What is traditionally in a banh mi?

A crispy light Bahn Mi bun, similar to a French baguette but much lighter and airier- made with rice flour. Typically some variation of grilled pork or chicken, liver pate (made of chicken, beef or pork), pickled veggies, cucumber, fresh herbs and fresh chilies.

What is Banh Mi sauce made of?

Banh Mi Sauce is very similar Mayo- made with oil, egg, lemon, and salt. In Vietnam, sometimes they will mix this with butter- for an even richer spread.

What meats are in Banh Mi?

In Vietnam, Banh Mi is typically served with grilled pork, chicken, liver pate (made of chicken, beef or pork), thinly sliced ham, cold cuts, fried eggs, or sometimes sardines. For a vegetarian option, some will offer fried tofu.

Can Banh Mi be made Vegan?

It is very straightforward to make a vegan Banh Mi! Simply use tofu instead of meat, and substitute vegan mayo.

How to make Banh Mi

Name: Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwich
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 5
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 1 small daikon radish (3/4 cup matchstick or grated); 1 medium carrot (3/4 cup, matchstick, or grated); 1/2 cup vinegar (white, rice, apple cider vinegar; 1/2 cup water; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoons sugar, or sugar alternative (please don’t skip); 16 ounces firm tofu (or chicken thighs -boneless, skinless, or mushrooms, or pre-make this pork); 3/4 teaspoon salt, more to taste; 3/4 Chinese Five Spice, or to taste; olive oil for searing; 2 Turkish cucumbers- thinly sliced; 1 cup of cilantro leaves ( or a mix of cilantro, Thai Basil, mint); 1 jalapeno, (or serrano) very finely sliced; 1/3 cup mayo, vegan mayo, or aioli; 1-3 teaspoons SrirachaHot sauce

Description

How to make the most delicious, authentic Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwich – fresh, light, complex, and flavorful with lots of umami goodness, made with your choice of tofu, mushrooms, chicken or pork and simple pantry ingredients. Vegan-adaptable.

Ingredients

Units

Pickled Veggies:

1 small daikon radish (3/4 cup matchstick or grated)
1 medium carrot (3/4 cup, matchstick, or grated)
1/2 cup vinegar (white, rice, apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar, or sugar alternative (please don’t skip)

Filling:

16 ounces firm tofu (or chicken thighs -boneless, skinless, or mushrooms, or pre-make this pork)
3/4 teaspoon salt, more to taste
3/4 Chinese Five Spice, or to taste
olive oil for searing
2 Turkish cucumbers- thinly sliced
1 cup of cilantro leaves ( or a mix of cilantro, Thai Basil, mint)
1 jalapeno, (or serrano) very finely sliced

Sriracha “Mayo“

1/3 cup mayo, vegan mayo, or aioli
1–3 teaspoons SrirachaHot sauce

Fresh baguette, or use mini baguettes, or tradional Banh Mi buns

Instructions

Make the Pickled Veggies: Peel the daikon and carrot, then cut into matchsticks (thinly slice, stack, then cut into thin strips). Place in a small pot with water, vinegar, salt and sugar. Feel free to add slices of jalapeno, saving some fresh slices. Bring to a simmer, then cool immediately, placing in the fridge. You could do this a day before.
Pan Sear Tofu/or Chicken: Blot the tofu gently with paper towels, cut into 1/3 inch-thick squares or rectangles. Season both sides generously with salt, and sprinkle lightly with Chinese 5 Spice. Pan sear in oil, until both sides are crisp and golden. If using chicken, season both sides generously with salt and lightly with five-spice. Pan-sear until deeply golden. Either lower the heat and cook through or finish cooking the chicken in a 350F oven, then shred it a bit with two forks. Taste and adjust salt and 5-Spice, adding more to taste.
Sriracha “Mayo“: Mix the mayo and sriracha together, adding more to taste. Sriracha has both acidity and sweetness- keep this in mind if using something else and adjust accordingly.
Assemble the Banh Mi: Slit one side of the baguette down the whole length of it, leaving the other side intact- so it hinges open, like a book. Lather both sides with Sriacha Mayo. Layer in the protein, add the cucumber slices, and pickled Carrot/Daikon mix. Top with fresh cilantro and fresh jalapeno.
Give the Sanwiche a shake, open side up, to get things to settle towards the hinge. Cut into individual sandwiches.
You could also cut these into 8-12 mini “finger” sandwiches, piercing each piece with a toothpick- for a fun appetizer like we used to do in our catering business.

Notes

These can be frigerated (wrap in plastic wrap or beeswax wrap) for a couple of hours before serving.

Mushrooms: Mushrooms can be sauteed in olive (and seasoned with salt and five-spice) or tossed in olive oil then roasted or grilled. Oyster mushrooms are a great option here!

Here is the Five Spice Pork Recipe-which I would make ahead.

Nutrition

Serving Size: Made with tofu
Calories: 393
Sugar: 4.5 g
Sodium: 1103.4 mg
Fat: 16.4 g
Saturated Fat: 2.1 g
Carbohydrates: 42.8 g
Fiber: 4.4 g
Protein: 19.4 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg