Vegan Thai Laab Salad (Laab Tofu)

If you’ve ever had laab or larb in a Thai restaurant, you know it’s that zingy, herb-packed salad that wakes up all your senses. Traditionally made with ground pork, larb is one of the most loved dishes in the northeastern region of Thailand.

But today, I’m giving you a meat-free version of the warm Lao salad using tofu—light, spicy, and full of fresh herbs.

Other Laab recipes you'll love: Laab Moo with ground pork, Larb Beef, Larb Gai or chicken, Larb mushroom, and Larb turkey! Give these a try as well, you'll love how different each texture is!

Jump to:

• Meat-Free Isaan Salad with Toasted Rice Crunch
• What is Tofu Larb?
• Ingredients for Vegan Laab
• How to Make This Salad
• How to Serve
• Helpful Kitchen Tips
• Top Tip!
• How to Store Leftovers
• Other Thai Recipes You’ll Love!
• Frequently Asked Questions
• More Thai Vegan Recipes You'll Love
• Vegan Thai Laab Salad (Laab Tofu)
• Hi there, I’m Suwanee!

Meat-Free Isaan Salad with Toasted Rice Crunch

This tofu larb recipe has the same bright, spicy flavours and nutty rice crunch you’d expect in the traditional recipe. I’ll walk you through how to cook tofu until golden, mix it into a bold dressing with lime juice, fish sauce (or vegan fish sauce), and herbs, and finish with that must-have toasted rice powder for texture.

What is Tofu Larb?

Larb (also spelled laab or laap) is a traditional recipe from northern Thailand and Laos, often considered the one of the foundation dishes of Issan. It’s a warm salad made with minced meat, lime juice, fish sauce, sliced shallots, and plenty of herbs. A sprinkle of toasted ground rice gives it that signature nutty flavor and rough powder texture.

This vegan larb swaps meat for a crumbled tofu mixture—a plant-based protein that soaks up all those spicy flavors beautifully. Sometimes I like to add mushrooms, like trumpet, oyster, or shiitake mushrooms, for a little more bite and umami.

Ingredients for Vegan Laab

• Extra-firm tofu – Crumbled into small chunks for the tofu mixture. Press with a paper towel to remove water before cooking.
• Shallots – Sliced shallots add a sharp, fresh bite. Red onion can work in a pinch.
• Spring onions / green onions – For freshness and crunch.
• Lemongrass stem – Thinly sliced for citrus aroma.
• Makrut lime leaves (kaffir lime) – Finely shredded to add fragrance. If you can’t find them, use lime zest.
• Red chilli flakes – For that essential heat, adjust to your spice level.
• Fresh Thai chilies – More heat for spicy food lover, omit if your prefer a mild larb.
• Tamari or vegan fish sauce – Adds salty, umami depth.
• Fresh lime juice – A key ingredient that brightens everything up.
• Sugar or palm sugar – Balances the salty, spicy, sour flavors.
• Toasted rice powder (khao khua) – Toast glutinous rice over low heat until golden brown, then grind into a rough powder. This adds that nutty flavor essential to larb salads. Make my recipe here, it's super easy.
• Fresh herbs – A large handful of mint, green onions, Chinese parsley, and cilantro. These give freshness and balance. Learn more about Thai herbs here.
• Cooking oil – Any neutral oil for stir-frying the tofu. Avoid olive or sesame oil here—it’s not used in larb.
• MSG – In traditional larb, a little MSG is common. It boosts umami, but it’s your call. Add a pinch or leave it out.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make This Salad

1. Toast rice. In a separate pan, toast uncooked glutinous rice over low heat until golden. Grind into a rough powder with a spice grinder or food processor. This toasted rice is one of the most important key ingredients in any larb recipe. Full recipe for Khao Khua here.

2. Cook tofu. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat with a splash of oil. Add the tofu mixture and cook 3–4 minutes, stirring until golden brown. Add a spoon of hot water or stock if it looks too dry.

3. Add aromatics. Leave the tofu in the wok or pan you used, toss in sliced shallots, green onions, lemongrass, lime leaves, and the fresh and dry red chili flakes. Mix well.
4. Add the dressing. Mix in tamari or vegan fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar, toss well then give it a taste test. Adjust with more of each seasoning and the heat level as needed.

5. Finishing touches. Add the mint and toasted rice powder last, mix once more and your vegan larb tofu is ready to serve!

How to Serve

Traditionally, larb is served warm with sticky rice or purple sticky rice and fresh vegetables like green beans and cabbage.

For a lighter option, scoop your tofu larb into lettuce cups for a crunchy, refreshing bite. You can also serve it with jasmine rice as a simple side of rice, just like you’d see in Thai restaurants.

Helpful Kitchen Tips

• Always toast rice over low heat or medium heat. Too high and it burns instead of turning golden brown.
• The dressing should balance salty, sour, spicy, and a touch of sweet. Taste as you go!
• Add herbs at the last minute to keep them bright and fresh.
• If you want a richer texture, add mushrooms like shiitake mushrooms into the tofu mixture.

How to Store Leftovers

Larb is best the day it’s made. It’ll keep about 1 day max in the fridge, after that the herbs and toasted rice get soggy. If you’ve got leftovers, revive them with a fresh handful of herbs (and a pinch of new Khao Khua), but aim to finish within one or two meals.

Freezing isn’t recommended, it changes the texture of tofu and herbs and flavors tend to get lost in the process.

Frequently Asked Questions

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