After traveling to Vietnam and getting to experience a fresh, traditional banh mi sandwich, I knew I needed to create a vegan version. This Vegan Tofu Banh Mi ticks all the boxes. It's flavorful, light and brings me back to the streets of Vietnam!
Vietnam is an amazing country.
My best trip I've ever taken was to Vietnam where I got to explore the busy, moped-infested streets of Hanoi and hike through the rice fields of Sapa.
After that trip, Vietnamese food quickly became one of my favorite cuisines.
While super flavorful, it's also light and fresh.
It's also fairly easy to find vegan Vietnamese food as vegetables and tofu are used often in their cuisine.
Today I'm showing you a vegan version of my all-time favorite sandwich: Banh Mi!
What is Bánh mì?
Bánh mì is a Vietnamese sandwich which originated in Saigon in the 1950s after the French introduced the baguette to Vietnam.
It quickly became a popular street food in Vietnam.
Soon after the Vietnam War, the banh mi spread in popularity to other parts of the world.
What is traditionally inside of a Bánh mì?
Traditional banh mi begins with a crisp-on-the-outside, light-and-airy-on-the-inside baguette.
This baguette is then filled with a fusion of French and Vietnamese foods such as mayo or pate for condiments and pork, cilantro, cucumber and pickled veggies for fillings.
Banh mis often have some kind of spice component as well, coming from either fresh jalapeños or red chilis!
How to Make Vegan Bánh mì
As you can see from what's traditionally inside of a bahn mi, these Vietnamese sandwiches aren't usually vegan.
So in order to make a vegan version, we need to make some simple swaps.
Instead of meat, we'll be using marinated and baked tofu.
Instead of regular mayo and pate, you can use vegan mayo or even avocado for a delicious, fatty spread.
The veggies are obviously vegan, so those can stay as is!
How to Make Pickled Carrots and Daikon for Banh Mi
The stand out feature of a banh mi sandwich for me is the fresh and zesty pickled veggies.
Traditionally, you'll see both pickled carrots and daikon in a banh mi, so that's what we're going to use today!
What is Daikon Radish?
If you've never heard of or seen a daikon radish, it's a long, thin white radish that is popular in Chinese, Japanese and other Asian cuisines.
It has a more mild flavor compared to red radishes.
Let me walk you through how to make the pickled carrots and daikon with these step-by-step instructions:
- Peel and slice the carrot and daikon into matchsticks, about 3-4 inches long and with a width of a chopstick.
- Place the matchsticks into a bowl. Gently stir or massage ½ tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of sugar into the veggies. Allow the veggies to sit for 10 minutes until a pool of water forms at the bottom of the bowl and you can bend the veggies without them snapping.
- Rinse off the veggies to remove the salt and sugar.
- In a liquid measuring cup, combine 1 cup of warm water with ⅓ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt until dissolved. Add in 1 ¼ cups distilled white vinegar and stir everything together. Pour this mixture over the veggies and allow the mixture to sit for 1 hour if possible.
- Use the pickled veggies right away or seal the container and store them in the fridge for up to a month.
How to Marinate Tofu for Vegan Banh Mi
Like I mentioned above, marinated tofu is going to take the place of the pork or chicken that is traditionally used in banh mi.
This tofu is really easy to make and I know you guys will love it in not only this banh mi, but also in buddha bowl or on top of salads.
To make the tofu, simply follow the step-by-step instructions below:
STEP 1: Press your tofu for about 15 minutes using a tofu press. After 15 minutes, remove the tofu from the press and cut it into slices about ¼ inch thick.
STEP 2: While the tofu is pressing, whisk together marinade in a large mixing bowl.
STEP 3: Add in sliced tofu to the marinade and gently stir everything together until all the tofu has soaked up the marinade.
STEP 4: Spread the tofu out onto a greased or lined baking sheet and bake it at 400°F / 205°C for about 30 minutes, flipping the tofu over half-way through.
STEP 5: Use this tofu as the protein for your banh mi sandwich or in buddha bowl or salads!
How to Assemble a Vegan Banh Mi
Before you assemble your vegan banh mi, make sure you have all of the different components prepped and ready to go.
To make a vegan banh mi, you'll need the following ingredients:
- Baguette, or another kind of light and airy bread
- Marinated and baked tofu
- Pickled carrots and daikon
- Vegan mayo (or sliced avocado or both!)
- Seasoning (maggi seasoning, soy sauce or salt and pepper)
- Fresh cilantro
- Sliced cucumber
- Optional: sliced red chilis or jalapeños
Bake the bread in the oven at 350°F / 177°C for about 3-7 minutes, depending on how soft it is.
Allow it to cool before cutting it with a serrated knife. Scoop out some of the inside.
Add your fat of choice to both sides of bread and season with maggi seasoning sauce, soy sauce, fine sea salt and or black pepper.
Fill the middle with slices of baked tofu, sliced cucumber, fresh cilantro stems, the pickled veggies and, if desired, sliced chilis.
Enjoy!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Tofu Banh Mi
Ingredients
PICKLED VEGGIES
- 1 ½ pounds large carrot
- 1 pound daikon or more carrot/radish
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ tablespoon salt
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
MARINATED TOFU
- 1 block extra firm tofu pressed and sliced
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
- ¼ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
OTHER
- 4 French baguettes or any light, airy bread
- Vegan Mayo or avocado or vegan butter
- Sliced Cucumber
- Cilantro
- Optional: Fresh jalapeño or red chilis sliced
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 °F and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Set it aside.
- Drain and press your block of tofu for 15 minutes while you prepare the pickled veggies.
- Peel and slice the carrot and daikon into matchsticks, about 3-4 inches long and about the width of a chopstick. Place the matchsticks into a bowl and gently stir or massage ½ tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of sugar into the veggies. Allow the veggies to sit for 10 minutes until a pool of water forms at the bottom of the bowl and you can bend the veggies without them snapping. Rinse off the veggies to remove the salt and sugar.
- In a liquid measuring cup, combine 1 cup of warm water with ⅓ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt until dissolved. Add in 1 ¼ cups distilled white vinegar and stir everything together. Pour this mixture over the veggies and allow the mixture to sit for 1 hour, if possible. Then, use the pickled veggies right away or place them in a sealed container and store them in the fridge for up to a month.
- While the veggies are pickling, move on to the tofu. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the tofu marinade (everything except the tofu) in a large mixing bowl. Add the pressed, sliced tofu to the marinade and gently stir everything together until all the tofu has soaked up the marinade. Spread the tofu out onto your prepared baking sheet and bake it at 400 °FC for about 30 minutes, flipping the tofu over half-way through.
- While the tofu is baking and the veggies are pickling, prepare the remaining ingredients. Slice your avocado, cucumber and chilies. Rinse the cilantro and, depending on how soft it is, toast the bread in the oven at 350 °F for about 3-7 minutes. Allow the bread to cool before cutting it in half with a serrated knife. Scoop out some of the inside.
- Add your fat of choice to both sides of bread and season with maggi seasoning sauce, soy sauce, fine sea salt and or black pepper.
- Fill the middle with the baked tofu, sliced cucumber, fresh cilantro stems, pickled veggies and, if desired, sliced chilis.
- Enjoy!
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