• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Veggies Save The Day
  • About Me
  • Recipes
  • Vegan Fall Recipes
  • eBooks
  • Guide
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Spring
  • eBooks
  • FREE Guide
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Spring
    • eBooks
    • FREE Guide
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Vegan Salad Recipes

    Burma Superstar Tea Leaf Salad

    By: Amy Katz · Published: Apr 11, 2016 · Last modified: Sep 16, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links. · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe - Print - Pin
    Special diet: gluten-free, soy-free, vegan
    Bowls of tea leaf salad before and after being tossed

    This homemade vegan version of Burma Superstar's famous Tea Leaf Salad is a delicious mix of greens, nuts, and seeds in a flavorful dressing.

    Composed tea leaf salad ready to be tossed

    Burma Superstar is one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco. One of their most famous dishes is Tea Leaf Salad which has been served since 1992.

    Once you try it, you'll understand why everyone orders it. The salad comes out of the kitchen with the components separated on the plate, and then it's tossed at the table.

    But you don't have to travel to San Francisco to try it. Now you can make a copycat version of a Burmese Tea Leaf Salad at home using their ingredients.

    Jump to:
    • Why you'll love this recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • What does it taste like?
    • Storing
    • Serving suggestions
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Why you'll love this recipe

    • It's easy to make in minutes.
    • It doesn't require a laundry list of ingredients.
    • It tastes just like the version served in Burmese restaurants.

    Ingredients

    Labeled ingredients needed to make this recipe

    After I ate at Burma Superstar for the first time, I searched online for a recipe for Tea Leaf Salad so I could recreate it in my kitchen. But the list of ingredients required was daunting. So I resigned myself to enjoying it when I could visit the restaurant, or their sister restaurant, Burma Love.

    But now you can buy a kit which contains both Laphet (fermented tea leaf dressing) and Burmese Crunchy Mix. Or you can buy these two ingredients separately.

    Fermented Tea Leaf Salad Kits

    • Made by Burma Love (from the Burma Superstar team).
    • Plant-based, Paleo-friendly, Keto-friendly, no MSG, no preservatives, no artificial coloring, no added sugars, gluten free.
    • Made fresh for optimum flavor. Refrigerate the dressings as soon as you receive them.
    Buy from Amazon

    If this salad kit is unavailable, you can find the equivalents on Amazon which contain the same ingredients. Below are affiliate links for your convenience:

    • Tea Leaf Salad Mix (This kit contains both the topping and dressing.)
    • Tea Leaf Salad Topping
    • Tea Leaf Salad Dressing

    Instructions

    Collage of 4 numbered images showing how to make this recipe
    1. Chop the lettuce.
    2. Dice the tomato.
    3. Add the lettuce to a large bowl along with the tomato, fermented tea leaf dressing, and Burmese crunchy mix.
    4. Squeeze a little lemon juice over the salad and toss well to combine. Serve immediately.

    What does it taste like?

    The fermented tea leaves make the salad savory. And the traditional Burmese Crunchy Mix containing peanuts, yellow split peas, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and garlic chips is loaded with flavor.

    You just have to try it! In addition, if you visit the Bay Area, I highly recommend visiting Burma Superstar or Burma Love and experiencing Burmese cuisine.

    As The New York Times says, "The wait for a table may last as long as the meal, but devotees of this spot serving Burmese food don't seem to mind."

    Storing

    This salad is best enjoyed as soon as it's tossed. Refrigerate any leftover tea leaf dressing.

    Serving suggestions

    Bowl of tossed Tea Leaf Salad ready to eat

    Burma Superstar Tea Leaf Salad is delicious as a light lunch or as a starter. Try it with some of these favorite recipes:

    • Chickpea Stir Fry (Oil-Free)
      Chickpea Stir Fry (Oil-Free)
    • Cabbage Coconut Curry with Chickpeas (Vegan)
      Cabbage Coconut Curry with Chickpeas (Vegan)
    • Foil grill packet open on a plate and drizzled with sauce
      Cauliflower Curry Vegan Grill Recipe
    • Platter of green beans with a wedge of lemon and gold serving utensils.
      Air Fryer Green Beans

    And if you enjoy this salad, you'll find even more Burmese recipes you can make at home in this bestselling cookbook:

    Burma Superstar: Addictive Recipes from the Crossroads of Southeast Asia 

    (Note: Not all of the recipes in this cookbook are vegan.)

    Buy from Amazon

    And for even more delicious vegan recipes, join the Vegan Mediterranean Diet Recipes Facebook Group for support, inspiration, and fun.

