Vegan Vietnamese Braised Pork Belly (Thịt Kho tàu chay)

Vegan Vietnamese Braised Pork Belly is a vegan take on a Vietnamese classic home food called Thịt Kho Tàu. A taste of my childhood: sweet, savory, full of umami flavors and made so simple!

What is Vietnamese Braised Pork Belly?

Braised Pork Belly (Thịt Kho tàu) is one of my childhood dishes! It is a staple in many Vietnamese households, and is eaten all year round, especially on Lunar New Year. The recipe features pork belly in a sweet, savory caramelized sauce and serves with a bowl of white rice.

There are some differences between the Northern and Southern versions of this dish:

• In Northern Vietnam: The Northern version has smaller chunks of pork belly, adds eggs and the sauce is more savory.
• In Southern Vietnam: The Southern version has bigger chunks of pork belly and braises the pork belly in coconut water, which makes the sauce sweeter.

Veganizing this Pork Belly dish

My plant-based take on Vegan Vietnamese Braised Pork Belly is inspired by many Vietnamese food creators. I saw many uses rehydrated TVP and coconut mix with tapioca starch. I have tried this with both tofu and TVP, and the TVP works better in sticking between the layers. This version of vegan pork belly is similar to how I remember it: full of umami flavors and memories of my childhood ???

For the full instruction and video on how to make Vegan Pork Belly using tofu, click on this blog post!

How to make the Vegan Pork Belly

The Vegan Pork Belly composes of three parts: the lean 'meat', the 'pork skin' and the coconut 'pork fat'.

To make the lean 'meat', you will need:

• Firm tofu or TVP: the tofu or TVP has a firm, chewy texture that works well as a meat alternative.
• If you use tofu: press the tofu to remove the excess water, then fry until golden brown.
• If you use TVP: rehydrate the TVP and squeeze out excess water, then fry until golden brown.

If you use TVP:

To make the coconut 'pork fat', you will need to mix tapioca starch, flour and coconut milk and simmer on low heat until thickened. This mixture creates a fatty, creamy paste that helps stick the lean meat, pork skin and fat layers of the vegan pork belly.

To make the pork skin, you can use either a baguette or tofu skin.

After creating the two parts, we layer the tofu/TVP together with the coconut pork fat and skin. Full the full instructions and details, click here!

How to make the sauce

Then we braise the vegan pork belly in a sweet, savory sauce made with classic Vietnamese ingredients:

• Sugar: adds sweetness to the dish
• Onion, garlic, and chili: for the aromatics
• Soy sauce: adds a deep, savory flavor
• Mushroom seasoning
• Black pepper: a hint of peppery
• Coconut water (optional): creamy, sweet taste. In the Northern part of Vietnam, we use water whereas Southern part uses coconut water. I do prefer this dish with coconut water as it adds a subtle hint of creamy, nutty flavors but this dish also tastes great without.

First, fry the pork belly pieces in oil until golden brown on both sides. Remove to a plate and set aside.

In a pan or pot, add 3 tablespoon sugar and 50 ml of water. Mix until caramelized and bubbly then lower the heat.

Put in the minced aromatics (shallots and garlic) and stir fry for 1-2 minutes.

Put the vegan pork belly to the pan and mix with the caramelized sauce.

Add all seasonings (soy sauce, mushroom seasoning (or salt), and black pepper) and 200 ml water. Mix together and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes with the lid closed.

Finally, season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with green onions and chili slices.

How to serve Vegan Vietnamese Braised Pork Belly?

Enjoy this Vegan Vietnamese Braised Pork Belly with a side of white rice and other vegetable side dishes or soups. The deep, savory taste of this dish is perfectly complemented by the warm, fluffy white rice and other vegetables.

Another option is that you can serve this with Mung Beans Sticky Rice (Xôi đậu xanh) on the side.

Storage: The recipe keeps well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

If you have tried my recipe, please let me know what you think by leaving me a review on this page or tagging me on Instagram @veggieanh. I would love to see your creations!

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If you enjoyed this recipe, also check out some of my other recipes:

• Vegan Pork Belly - step-by-step instructions
• Mung Beans Sticky Rice (Xôi đậu xanh)
• Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls (Vegan)
• Vegan Bò Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew)
• Vietnamese Mango Salad (Gỏi Xoài)
• Bánh Xèo Chay - Vegan Vietnamese Pancakes