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Regional & International
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Ever-Green Vietnamese: Super-Fresh Recipes, Starring Plants from Land and Sea [A Plant-Based Cookbook]
Plant-based cooking meets the dynamic flavors of Vietnamese cuisine in these 125+ recipes and variations-from the James Beard Award–winning author of Vietnamese Food Every Day
Although many people think of Vietnamese cooking as beefy pho and meat-filled sandwiches, traditional Vietnamese cooking has always involved a lot of plants and seafood and a little meat. In Ever-Green Vietnamese, Andrea Nguyen details how cooks in her home country draw on their natural resourcefulness and Buddhist traditions to showcase a wide array of herbs and vegetables in flavorful, comforting recipes.
Filled with the brilliant advice and exceptional teaching Nguyen is known for, the book offers recipes for flavor-boosting condiments and sauces (her incredible DIY vegan fish sauce), exciting ways to enjoy tofu, and dozens of vegetable-driven sides and mains, including a few that incorporate a bit of meat (many with vegetarian or vegan options). Home cooks will revel in Nguyen's ingenious recipes for:
favorite snacks, like Smoky Tofu-Nori Wontons and Steamed Veggie BaoVietnamese classics, like Fast Vegetarian Pho and Banh Mi with Vegan Mayonnaise and Bolognasimple sides, like Nuoc Cham Cabbage Stir-Fry and Green Mango, Beet, and Herb Saladwholesome hacks, like Sweet Potato and Shrimp Fritters and Oven-Fried Crispy Shiitake Imperial Rolls
Full of cultural context, loads of instruction, and practical cooking tips, Ever-Green Vietnamese is perfect for anyone looking to incorporate plant-based Vietnamese cooking into their busy lives.
Although many people think of Vietnamese cooking as beefy pho and meat-filled sandwiches, traditional Vietnamese cooking has always involved a lot of plants and seafood and a little meat. In Ever-Green Vietnamese, Andrea Nguyen details how cooks in her home country draw on their natural resourcefulness and Buddhist traditions to showcase a wide array of herbs and vegetables in flavorful, comforting recipes.
Filled with the brilliant advice and exceptional teaching Nguyen is known for, the book offers recipes for flavor-boosting condiments and sauces (her incredible DIY vegan fish sauce), exciting ways to enjoy tofu, and dozens of vegetable-driven sides and mains, including a few that incorporate a bit of meat (many with vegetarian or vegan options). Home cooks will revel in Nguyen's ingenious recipes for:
favorite snacks, like Smoky Tofu-Nori Wontons and Steamed Veggie BaoVietnamese classics, like Fast Vegetarian Pho and Banh Mi with Vegan Mayonnaise and Bolognasimple sides, like Nuoc Cham Cabbage Stir-Fry and Green Mango, Beet, and Herb Saladwholesome hacks, like Sweet Potato and Shrimp Fritters and Oven-Fried Crispy Shiitake Imperial Rolls
Full of cultural context, loads of instruction, and practical cooking tips, Ever-Green Vietnamese is perfect for anyone looking to incorporate plant-based Vietnamese cooking into their busy lives.
Editorial Reviews
"The icon who is Andrea Nguyen has written yet another cookbook that will inevitably become stained from all the recipes I will cook from it. Nguyen shows us how to bring a range of highly delicious, vegetable-forward Vietnamese flavors into our own kitchens."-Andy Baraghani, author, The Cook You Want to Be
"As many of us try to navigate how to introduce more greens into our lives without compromising our preferences and nostalgia, [this book] is an invitation to confidently move in this direction. Colorful, rich, and inviting, Nguyen shows us yet again why she is one of the preeminent culinary educators in the United States."-Stephen Satterfield, founder, Whetstone Media, and Peabody Award–winning host
"If I feel like cooking Vietnamese food, Andrea Nguyen is the person I turn to. Through her cookbooks, she has been a presence in my kitchen for years."-Diana Henry, James Beard Award–winning cookbook author and journalist
"I consider all of Nguyen's books on Vietnamese cuisine to be my guiding lights when it comes to cooking the cuisine of my family's home country. And this latest book . . . provides wonderful validation for vegetarians and vegans who want to maintain a soul connection to Vietnamese food and culture."-Soleil Ho, critic-at-large, San Francisco Chronicle
"If you're looking for a modern, plant-centric take on Vietnamese cooking, Nguyen delivers. I've cooked more from this book than any other this year. This is a masterful resource rooted in tradition, brimming with fresh inspiration."-Heidi Swanson, James Beard Award–winning author, Super Natural Every Day and Super Natural Simple
"Andrea Nguyen['s] finesse with tofu, smart veganized swaps for common seasoning staples, and tips on how to work with everyday ingredients are a highlight of this book, as are the recipes. Her techniques are simple and smart, and I know eating more plants will be an even tastier endeavor now that she is my guide."-Ben Mims, cooking columnist, The Los Angeles Times
"I have turned to Andrea Nguyen's writings and recipes many times for guidance and the reassurance that comes with her vast knowledge and authority. These plant-forward recipes are as timeless and essential as her advice has always been."
