Thai-Inspired Vegan Larb
Servings 4 side salads
Calories 138 kcal
Ingredients
For the Quick Pickled Shallots
- 1/2 cup shallots, thinly sliced [For the thinnest slices, used a mandaline.]
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar [Or rice vinegar]
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1/2 cup boiling water
For the Larb
- 1.5 cups Textured veggie protein (TVP)
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 3 tablespoons lemongrass, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
- 3 garlic cloves
- 4 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/2 cup mint, loosely chopped
- 1/2 cup Thai basil, loosely chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro, loosely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon coconut sugar If coconut sugar is not available, you can use white or brown sugar. Note that some white and brown sugar is not vegan-friendly. For more information, see Sugar, sugar, honey, honey: A guide to sweeteners for plant-based diets
- 1 1/2 teaspoon black bean sauce
- salt
Optional Garnishes
- peanuts, roughly chopped
- grated carrots
- Thai red chili
- mint, Thai basil, or coriander leaves
Instructions
Quick Pickle the Shallots
- Put the sliced shallots in a bowl. Add the vinegar, coriander seeds, and lime zest. Pour 1/2 cup boiling water over the shallots. Set aside until ready to use. If you are making these ahead, once the bowl has reached room temperature, you can place it in the fridge. The shallots will continue to pickle overnight, and will get darker pink in time.
Rehydrate the TVP
- Follow the package directions to rehydrate the TVP.
Prepare the Larb
- Add 1 tablespoon of neutral oil to a large frying pan and heat. Add the shallots, lemongrass, and garlic and fry until slightly softened. Add the TVP and stir to combine.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add in all the remaining ingredients: the lime juice, herbs, coconut sugar, and black bean sauce (or vegan fish sauce - see Recipe Notes). Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
Garnish and Serve
- Transfer to serving bowl or plate.Garnish with pickled shallots and optionally chopped peanuts, grated carrots, pickled ginger, and Thai red chilis. Serve with rice or as the filling for a lettuce wrap.
Notes
About the Quick Pickled Shallots
This part of the recipe is adapted from Feasting at Home's beautiful Thai Larb recipe. If you don't want to make the shallots, you can replace with purchased pickled onions or shallots. Alternatively, you can omit the pickling and instead add the sliced shallots into the frying pan along with the lemongrass and garlic. Or, you could just garnish the salad with raw shallots.Storage for the Quick Pickled Shallots
These quick pickled shallots will last about 5-7 days in the fridge. Quick pickling is not the same as canning so they have a limited shelf life.Substituting herbs
If you can only find 1 or 2 of the herbs, or you don't like one of them, then just use what you like, using a total of about 1 and 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh herbs.Substituting lemongrass
There isn't really a good substitute, but you could try adding the zest of half a lemon.Replacing black bean sauce
If you can find vegan fish sauce use that. Try adding about a teaspoon and add more as needed.Replacing coconut sugar
If coconut sugar is not available, you can use white or brown sugar. Note that some white and brown sugar is not vegan-friendly. For more information, see Sugar, sugar, honey, honey: A guide to sweeteners for plant-based dietsStorage
This will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. You can serve this cold or at room temperature.Nutritional information
Nutritional information is an estimate only.Nutrition
Calories: 138kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.02g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 16mg | Potassium: 114mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 438IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 132mg | Iron: 4mg