    If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars! ★★★★★

    📋 Recipe

    Bowl of Tea Leaf Salad before being tossed

    Burma Superstar Tea Leaf Salad

    This homemade vegan version of Burma Superstar's famous Tea Leaf Salad is a delicious mix of greens, nuts, and seeds in a flavorful dressing.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate Email recipe + ingredient list
    Special diet: gluten-free, soy-free, vegan
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: Burmese
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 148kcal
    Author: Amy Katz

    Equipment

    • Tomato Knife

    Ingredients

    • 1 head Romaine lettuce
    • 1 tomato
    • 1 package Burma Love Laphet Fermented Tea Leaf Salad Mix, or a jar of Laphet and a package of Traditional Burmese Crunchy Mix
    • lemon wedges, for serving
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Chop the lettuce.
    • Dice the tomato.
    • Place the lettuce in a large serving bowl. Top with the tomato, Laphet (fermented tea leaf dressing), and Traditional Burmese Crunchy Mix.
    • Just before serving, squeeze a little lemon juice over the salad, then toss well to combine.

    Notes

    This salad is best enjoyed as soon as it's tossed. Refrigerate any leftover tea leaf dressing.
    SUBSCRIBE to Veggies Save The DaySign up today! JOIN BY CLICKING HERE

    Nutrition

    Calories: 148kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 95mg | Potassium: 250mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 866IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is an estimation only.

    More Vegan Salad Recipes

    • Serving bowl of Greek salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, green bell pepper, Kalamata olives, and tofu feta.
      Vegan Greek Salad
    • Bowl of tofu feta.
      4 Ingredient Vegan Tofu Feta
    • Two sandwich halves stacked on a plate with a pickle next to them.
      Vegan Tuna Salad
    • Large salad bowl with chickpeas, herbs, tomatoes, onions, olives, and tofu feta cubes.
      25 Sensational Salads Without Lettuce
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    About Amy

    Amy Katz is a vegan recipe developer, photographer, and Certified Vegan Nutrition Health Coach. She loves sharing delicious plant-based Mediterranean diet recipes that home cooks of all levels can enjoy. Her easy vegan recipes have been featured on HuffPost, LIVESTRONG, Healthline, Parade, VegNews, BuzzFeed, MSN, Greatist, Country Living, Insider, Brit+Co, Well+Good, and more. She lives in Orange County, California with the love of her life, Brad, and their adorable black cat, Ozzy.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    All commentsI made thisQuestions
    1. Jen

      January 15, 2022 at 10:33 am

      Hi Amy,
      My mom and Step-dad introduced me to the Burma Superstar in Alameda. It's one of my favorite restaurants. I am so excited to find this! I live in Los Angeles and I literally was just telling my mom that I was craving the eggplant and Tea Leaf Salad from Burma! We have all switched to plant life so really excited to see they made a vegan recipe. However, they do not have it in stock at Amazon, I will buy the alternatives you suggested.

      Reply
      • Amy Katz

        January 15, 2022 at 12:48 pm

        Hopefully they will have it back in stock soon. But the alternatives should work well, too. I live in Orange County, but I used to go up to SF on a regular basis and always made it a point to eat at Burma Superstar. Did you see they have a cookbook, too!

        Reply
    2. Paulette Eisen

      December 31, 2021 at 12:43 pm

      I too am a fan of the restaurant as well as this salad, which I order every time. Where do you get the fermented tea leaves and crunchy mix in the Bay area?

      Reply
      • Amy Katz

        December 31, 2021 at 2:53 pm

        Hi Paulette! I believe they sell the kits at the restaurants as well as at Rainbow.

        Reply
    3. Barbara

      December 31, 2021 at 7:28 am

      Amy, I am so excited that you are sharing this recipe! We used to eat at Burmese Superstar in Alameda, that quaint little island off of Oakland. The food was always incredible! We miss it. A perfect combination of fresh and savory flavors. So I can’t wait to try this recipe and will likely purchase their cookbook too. I will post back after I make it. Thanks again.

      Reply
      • Amy Katz

        December 31, 2021 at 10:28 am

        I know where that is! Their food is so delicious!

        Reply
    4. Jen Fong

      May 09, 2020 at 10:24 pm

      5 stars
      @ Greg Dahlen, you can’t buy any old tea leaves, they must be Sencha or Dragonwell, which are both green tea varieties that are so soft (when steeped) that they are edible and sort of disintegrate into liquids. Other teas will turn it gritty and bitter.

      @Amy this recipe is genius. I live in the Bag Area and frequent Burmese restaurants. As real fermented tea leaf dressing isn’t imported to our country, this recipe is the next best thing! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Amy Katz

        May 11, 2020 at 11:55 am

        Thank you very much, Jen!