"As many of us try to navigate how to introduce more greens into our lives without compromising our preferences and nostalgia, [this book] is an invitation to confidently move in this direction. Colorful, rich, and inviting, Nguyen shows us yet again why she is one of the preeminent culinary educators in the United States."-Stephen Satterfield, founder, Whetstone Media, and Peabody Award–winning host
"If I feel like cooking Vietnamese food, Andrea Nguyen is the person I turn to. Through her cookbooks, she has been a presence in my kitchen for years."-Diana Henry, James Beard Award–winning cookbook author and journalist
"I consider all of Nguyen's books on Vietnamese cuisine to be my guiding lights when it comes to cooking the cuisine of my family's home country. And this latest book . . . provides wonderful validation for vegetarians and vegans who want to maintain a soul connection to Vietnamese food and culture."-Soleil Ho, critic-at-large, San Francisco Chronicle
"If you're looking for a modern, plant-centric take on Vietnamese cooking, Nguyen delivers. I've cooked more from this book than any other this year. This is a masterful resource rooted in tradition, brimming with fresh inspiration."-Heidi Swanson, James Beard Award–winning author, Super Natural Every Day and Super Natural Simple
"Andrea Nguyen['s] finesse with tofu, smart veganized swaps for common seasoning staples, and tips on how to work with everyday ingredients are a highlight of this book, as are the recipes. Her techniques are simple and smart, and I know eating more plants will be an even tastier endeavor now that she is my guide."-Ben Mims, cooking columnist, The Los Angeles Times
"I have turned to Andrea Nguyen's writings and recipes many times for guidance and the reassurance that comes with her vast knowledge and authority. These plant-forward recipes are as timeless and essential as her advice has always been."
Short Excerpt Teaser
Coming Full Circle
In the late summer of 2019, I hit a wall. I felt cruddy after years of eating everything that I wanted, all in the name of professional research. A strange bulge in my lower abdomen sent me to the doctor, who suggested that I had a hernia, then ordered an ultrasound and referred me to a surgeon. That took several weeks, during which my anxiety level rose as I consulted "Dr. Google" and my family. The bulge subsided by the time I met with the surgeon, but I still didn't feel great. He reviewed the ultrasound, examined me, and said, "You don't have a hernia. Tell me what's been going on."
Verging on tears of relief and in an outpouring of what probably sounded like gibberish, I explained my career and stress level, the result of a busy work life filled with traveling and consuming too much and too many foods not meant to be eaten together. Wherever and whenever, I ate out of curiosity, obligation, and pleasure. Also, my fifty-year-old body was going through perimenopause. Hormonal shifts were wildly driving the bus. "I think I need to slow down, rest up, and change my diet," I blurted as he nodded. The emotional unloading cleansed me like a terrific shower.
Up to that point, my omnivorous meals included some whole grains and decent amounts of vegetables. Evaluating my options, I ruled out overly regimented diets because I'm not a virtuous eater every day (rice and sweetened condensed milk are wonderful). Raised Catholic, I always went without meat during Lent, but even then, when I refrained from it, I enjoyed plenty of fish and didn't gravitate toward exclusively plant-based foods. However, decades of cooking had taught me how a little fish sauce, chicken, or pork can turn a meh dish into a wow one. My problem was that I didn't cook and eat that way enough. What if I simply prepared food with less meat and upped my vegetable intake?
I re-visited and re-imagined favorite Vietnamese dishes to spotlight members of the vegetable kingdom. Regardless of whether the dish was vegan, vegetarian, or vegetable-forward with some meat, my overarching goal was to build savory depth and fun experiences, respectively described as đậm đà and hấp dẫn, Viet terms that refer to tastiness. I had a blast veganizing fish sauce, noodle soups, and other popular dishes as well as devising recipes to celebrate Vietnamese ways with produce and grains. Sometimes I created a new dish, such as Char Siu Roasted Cauliflower (page 227), which you may stuff into steamed buns (see page 117) or banh mi (see page 128).
I also reached back to my high school days, when, after my four siblings had left for college, my parents and I shared many low-meat meals. I thought those were anomalous, but, in retrospect, the meals embodied my parents' cultural food pleasures, which were homey, comforting, and humble. Recipes such as Peppery Caramel Pork and Daikon (page 249), Creamy Turmeric Eggplant with Shiso (page 203), and Greens with Magical Sesame Salt (page 201) offer my modern takes on enduring savors.
I realized that I didn't have to give up foods that I love, but rather needed to better respect and cultivate the exciting flavors, textures, and colors in plants. Compared to what I had cooked in the past, the new dishes were lighter and more refreshing. They tasted delicious, and I felt good without feeling deprived. Choosing more plants over animals seemed natural, a cinch. I was so proud of myself. I checked in with my mother, pitching my life-changing ideas about Vietnamese low-meat and vegetarian cooking. She was happy that I felt well but also said, "Meat was expensive in Vietnam. We cooked with mostly seafood and vegetables. That's how it was. We ate more meat after we came to America because here, meat is more affordable than seafood."
