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FODMAP friendly tofu larb (vegan, nut free option)

BY Georgia McDermott
A white ceramic speckled plate of vegan tofu larb set against a white marble backdrop. The plate is bursting with tofu topped with freshly chopped chilli and toasted peanuts, alongside verdant green lettuce, cucumber wedges and fresh herbs.
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Three plates of vegan tofu larb sitting atop a white marble table. The plates are arranged with larb covered in toasted peanuts and fresh chopped chillies, surrounded by cucumber wedges, lettuce and wedges of lime. Some vegan nuoc mam sits in the corner in the background.

Larb is a a meat based salad traditional to Laos and Thailand. Although I haven’t been to either Laos or Thailand, I developed a deep love of the South East Asian flavours when I visited Vietnam and Cambodia. Makrut lime, Vietnamese mint, Thai basil, lemongrass and galangal – does it get any better? I also have not eaten a traditional larb – I went vegetarian before I had the chance.

Low FODMAP tofu larb

So! This FODMAP friendly tofu larb is my best approximation of the dish. My version is different from traditional meat versions because tofu, unlike minced meat, doesn’t have enough flavour to go it alone. It really needs the added glI have tried my best to keep it as close to the original as possible, while catering to vegan and FODMAP friendly requirements.

Larb is often served with a green papaya salad. In perhaps more Western interpretations it is often served in lettuce cups, kind of like san choy bow. I do enjoy larb in a letttuce cup, as evidenced by my photos. I will update the recipe with a papaya salad accompaniment soon, I promise.

An aerial view of three plates of vegan tofu larb sitting in lettuce cups. The larb is topped with fresh chilli slices, toasted peanuts, fresh herbs and wedges of lime. The plates are set on a white marble backdrop.

FODMAP notes for your FODMAP friendly tofu larb

These FODMAP thresholds are current as of August 2024.

Tofu is FODMAP friendly in serves of up to 170g per person. This recipe uses 450g, so you can safely eat over 1/3 of the larb without suffering any ill-effects. You could also consider bulking it out with some grated vegetables, but you will need to add more flavouring to compensate.

Spring onion greens are low FODMAP in 75g serves. In serves of 97g or more, they contain moderate amounts of fructose.

Different types of lettuce have different FODMAP content. Cos or Romaine lettuce (which is what I used) is low FODMAP in 75g. In serves of 182g or more, it contains moderate amounts of fructose. This gives you a good amount of wiggle room as to what constitutes a low FODMAP serve.

An aerial view of a light and bright photo of vegan tofu larb lettuce cups. The lettuce cups are plated on white ceramic plates, and the larb is topped with toasted peanuts, fresh chopped chilli, herbs and wedges of lime. The two plates sit atop a white marble backdrop

Ingredient notes

There are a few less common ingredients in this dish, so I wanted to quickly run through them. These days you can easily purchase lemongrass and often Thai basil at supermarkets. Galangal, makrut lime and Vietnamese mint are less common. Here’s where I buy each:

I’ve found galangal at my local IGA and more boutique grocery stores. It has a really unique and lovely flavour, but I’d say you could substitute with extra ginger and lemongrass if you need to.

Makrut lime (also called kaffir lime, but this is considered an offensive term so I’ve stopped using it) is probably my favourite flavour, ever. It’s so wildly unique – there is really nothing like it. Cambodian amok is what really cemented my love of this flavour. I have bought makrut limes at Abbotsford Farmers markets, Asian grocers, a few roadside stalls, and at Torello farm on the peninsula. I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend you find some if you can – the flavour is truly that good. Personally, I like to buy a bunch of them whenever I see them chuck them in the freezer. Whenever I need some, I grate the lime zest straight from frozen.

Vietnamese mint is not really anything like mint. It’s delightfully fresh, spicy and exotic. It is really easily purchased at Asian grocers and some fancier supermarkets. I have occasionally seen it at Coles, although in those tiny and infuriating plastic packets. I have also bought it at Torello.

Substitution suggestions

Obviously, you can omit the peanuts for a peanut allergy. Make sure you use vegetable oil instead of peanut if you’re catering to this.

To make this recipe grain free, simply omit the toasted rice.

That said, I honestly do believe the rice brings so much to the dish in terms of flavour, texture and complexity, so if you’re just not in the mood to toast rice, please reconsider!

I currently have no substitution suggestion for the vegan fish sauce. It is really what holds this whole dish together so I really recommend finding some if you can. In Australia, I buy Niulife in the health food aisle of Woolworths.

As discussed, add some extra lemongrass to compensate for galangal if you can’t find it.

The sugar really balances out all the salty flavour so I don’t recommend omitting it.

