Andrea Nguyen

Crisp gỏi dưa leo is a classic Viet salad often served as an appetizer with fried shrimp chips for scooping.

I’ve shaken cubes of beefsteak and tofu for this iconic Vietnamese main dish salad, so why not fish? Tuna tended to be too lean, and delicate white fish was too flaky, but rich-tasting salmon was just right.

Here’s a confession: I made so-so Viet vegetable curry for years, relying on fish sauce as a cheat but the flavour was off. Finally, I developed this stellar vegan version.