Vegan Bánh mì with tofu

Bánh-mì is an incredibly tasty Vietnamese sandwich. This vegan recipe is made with marinated tofu and a crisp vegetable salad. This sandwich is spicy, delicious, easy to prepare.
vegan banh mi served on a blue plate

Bánh-mì is an incredibly tasty Vietnamese sandwich. This vegan recipe is made with marinated tofu and a crisp vegetable salad. This sandwich is spicy, delicious, and very easy to prepare. 

What is a Bahn mi?

The bánh mì or banh mi comes from Vietnamese cuisine and is a sandwich made with French bread filled with savory ingredients. It can be tofu or any sliced ​​meat; it has a salad of pickled vegetables. 

It is finished with a spicy sauce, usually sriracha sauce. The bread with which the sandwiches are made is also called Bahn mi.

a block of tofu and some condiments to make a marinade

Ingredients to make a tofu bahn mi

  • Tofu, it is better that you use extra firm tofu. And that you squeeze it very well to get all the liquid out.
  • To marinate: minced ginger, minced garlic, tamari or soy sauce, lemon juice, rice vinegar, sesame oil, maple syrup, and neutral flavor oil.
  • Salad: green cabbage or red cabbage, grated carrot, rice vinegar.
  • To serve: baguette bread, vegan mayonnaise, serrano or jalapeño chili, chives, and cilantro.
marinated slices of firm tofu

How to get the liquid out of tofu? It is straightforward, take it out of the package and, with your hands, drain as much liquid as possible. Put the block of tofu between two pieces of kitchen napkin and put something heavy on top. You can use books or a heavy iron skillet.

Change the paper towels from time to time. You can also use a tofu press, a particular device, to squeeze out all the liquid and get the desired consistency. I have the Tofu-bud, but it’s not necessary.

How to make the Bahn mi vegan?

  1. The first and foremost thing is to squeeze the tofu. While you press it, prepare the marinade. Leave the tofu to absorb the delicious flavors of the dressing.
  2. While the tofu is marinating, prepare the salad. Cut the vegetables as thin as possible, put them in a bowl, and marinate them with rice vinegar and salt. Put aside.
  3. Start browning the tofu in a hot skillet. Prepare the bread, cut it in half, and put mayonnaise or mayonnaise with sriracha on one side. 
  4. Assemble the Vietnamese sandwich by putting a few slices of golden tofu in the center, a little salad, and finish with the sliced ​​chili and cilantro leaves.
vegan bahn mi picture

tips and tricks

  • Use fresh bread; it is better that it is freshly made.
  • Cut the vegetables as thin as you can; use a julienne peeler or a mandoline slicer.
  • This sandwich is best eaten fresh. 
  • If you’re going to eat it later, store the tofu and salad separately.
  • You can make this báhn-mì vegetarian if you use regular mayo.
  • Mix the homemade vegan mayo with sriracha and a pinch of salt to make sriracha-mayo.
A bánh mì sandwich filled with pickled carrots, daikon, cilantro, and green chili is served on a black plate. A wooden spoon lies beside it. A green glass of water, sprigs of cilantro, a sliced green chili, and half a lemon are placed on the terrazzo countertop.

Vegan Bahn mi

Alejandra Graf
Bánh-mì is an incredibly tasty Vietnamese sandwich. This vegan recipe is made with marinated tofu and a crisp vegetable salad. This sandwich is spicy, delicious, easy to prepare.
5 de 1 voto
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course sandwich
Cuisine Thai
Servings 4 porciones
Calories 158 kcal

Equipment

  • Bowl
  • Pan

Ingredients
  

FOR THE TOFU

  • 1 block of extra firm tofu
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic about 2 garlic cloves
  • 3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons neutral flavor oil

SALAD

  • 1/4 green or purple cabbage about 2 cups
  • 1 carrot cut into strips
  • 1 medium seedless cucumber
  • 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

For assembling the sandwich

  • 3 scallions tail onions
  • *1/2 optional serrano chili without seeds and without veins
  • a handful of cilantro
  • 4 individual baguettes
  • Mayonnaise
  • sriracha sauce

Instructions
 

  • Open the package of tofu and drain the water as much as possible. Squeeze it out very carefully so you don’t mess it up. Leave it in a colander or on paper towels so that the liquid continues to drain.
  • To prepare the dressing to marinate the tofu, mix the ginger, the garlic, the tamari or soy sauce, the lemon juice, the rice vinegar, the sesame oil, the tablespoon of maple syrup and the oil.
  • Cut the tofu into strips of 2cm by 2cm or so, put them on a shallow plate and pour the dressing on top. Set them aside for about 15-20 minutes so that the tofu is well impregnated.
  • Start preparing the salad. Cut all the vegetables as thin as you can. Put them in a salad bowl and add the salt. Set them aside until before you use them, leave the cilantro for last.
  • Heat a pan that does not stick and put the tofu for about 10-15 minutes on each side to brown.
  • While you seal the tofu, prepare the bread, put mayonnaise on one side and siracha sauce on the other. The siracha sauce is spicy, add a little.
  • Finish the salad by adding the vinegar, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar and the cilantro, mix well.

PREPARE THE SANDWICH

  • When the tofu slices are golden on all sides, put one or two on the bread, a handful of salad on top and finish with slices of serrano pepper, cilantro and chives.

Notes

Use very fresh bread. Look for good bread, that has nothing but flour, yeast, water and salt.
I use homemade mayonnaise or Vegenaise.
If you use store-bought sriracha sauce, check the labels to make it vegan.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 158kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 9gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.03gSodium: 1108mgPotassium: 198mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 0.2IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 2mg
Keyword bahn mi, crispy tofu, vegan sandwich

information

Nutritional information of this recipe is only an estimate, the accuracy for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Did you make this recipe?Tag @piloncilloyvainilla on Instagram and hashtag it #alecooks so we can all see your creations.

Alejandra Graf
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5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)
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