Loaded with fresh cilantro, mint, tangy pickled carrots and daikon, jalapeño, baked tofu - all on soft French bread? Hello! Sandwich heaven, guys. You must try a vegan tofu banh mi.
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🧄 Very useful ingredient notes
The elements of this vegan bánh mì are:
- French bread
- Vegan mayonnaise
- Cucumber
- Jalapeño
- Fresh herbs (cilantro, mint, Thai basil)
- Do chua (pickled carrots and daikon)
- Marinated baked tofu
The combination of all of these flavors and textures is quite addictive.
French bread
It is important to use fresh bread that is not tough or too chewy. You want it to be soft and easy to bite through and not so crusty that it hurts your mouth to chew it up.
In Houston's Chinatown, Parisian Bakery makes fresh French rolls every day, both in a standard and small size.
You can think of these as a full sandwich and half sandwich size. They are the perfect bread for bánh mì.
Mexican bolillo rolls or french or italian rolls should work well as an alternative.
Fresh herbs and veggies
For the fresh herbs, you can use all three or just one or two - whichever combination you prefer. If you cannot find the Thai basil, I would not recommend substituting Italian basil.
Just use the cilantro and/or mint. The cucumber and jalapeño offer cool crunch and heat, respectively and are essential.
If you can't find the Persian cucumber (the short ones, sometimes called baby cucumbers), then just use English cucumber or a standard cucumber.
You will have to cut them in half or thirds before slicing them long ways. Cut them to be about the length of the bread you are using.
If using a standard cucumber, I would recommend peeling it.
Do chua (pickled carrots and daikon)
If you can find the do chua, you could easily purchase it, but it is not difficult to make. A mandolin makes quick work of the julienned carrots and daikon.
If you want to just use carrots, this is totally fine! The first time I made these, I just used carrots. Once you make the pickled veggies, it will keep in the refrigerator for up to a month.
For speed, julienne the carrots and daikon in either a food processor or a mandolin.
It makes quick work of turning them into thin strips. If you have either, a plain old knife will work just as well, although it will take longer.
Marinated, baked tofu
I would enjoy this sandwich without even adding the tofu. But, to make it a complete meal and add some heartiness, I recommend adding a marinated, baked tofu.
You could potentially also add seitan or even experiment with soy-marinated and cooked jackfruit or hearts of palm.
The tofu we use is marinated in soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, ginger and a little bit of sugar and then baked.
🔪 Instructions
After you've prepared the ingredients for your vegan banh mi, it's as simple as assembling a sandwich!
Cut your bread in half, without cutting all the way through.
Spread on the vegan mayo. Then, layer in your cucumber, pickled carrots and daikon, herbs, jalapeño and tofu.
Grab, take a big bite and enjoy!
👨👩👦👦 Serving suggestions
If you have leftover ingredients, try making fresh spring rolls or rice noodle vermicelli bowls with a spicy peanut sauce or dressing to mix things up.
💜 More recipes you'll love
If you like this Vietnamese-inspired vegan banh mi sandwich recipe, maybe you'll like one of these other Asian-inspired vegan recipes on my site:
Love this recipe?
Please rate it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a comment below, so I know which recipes you like the best. This helps me know what to make more of!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwiches with Baked Tofu
Equipment
Ingredients
Marinated Tofu
- 16 ounces extra firm tofu sliced into 8 flat rectangle pieces
- 2 teaspoons garlic crushed or paste
- 2 teaspoons ginger crushed or paste
- ½ teaspoon cane sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice juice of half a lime
Do Chua (Pickled Carrots and Daikon)
- 2 cups carrot and/or daikon radish grated on large hole of box grater or julienned fine
- 1 cup rice vinegar unseasoned, plain rice vinegar or white vinegar
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons cane sugar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Sandwiches
- 4 French rolls or bolillos
- 4 Persian cucumbers quartered lengthwise into long spears
- 1 jalapeño de-seeded and thinly sliced
- 2 cups fresh cilantro with stems, cut into 4 inch pieces
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves stems removed
- 1 cup Thai basil leaves stems removed
- 8 tablespoons vegan mayo store-bought or homemade
Instructions
Make pickled veggies (do chua)
- Prepare the do chua by adding the grated carrot and radish to a quart sized glass jar or glass bowl. Mix the vinegar, water, sugar and salt together in a large measuring cup or bowl. Stir to dissolve sugar and salt. Pour over carrot and radish, cover with lid and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.2 cups carrot and/or daikon radish, 1 cup rice vinegar, 1 cup warm water, 2 tablespoons cane sugar, ½ teaspoon sea salt
Bake tofu
- Prepare the tofu by pressing it gently in a clean dish cloth. Then, cut into 8 flat rectangular pieces and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.16 ounces extra firm tofu
- Mix ginger, garlic, lime juice, sugar and soy sauce in bowl, then brush marinade onto tofu. Flip tofu and brush marinade onto other side. Bake at 400°F for 30 minutes, flipping tofu pieces halfway through.2 teaspoons garlic, 2 teaspoons ginger, ½ teaspoon cane sugar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons lime juice
Assemble sandwiches
- Slice French rolls lengthwise, not cutting all the way through. Remove some of inside of the bread to make room for the filling. Then, warm in oven (which should still be warm from the tofu baking) for 60 seconds.4 French rolls or bolillos
- Spread mayo on bread, then add cucumber, jalapeño, herbs, pickled veggies and 2 pieces of tofu. Serve right away.4 Persian cucumbers, 1 jalapeño, 2 cups fresh cilantro, 1 cup fresh mint leaves, 8 tablespoons vegan mayo, 1 cup Thai basil leaves
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