve the sauce drizzled over the noodles or on the side for dipping.

Keep leftovers in an airtight container and enjoy within 3-4 days. The sauce will be good for up to a week. There is no need to reheat anything.

Notes

Want even more protein? Add some cooked shelled edamame to your bowl.
This can easily be doubled or tripled depending on how many servings you’d like to make.
Feel free to mix up the veggies. Sliced bell pepper, bean sprouts, avocado, and salad greens would also be great here.
Make sure to check the label of you sweet chili sauce to ensure that it is vegan and that your hoisin is gluten free if those are dietary concerns.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10-15 minutes
Category: main

Cherry Tomato Salad with Basil Chive Oil

May 27, 2024 By Courtney West 1 Comment

This cherry tomato salad with basil chive oil is super simple to make and packed with fresh, summery flavors. The best part is that there is no cooking involved! Enjoy this salad as a side or appetizer along with some crusty bread to soak up the tomatoes juices and basil chive oil.

It’s peak tomato season in Houston (and my garden!) so it felt appropriate to share this super simple cherry tomato salad. Sweet and juicy cherry tomatoes are topped with a flavorful basil chive oil and finished with a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts and sea salt. If you want to take it a smidge further, you can add a splash of fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar for a touch of acidity. That’s it! Super simple but packed with summery flavors.

Grab These Ingredients

You only need a handful of ingredients to make this simple and delicious salad. Here’s what you need:

Cherry Tomatoes — use any variety you like! I used a mix of Sunrise Bumblebee and Sun Gold tomatoes from my garden with a few larger cocktail tomatoes. The important thing is that you choose a variety that you like the taste of since they comprise the majority of the recipe.
Basil — fresh basil flavors the oil and pairs perfectly with the tomatoes. Feel free to use a standard Italian variety. I used lemon basil from my garden.
Chives — fresh onion chives add a depth of flavor to the herb oil that pairs well with both the basil and the tomatoes. If you don’t like chives, just double up on the basil!
Extra Virgin Olive Oil — this is the time to use a good-flavored olive oil since it is front and center in this recipe. I love to use this one these days but you can use any brand you like!
Salt — you’ll add a touch of salt to the herb oil then sprinkle some on the finished salad. I like to use a finely ground sea salt in the oil, then finish with a bit of flaky sea salt such as Maldon.
Toasted Pine Nuts — toasted pine nuts add a lovely, nutty flavor and delightful crunch to the salad. You can substitute with toasted sunflower seeds if you like since they’re more affordable and easier to find!

Make the Basil Chive Oil

It might sound fancy, but making the basil chive oil couldn’t be simpler. You’ll need either a food processor or an immersion blender and a tall jar. If you’re using a food processor, add the herbs and pulse several times until they are finely chopped. Then, with the blade running on the low setting, slowly add the olive oil. The oil is ready once everything looks emulsified and the oil is a lovely, deep shade of green. If you’re using an immersion blender, you’ll add the herbs to a tall jar and pulse with the blender until the herbs are finely chopped. Use one hand to hold the blender and keep it running while you slowly add the oil. Blend in a small pinch of salt then you’re done! Keep leftover oil in an airtight container in the fridge and use within a week.

Composing the Cherry Tomato Salad

Once you’ve made the basil chive oil, putting everything together is a breeze. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half or in quarters then arrange them on a large plate or platter. Sprinkle the toasted pine nuts over the top, then drizzle with some of the basil chive oil. Finish with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. If you prefer a more acidic taste, feel free to add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a few dashes of white wine vinegar. Serve as-is or alongside your favorite bread to soak up the juices!

Recipe Tips

This salad is best enjoyed right after it is made. If you prefer, you can make the basil chive oil up to a week ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to make the salad. The oil will solidify in the fridge but you can place the jar or container in a bowl of warm (not hot) water to help it come back to a liquid state.
In season, sun-ripened tomatoes will taste the absolute best so try to source them from a local farm (or friend’s garden)!
Make sure to fully emulsify the herbs into the oil. The oil should look smooth and be dark green in color. You shouldn’t see any larger pieces of herbs in it.

Looking for other recipes for tomato season? Try my favorite cucumber tomato salad or this fresh tomato tart with basil pesto!