Three plates of vegan tofu larb lettuce cups sit atop a white marble table. The larb is topped with fresh chopped chillies and toasted peanuts, as well as fresh herbs and lime wedges.

More low FODMAP vegetarian recipes

Three plates of vegan tofu larb sitting atop a marble table. The plates are casually arranged with tofu larb, topped with fresh chillies and toasted peanuts, as well as lots of fresh lettuce, cucumber and herbs. A bowl of vegan nuoc mam sits in the back left corner of the image.

FODMAP friendly tofu larb (gluten free, nut free option)

*This recipe uses Australian measures. Use gram and ml for international accuracy.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Food Intolerance Friendly
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

For the vegan nuoc mam dressing:

  • 60ml (1/4 cup)* fresh lime juice
  • 60ml (1/4 cup)* vegan fish sauce
  • 30g (2 tablespoons)* caster sugar
  • 1-2 teaspoons Tamari or gluten free dark soy, to taste
  • Chopped chilli, optional
  • Small handful of Thai basil or Vietnamese mint, optional

For the tofu larb:

  • 1/4 cup toasted rice (see notes)
  • 60ml (1/4 cup)* vegetable (or another bland style) oil
  • 30g ginger, microplaned
  • 2 teaspoons galangal, microplaned (see notes)
  • 1-2 stalks of lemongrass, microplaned or finely sliced
  • 6-7 spring onion greens, finely chopped (approximately 25g)
  • Pinch of dried thyme and dried sage powder (see notes)
  • 60ml (1/4 cup)* water
  • 450g firm tofu, crumbled
  • 40ml (2 tablespoons)* Tamari or gluten free dark soy (see notes)
  • 20ml (1 tablespoon)* vegan fish sauce (see notes)
  • 7.5-15g (1/2 -1 tbsp)* light brown sugar
  • White pepper, to taste
  • chilli powder, to taste (optional)
  • Grated makrut lime zest, to taste (I use about half a lime)

To finish:

  • Lettuce, for cups
  • 1/2 cup toasted peanuts
  • Chillies, chopped, to finish
  • Thai basil and Vietnamese mint, to finish

Instructions
 

To make the vegan nuoc mam:

  • Combine all the ingredients and adjust according to your tastes. Set aside to allow the flavours to mingle.

To make the tofu larb:

  • Toast the rice in a dry saucepan over a medium heat. Allow it to toast until a medium brown with a nutty scent, about 5-7 minutes. Once cooked, remove from the heat and allow to cool. Once cool, grind to a relatively fine powder in a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle. Set aside.
  • Heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium heat. Once warmed, add the ginger, galangal, lemongrass and spring onion greens. Cook for a minute or so until the mixture is verdant green and fragrant. Add the water and the ground rice and stir to combine, cooking for an additional minute or so.
  • Add the crumbled tofu and stir to incorporate. Add the Tamari or dark soy and stir again until the mixture is a uniform light brown colour. Taste for salt levels, as the mixture can be easy to over-salt with the vegan fish sauce. If you feel good about it, add the fish sauce. If it's already salty enough, omit it and save it for the dipping sauce. Add a little extra water if you'd like the larb to be a bit more juicy/
  • Add the brown sugar, some white pepper and chilli powder if you're using it, and stir to combine. Finally, add the makrut lime zest and stir again to combine. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

To finish:

  • Assemble the ingredients as you see fit. You can make lettuce cups or simply serve the greens as a salad. Sprinkle with the peanuts, fresh chillies and herbs. Serve the vegan nuoc mam alongside the larb.

Notes

Generally speaking, larb uses toasted glutinous rice. I was unable to find any in my 5km radius so I have used regular white rice here. If you can find glutinous rice, use that. The toasted rice adds such a unique, nutty flavour and I don’t recommend omitting it. 
Galangal is a delightfully zingy and fresh addition, but you can omit it if you can’t find it. I would suggest adding extra lemongrass to compensate. 
Dried thyme and dried sage powder are very untraditional ingredients here, but they serve to make the dish taste more meaty. You can omit if you don’t have them, they’re just a little bonus hit of umami-ish flavour. 
Make sure to taste the mixture before adding the vegan fish sauce. I have found that you can easily overdo it if you add too much vegan fish sauce. All brands have differently salinity levels so add accordingly.
On that note, use reduced salt Tamari or dark soy if you have it! That will give you more wiggle room if you want to add a bit more vegan fish sauce. 
You can also use regular fish sauce if you don’t need it to be vegan. Again, add accordingly. 
Keyword low fodmap vegan
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3 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This was Christmas dinner and it did not disappoint. Fantastic – The flavours… God! We’re transported back to Lao!

    Reply
5 from 1 vote

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