        Reply
    5. Greg Dahlen

      February 22, 2020 at 9:31 am

      Can you buy tea leaves in an ordinary grocery store and use them in a tea leaf salad? If not, why not? I live in Southern California

      Reply
      • Amy Katz

        February 22, 2020 at 3:25 pm

        Hi Greg, You'll need fermented tea leaves, which are different. You can look for them at an Asian grocery store or online.

        Reply
    6. Toni

      March 02, 2019 at 8:19 am

      Hi, I was recently in Myanmar and brought a bag of fermented tea leaves and crunchy mix with me. I followed your recipe and the salad was surprisingly good. I just added some olive oil and soya sauce. What would you suggest to dress this salad?
      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Amy

        March 02, 2019 at 9:25 am

        How wonderful! I think a little olive oil and a squeeze of lemon is all you need.

        Reply
    7. Matt

      August 11, 2018 at 3:48 pm

      5 stars
      I just made this at a dinner party - took me FOREVER to find fermented tea leaves in London but eventually manged to find some. It was a hit - will make again - delicious and healthy too...

      Reply
      • Amy

        August 12, 2018 at 11:48 am

        I'm glad you were able to find the fermented tea leaves, Matt. And I'm happy everyone enjoyed the salad!

        Reply
    8. L plecas

      July 11, 2018 at 7:43 pm

      5 stars
      I just ate there last week, the Rainbow salad was A-mazing! I need to find these ingredients to whip it up at home...

      Reply
      • Amy

        July 12, 2018 at 9:25 am

        Their food is the best!

        Reply
    9. Jenny D

      November 03, 2016 at 3:46 pm

      Oh my goodness, I've been to Burma Superstar and it is amazing. It was so long ago but I'll never forget the Rainbow Salad (22 ingredients! Not all vegan though I don't think...) -- can you recreate that? Pleaseeeee... :-D. I don't remember the Tea Salad, but knowing that restaurant, I know it will be amazing! So awesome you can get the kits to make it yourself.

      Reply
      • Amy

        November 03, 2016 at 3:49 pm

        That is a great idea, Jenny! I will definitely try to figure out the Rainbow Salad recipe. I know it can be made vegan without the dried shrimp. Thanks! 🙂

        Reply

    Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Amy in a kitchen holding a cut avocado in her hands.

    Hi, I'm Amy! As a Certified Vegan Nutrition Health Coach, my passion is creating vegan Mediterranean diet recipes to inspire everyone to choose plant-based meals more often. At Veggies Save The Day you'll find simple delicious recipes that are easy to make any night of the week.

    More about me →

    Spring

    • Bowl of cabbage salad with cut lemon and serving utensils.
      Lemony Savoy Cabbage Salad (Without Mayo)
    • Bowl of carrot and orange salad surrounded by sprigs of fresh cilantro and mint
      Moroccan Carrot and Orange Salad
    • Bowl of soup with blue napkin
      Creamy Vegan Orzo Soup with Chickpeas
    • White bowl containing Lemon Dairy Free Pasta Sauce with aqua basket of lemons and parsley in the background
      Lemon Dairy Free Pasta Sauce
    • Bowl of roasted mushrooms garnished with pine nuts, parsley, and a lemon wedge
      Roasted Baby Bella Mushrooms
    • Bowl of Matcha Balls with one in front with a bite taken out of it.
      Matcha Balls

    Most Popular

    • Bowl of turmeric rice garnished with fresh cilantro
      Mediterranean Yellow Rice
    • Bowl of spaghetti and tomato sauce garnished with fresh herbs
      15 Minute Tomato Paste Pasta Sauce
    • Pineapple Green Smoothie
      Pineapple Green Smoothie
    • Serving bowl of green beans and mushrooms with gold utensils
      Sauteed Green Beans with Mushrooms
    • Overhead of white bowl filled with vegetable soup
      Easy Vegan Vegetable Soup
    • Green chia pudding with kiwi, mango, and banana in a glass
      5 Easy Breakfast Chia Pudding Recipes

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    Meet Amy

    Privacy Policy

    Accessibility Policy

    Resources

    FREE Guide

    eBooks

    Keep in touch!

    Join the Facebook group

    Follow on Instagram

    Buy Me a Coffee

    As seen in

    Logos for HuffPost, LIVESTRONG.com, healthline, Insider, VegNews, CountryLiving, Well+Good, Better by Today, Brit+Co, Women's Health, BuzzFeed, Parade, Greatist, Everyday Health, MSN, and Tasty.

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Veggies Save The Day |  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of material without express and written permission from this site's owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Veggies Save The Day with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.