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    Home » Recipes by Category » Salads

    Published: Mar 12, 2019 · Modified: Feb 11, 2021 by Nart · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Vegan Laab with Konjac Noodles

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Laab is a Thai salad that is refreshing, flavorful and takes only minutes to make. Although traditionally made with ground meat, this vegan laab recipe uses konjac noodles instead, so it’s suitable for all vegans and vegetarians!

    a plate of Thai vegan larb (laab) with konjac noodles on a table

    Vegan Larb

    WHAT IS LAAB?

    Laab, sometimes spelled larb, is a very popular and much loved dish from the Northeastern part of Thailand. It’s simply another variation of the sour and spicy Thai salad. But it’s made a bit more special with toasted rice powder (khao khua or ข้าวคั่ว). Not the only does the toasted rice powder add a nice subtle, popcorn-y smell to the salad, but it also absorbs all the flavors and coats all the main ingredients with those. This makes every bite in your mouth a burst of flavor.

    Traditionally, laab is made with a type of ground meat. This can be anything from pork to beef, duck or chicken. Along with your chosen type of meat, you can also include a few pieces of pork liver in laab. As laab is a meat-based dish, it’s usually enjoyed with sticky rice and fresh vegetables such as yardlong beans, cabbage and basil leaves. Eaten in moderation, laab is no doubt one healthy Thai dish.

    HOW DO I MAKE VEGAN THAI LAAB?

    You wouldn’t think this would be possible, right? But actually, you can still enjoy this sour and spicy Thai salad even if you’re a vegan or vegetarian. Last week, I checked out some meatless Monday recipes and felt like trying a meatless meal. So, I picked up some konjac noodles when I last did my shopping. As konjac noodles have *absolutely* no taste, I knew I needed to use them to make something flavorful. So…I flicked through some old photos on my phone and BAMMM! Laab it was.

    a plate of Thai vegan laab or larb with konjac noodles on a table

    WHAT ARE KONJAC NOODLES?

    In case you’re not familiar with konjac, it’s an Asian plant and we use its corm to make food. Here in Thailand, konjac is usually sold in different shapes as a carb or meat substitute or included as part of diet products. The reason is that it’s filling and it’s a no-carb, no-fat, no-protein, no-whatsoever food, making it zero-calorie!! Fiber is the only thing you can expect from it. Unfortunately, this is also why it’s blander than bland.

    But don’t be put off by the fact that konjac is bland. The good thing about it is that it pairs well with strong, flavorful salad dressings and soups. Besides, its texture is fun to eat. It’s a little chewy and a bit like that of gummy. I enjoy its texture a lot and it’s why I eat konjac noodles at all. If you like chewy foods (gummy chewy, not crazy chewy), I think you’ll love konjac noodles.

    WHAT SHAPES DO KONJAC NOODLES COME IN?

    Many! You get everything from long thin noodles (Shirataki) to noodles tied in knots or even rice (which is technically not noodles, but this stuff appears to be very popular among the keto community). Although you won’t have guessed this, the konjac I’m using in this salad by the brand Moki is actually supposed to resemble “tripe.” To be honest, I think they’re pretty smart there. First, the product does resemble tripe. Second, tripe does have a gummy-chewy texture similar to that of konjac. Still, it’s considered “noodles” here. But hey, they’re about the same size as penne and you can eat them with chopsticks! Surely I can call them noodles, right? 😂

    a spoon of roasted Thai chili flakes
    Roasted Thai Chili Flakes
    toasted rice powder on a plate
    Toasted Rice Powder
    culantro leaves in hand
    Culantro

    INGREDIENTS FOR MAKING VEGAN THAI LAAB

    The ingredients you need for this vegan laab are pretty simple and as follows:

    • 3 teaspoons of granulated sugar
    • 2½ tablespoons of lime juice
    • 3 teaspoons of soy sauce
    • 2 tablespoons of toasted rice powder
    • 1 tablespoon of roasted Thai chili flakes
    • 3 shallots, sliced
    • 3-4 culantro leaves, roughly chopped (This is not the same as cilantro!)
    • 7 ounces of konjac noodles, strained

    NOTES

    If you want to make this vegan laab really good, I highly recommend you make your own toasted rice powder and roasted Thai chili flakes, which I have written how-to guides for and linked up in this post already. Quality ingredients do make a BIG difference for laab! Please also note that culantro is not the same thing as cilantro! However, it might be less common in other parts of the world so you can use green onions instead if you can’t find it.

    a plate of Thai vegan laab or larb with konjac noodles on a table

    HOW TO MAKE VEGAN THAI LAAB

    1. Add the lime juice and soy sauce to a salad bowl. Then, add the sugar and use a spoon to stir until the sugar is fully dissolved.

    2. Add the toasted rice powder, chili flakes, shallots, culantro, and konjac noodles and toss to combine.

    3. Transfer to a serving plate and serve immediately with your preferred fresh vegetables.

    IF YOU LIKE THIS RECIPE, YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

    Thai grilled pork neck with Thai sticky rice, nam jim jaew and vegetables
    Thai Grilled Pork Neck
    a bowl of Thai chili dipping sauce or nam jim jaew
    Nam Jim Jaew
    Thai beef jerky or nuea kemon a white plate
    cooked Thai sticky rice in a bamboo basket
    How To Make Sticky Rice

    📖 Recipe

    a plate of Thai vegan larb (laab) with konjac noodles on a table

    Vegan Laab Recipe With Konjac Noodles

    Laab is a Thai salad that is refreshing, flavorful and takes only minutes to make. Although traditionally made with ground meat, this recipe uses konjac noodles instead so it’s suitable for vegans and vegetarians!
    4.95 from 20 votes
    Print Rate
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: Thai
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 1 serving
    Author: Nart

