I love exploring vegetarian and vegan dishes from different cultures, and this Vietnamese banh mi sandwich, made with marinaded tofu and pickled vegetables, is a favorite find.
A banh mi (pronounced “bon mee”) sandwich is meant to be made with a light and crispy French-style baguette that melts in your mouth.
Inside the banh mi sandwich is an explosion of umami-rich flavors. Typically made with meat, this banh mi recipe is special because it’s fully vegan.
The sandwich starts with sizzled marinated tofu steaks, layered with the brightness of pickled carrots and white radish, followed by verdant fresh cilantro, basil, or mint.
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A sandwich like this is highly digestible due to the pickling vinegar, fresh herbs, and bright aromatics. That’s why I like it.
In general, I really enjoy a marinated and seared tofu steak in a sandwich. When sautéed, the tofu takes on a flavorful, seasoned crust that you would not expect.
Turns out that when you infuse tofu with a mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, maple syrup, garlic, ginger, cilantro, salt and pepper, it actually tastes really good!
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Tofu marinade
Tofu is a bland and blank canvas that will absorb whatever deliciousness you soak into it.
Based on past experiences with my 5-minute savory tofu, I’ve learned that simple soy sauce, vinegar, and cilantro can be incredibly delicious on sautéed tofu.
Here, we’re adding garlic, ginger, sesame oil and maple syrup to amp up the flavor bomb.
The tofu is actually soaked in marinade twice to really soak up all the aromatics, and sizzling that marinade in a skillet heightens the flavor yet again.
If you haven’t tried marinaded tofu, then you must. It’s so easy!
Pickled vegetables
The pickled vegetables are quick-pickled in vinegar with a bit of salt, so the naturally pungent flavors of the carrots and white radish really stand out.
The colorful pickled vegetables add excitement, and a layer of digestibility, to the sandwich.
Spicy mayo
The banh mi sauce is one of the most important elements of this sandwich.
It needs to be a little tangy and spicy, and we achieve that with sriracha and fresh lime juice.
If you purchase store-bought vegan mayo, then your spicy mayo will come together in 2 minutes flat!
If you don’t care about vegan, then use any mayo, or even butter, or plant-based butter. Why not!
Banh mi calories
This Vegan Banh Mi sandwich delivers a flavorful, nutritious meal with just 476 calories per serving.
Summer sandwiches
I think banh mi is the perfect vegetarian summer sandwich. It's hard to find a good vegetarian sandwich. This is only the second on Buttered Veg so far; the other being the NYC deli favorite made with tomato, mozzarella, and basil, known as the Caprese.
As an Ayurvedic nutritionist and digestive health counselor, I teach clients and students that your digestive strength is weaker in the summer due to the heat.
That’s why adding a little spice to your food is often necessary to support digestion.
Think of the hottest places on earth, like South America, Africa, India, South Asia, and the Middle East. These cuisines are all known for their spicy food.
Spices invite blood to the abdomen to assist with digestion, so that’s why you find spices there.
This is also the reason why a spicy summer sandwich like banh mi will satisfy more than a bland sandwich.
So, if you have an adventurous crowd, you can serve Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches with marinaded tofu for your summer block parties, garden parties, backyard parties, Fourth of July, and other long weekend get togethers.
People will have fun exploring all the flavor sensations inside.
You’ll also have fun making this sandwich. Let me know how it goes!
Recipe for Vegan Banh Mi Sandwich
Helpful Kitchen Tools:
- large nonstick skillet
Ingredients
for the tofu
- 1 block (14 ounce) extra-firm tofu, drained
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil, (sub with vegetable oil)
for the pickled vegetables
- 1 cup carrot, grated
- 1 cup daikon radish, grated
- ¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar, (sub with white wine vinegar, apple cider, or white vinegar)
- 2 teaspoons salt
for the marinade
- ¼ cup soy sauce or liquid aminos
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup cilantro, leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
for the spicy mayo
- ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons sriracha sauce, (optional)
- ½ lime, freshly squeezed
for the sandwiches
- 1 baguette
- ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
- ½ cup cilantro leaves and tender stems
- ¼ cup basil leaves, (sub with more cilantro)
- 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
- 2 jalapeños, seeds removed for less heat, thinly sliced (optional)
Instructions
for the pickled vegetables
- Grate carrot and daikon radish and add them to a small mixing bowl. Slice red onions and add them. Cover with rice wine vinegar and salt.
- Stir until the salt is dissolved, then set aside until needed.
for the marinade
- In a blender or using an immersion blender, blend soy sauce, sesame oil, maple syrup, garlic, ginger, cilantro, salt, and black pepper until smooth.
- Slice tofu into 8 equal slabs and arrange in a roasting tray.
- Pour marinade over the tofu and turn once to evenly coat. Set aside 5 minutes or more.
for the spicy mayo
- Mix together vegan mayonnaise, sriracha, and lime juice in a small bowl and set aside until needed.
to cook the tofu
- Heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Gently shake the marinade off the tofu and transfer tofu to the hot skillet. Reserve the marinade. Cook tofu until lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side.
- Transfer cooked tofu back into the marinade for at least 10 minutes.
to assemble the sandwiches
- Slice baguette into 4-inch lengths, then slice in half and spread both sides with the mayo.
- Layer the bottom half with tofu, fresh cilantro, basil, pickled vegetables (shaking off pickling liquid first), cucumber, and jalapeños.
Nutrition
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Esther
Amazing!! Thank you so much Andrea for creating a wonderful recipe. My husband and I both enjoy this type of sandwich. We (and friends) also love your Kimchi recipe on ButteredVeg.com.
Andrea
Hi Esther,
Thank you for sharing that. So happy to hear you enjoy the kimchi. Enjoy this recipe too!
—Andrea
Andrea
I absolutely love this sandwich.