Healthy Vietnamese Recipes

This comforting slow-cooker soup is inspired by pho, the traditional Vietnamese noodle dish made with rice noodles and meat, and served in a flavorful, clear broth with a multitude of garnishes. For this recipe, we've used low-sodium chicken broth seasoned with star anise, clove, ginger and cinnamon. Ngo gai (culantro) and onion are also commonly used to flavor the broth. It's perfect for the slow-cooker because pho usually simmers for at least three hours, becoming infused with the flavor of the spices. For garnishing, we've lined up bean sprouts, basil, mint, cilantro, sliced chile and lime wedges, but you could also use cabbage or scallions. One of the best parts of this dish is how customizable it is.

Pho is a traditional Vietnamese noodle dish made with rice noodles and meat, and served in a flavorful, clear broth with a multitude of garnishes. For this recipe, we've used unsalted beef broth seasoned with garlic, ginger, pepper, cinnamon, and clove. Star anise and ngo gai (culantro) are also commonly used to flavor the broth. It simmers for just 15 minutes, becoming infused the flavor of the spices, but broth for traditional pho may simmer for hours. For garnishing, we've lined up bean sprouts, scallions, basil, chiles and lime, but you could also use cabbage, mint or cilantro. One of the best parts of this dish is how customizable it is.

This sophisticated-looking shrimp summer roll recipe is surprisingly easy to make and makes a great party appetizer or first course. Look for rice-paper wrappers--translucent round sheets made from rice flour--in the Asian section of large supermarkets or at Asian food stores.

In addition to being a delicious dipping sauce for dumplings, this can be used as a marinade for chicken, pork or tofu.

French colonial rule in Vietnam influenced the country's cooking profoundly, as here with this street-food sandwich (banh mi), usually served on a baguette. The spicy mayo melange really adds tartness and spice. You could also use it for dressing a Vietnamese-inspired coleslaw.

Typically, the Vietnamese noodle soup pho may take hours to make, as the broth simmers away becoming more and more flavorful. But for this recipe inspired by pho, we cook the aromatics and spices before adding the broth, which helps releases more flavor from them, cutting down on simmer down.

Large, untorn butter lettuce leaves are best for rolling up the filling in these Asian lettuce wraps without breaking. If you use larger shrimp, chop them before cooking to make the wraps easier to eat. Serve as a first course or light dinner with a side of rice or noodles.

This banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) is filled with a zingy slaw and chicken-and-pork meatballs spiked with fresh herbs. Look for chile-garlic sauce and fish sauce near other Asian ingredients in most supermarkets.

Broccoli gets a whirl in your food processor, with rice-like results, in this healthy dinner recipe. Serve with hot sauce and limes for an extra kick.

A simple dressing of fish sauce, lime juice and hot pepper gives broccoli rabe a Vietnamese twist. Try it with grilled pork and rice.

A flavorful sauce and lots of crunchy vegetables make this seitan stir-fry a quick and healthy choice for dinner tonight!

Do chua are crunchy, colorful Vietnamese carrot and daikon pickles that are often served with banh mi. We add star anise for a flavorful twist, but you can skip it if you're not a fan of the flavor. These pickles can keep for weeks in the fridge, so make a batch to keep on hand when you need an acidic bite.