    Ingredients

    • 3 teaspoons granulated sugar
    • 2 ½ tablespoons lime juice
    • 3 teaspoons soy sauce
    • 2 tablespoons toasted rice powder buy this here or learn how to make it from this post
    • 1 tablespoon roasted Thai chili flakes buy these here or learn how to make them from this post
    • 3 shallots sliced
    • 3-4 culantro leaves roughly chopped (This is not the same as cilantro but if you can't find it, you can use green onions instead)
    • 7 ounces konjac noodles strained

    Instructions

    • Add the lime juice and soy sauce to a salad bowl. Then, add the sugar and use a spoon to stir until the sugar is fully dissolved.
    • Add the toasted rice powder, chili flakes, shallots, culantro, and konjac noodles and toss to combine.
    • Transfer to a serving plate and serve immediately with your preferred fresh vegetables.

    Notes

    1. If you want to make this vegan laab really good, I highly recommend you make your own toasted rice powder and roasted Thai chili flakes, which I have written how-to guides for and linked up in this post already. Quality ingredients do make a BIG difference for laab!
    2. Please also note that culantro is not the same thing as cilantro! However, it might be less common in other parts of the world so you can use green onions instead if you can't find it.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cookingwithnart or tag #cookingwithnart!
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      Recipe Rating




    1. David says

      October 03, 2020 at 10:43 pm

      5 stars
      Looks very flavorful! Interesting to learn about several unfamiliar foods via this article, including konjac noodles. And I thought for sure culantro must be the same as cilantro before I saw you explain more about it!

      Reply
      • Nart says

        October 09, 2020 at 2:37 pm

        Thank you! Glad you found something new!

        Reply
    2. Amanda Marie Boyle says

      October 03, 2020 at 10:09 pm

      I haven’t heard of larb before, but really want to try it now – looks delicious

      Reply
      • Nart says

        October 09, 2020 at 11:21 am

        Thanks so much! It’s so flavorful you definitely don’t want to miss out on it 🙂

        Reply
    3. Gloria says

      October 03, 2020 at 9:12 pm

      I have never heard of this type of noodle. Sounds interesting. I will have to hunt some down next time I go grocery shopping.

      Reply
      • Nart says

        October 09, 2020 at 11:22 am

        Yeah, it doesn’t have any taste but the texture is fun to eat 🙂

        Reply
    4. Julia says

      October 03, 2020 at 8:11 pm

      This looks so good. Could I just use another type of noodles instead of konjac noodles? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Nart says

        October 09, 2020 at 11:20 am

        Yes, of course. Or ground meat as this dish is traditionally made of 🙂

        Reply
    5. Dannii says

      October 03, 2020 at 8:06 pm

      5 stars
      I love all kinds of Thai food and this looks so delicious. A great vegan option.

      Reply
      • Nart says

        October 09, 2020 at 11:17 am

        Indeed, it is 🙂

        Reply
    6. Jen says

      October 03, 2020 at 8:03 pm

      5 stars
      I’ve been adding on more vegan recipes into our dining and this was perfect. So delicious and everyone was raving about it.

      Reply
      • Nart says

        October 09, 2020 at 11:17 am

        Thank you so much!

        Reply
    7. Priya Shiva says

      July 20, 2020 at 9:56 pm

      5 stars
      I’m so happy this is vegan! I’m going to give it a try soon for my family.

      Reply
      • Nart says

        July 21, 2020 at 8:31 am

        Lovely 🙂

        Reply
    8. Katherine says

      July 20, 2020 at 9:21 pm

      I’m so excited to try this. I’m always intrigued by new foods and this looks insanely good.

      Reply
      • Nart says

        July 21, 2020 at 8:31 am

        Thank you so much!

        Reply
    9. Beth says

      July 20, 2020 at 9:20 pm

      5 stars
      This looks interesting! I’m going to try this! It looks so delicious!

      Reply
      • Nart says

        July 21, 2020 at 8:31 am

        Thanks! Enjoy 🙂

        Reply
    10. Jessica Formicola says

      July 20, 2020 at 9:08 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for lunch yesterday and it was incredible! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!

      Reply
      • Nart says

        July 21, 2020 at 8:32 am

        So happy to hear that you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    11. Shadi Hasanzadenemati says

      July 20, 2020 at 9:07 pm

      This is absolutely delicious! I love that it’s such a crowd pleaser for the whole family

      Reply
      • Nart says

        July 21, 2020 at 8:32 am

        Thank you so much! Glad to hear that!

        Reply
    12. Beth says

      April 21, 2020 at 8:59 pm

      5 stars
      This is such an easy, delicious lunch or light dinner! I’m going to make it again!

      Reply
      • Nart says

        April 27, 2020 at 9:54 pm

        Thank you so much! I’m so glad you like it!!!

        Reply
    13. Pam says

      April 21, 2020 at 8:46 pm

      5 stars
      I love learning about cuisines from around the world, and this looks awesome! Beautiful photos.

      Reply
      • Nart says

        April 27, 2020 at 10:10 pm

        Thank you so much!

        Reply
    14. Veena Azmanov says

      April 21, 2020 at 8:13 pm

      5 stars
      Thai flavor is so very yum. I love the vegan option given to it. Got to try this out.

      Reply
      • Nart says

        April 27, 2020 at 10:10 pm

        Please enjoy!

        Reply
    15. Anna says

      April 21, 2020 at 7:58 pm

      5 stars
      I’m a huge fan of Thai cuisine and flavours so this delicious laab is right up my street! So fresh and so tasty, can’t wait to make this at home!

      Reply
      • Nart says

        April 27, 2020 at 10:10 pm

        Enjoy!

        Reply
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