I was six years old in 1975 when we fled Vietnam and resettled in the United States. My early memories of food spanned the Pacific-from the open-air markets of Saigon to the supermarkets of Southern California. I wasn't aware of the shift in my mother's cooking as I delighted in her rotation of roast chicken, beefsteak, grilled pork, and other meaty delights. Veggies were on the table but, as it turned out, not as much as they traditionally would have been. My siblings and I also reveled in having greater access to soda pop, potato chips, butter, and sugar. We had changed our eating habits. I had gotten derailed, taken a decades-long detour, and finally returned home at the table, so to speak. Switching to a plant-forward diet in midlife basically brought me back to my cultural food roots.
Of course, Vietnamese cuisine is not all about beef-laden b...
In the late summer of 2019, I hit a wall. I felt cruddy after years of eating everything that I wanted, all in the name of professional research. A strange bulge in my lower abdomen sent me to the doctor, who suggested that I had a hernia, then ordered an ultrasound and referred me to a surgeon. That took several weeks, during which my anxiety level rose as I consulted "Dr. Google" and my family. The bulge subsided by the time I met with the surgeon, but I still didn't feel great. He reviewed the ultrasound, examined me, and said, "You don't have a hernia. Tell me what's been going on."
Verging on tears of relief and in an outpouring of what probably sounded like gibberish, I explained my career and stress level, the result of a busy work life filled with traveling and consuming too much and too many foods not meant to be eaten together. Wherever and whenever, I ate out of curiosity, obligation, and pleasure. Also, my fifty-year-old body was going through perimenopause. Hormonal shifts were wildly driving the bus. "I think I need to slow down, rest up, and change my diet," I blurted as he nodded. The emotional unloading cleansed me like a terrific shower.
Up to that point, my omnivorous meals included some whole grains and decent amounts of vegetables. Evaluating my options, I ruled out overly regimented diets because I'm not a virtuous eater every day (rice and sweetened condensed milk are wonderful). Raised Catholic, I always went without meat during Lent, but even then, when I refrained from it, I enjoyed plenty of fish and didn't gravitate toward exclusively plant-based foods. However, decades of cooking had taught me how a little fish sauce, chicken, or pork can turn a meh dish into a wow one. My problem was that I didn't cook and eat that way enough. What if I simply prepared food with less meat and upped my vegetable intake?
I re-visited and re-imagined favorite Vietnamese dishes to spotlight members of the vegetable kingdom. Regardless of whether the dish was vegan, vegetarian, or vegetable-forward with some meat, my overarching goal was to build savory depth and fun experiences, respectively described as đậm đà and hấp dẫn, Viet terms that refer to tastiness. I had a blast veganizing fish sauce, noodle soups, and other popular dishes as well as devising recipes to celebrate Vietnamese ways with produce and grains. Sometimes I created a new dish, such as Char Siu Roasted Cauliflower (page 227), which you may stuff into steamed buns (see page 117) or banh mi (see page 128).
I also reached back to my high school days, when, after my four siblings had left for college, my parents and I shared many low-meat meals. I thought those were anomalous, but, in retrospect, the meals embodied my parents' cultural food pleasures, which were homey, comforting, and humble. Recipes such as Peppery Caramel Pork and Daikon (page 249), Creamy Turmeric Eggplant with Shiso (page 203), and Greens with Magical Sesame Salt (page 201) offer my modern takes on enduring savors.
I realized that I didn't have to give up foods that I love, but rather needed to better respect and cultivate the exciting flavors, textures, and colors in plants. Compared to what I had cooked in the past, the new dishes were lighter and more refreshing. They tasted delicious, and I felt good without feeling deprived. Choosing more plants over animals seemed natural, a cinch. I was so proud of myself. I checked in with my mother, pitching my life-changing ideas about Vietnamese low-meat and vegetarian cooking. She was happy that I felt well but also said, "Meat was expensive in Vietnam. We cooked with mostly seafood and vegetables. That's how it was. We ate more meat after we came to America because here, meat is more affordable than seafood."
I was six years old in 1975 when we fled Vietnam and resettled in the United States. My early memories of food spanned the Pacific-from the open-air markets of Saigon to the supermarkets of Southern California. I wasn't aware of the shift in my mother's cooking as I delighted in her rotation of roast chicken, beefsteak, grilled pork, and other meaty delights. Veggies were on the table but, as it turned out, not as much as they traditionally would have been. My siblings and I also reveled in having greater access to soda pop, potato chips, butter, and sugar. We had changed our eating habits. I had gotten derailed, taken a decades-long detour, and finally returned home at the table, so to speak. Switching to a plant-forward diet in midlife basically brought me back to my cultural food roots.
Of course, Vietnamese cuisine is not all about beef-laden b...
