Vegetarian Banh Mi with Marinated Tofu

For a filling and satisfying vegetarian sandwich, your taste buds will love this vegetarian tofu banh mi. Made by soaking the tofu in a marinade, adding on some pickled veggies, and wrapping it all up in a crispy baguette, this is my favorite way to enjoy a Vietnamese tofu banh mi sandwich.

What makes a good vegetarian sandwich is having enough flavor and texture to make it a filling sandwich. Using tofu in this banh mi adds in plant protein and it pairs nicely with all the fresh veggies.

What Makes a Banh Mi Sandwich

A banh mi sandwich is a classic Vietnamese sandwich with crusty bread, pickled vegetables, and a creamy sauce like mayonnaise. Traditional banh mi sandwiches have thinly sliced meat, most commonly pork. For this recipe, I use sliced tofu instead.

You will often find some spicy elements like sliced chilis on a banh mi sandwich.

What Type of Bread to Use in a Banh Mi?

A banh mi is traditionally made with some type of crusty bread. They are often served in long sandwich loaf-style bread. You can use a sandwich roll or even a crusty baguette to make this banh mi sandwich.

Tips to Make the Best Vegetarian Banh Mi

• Use extra firm tofu. When cutting your tofu into slices you want something that will hold up in a sandwich. For this reason, I suggest an extra firm tofu. You can also find super firm tofu, but I think extra firm works the best. It holds its shape and still soaks up the marinate really well.
• Make the pickled vegetables ahead of time. If you want to prep in advance, you can make the pickled vegetables the day before and store them in the fridge. You can also use store-bought pickled veggies to save time.
• Add in fresh herbs. To add a bright pop of freshness, I love to add fresh herbs to this sandwich. I typically use fresh cilantro but you could also use parsley, basil, or chives.
• Add in extra veggies. One thing that is great about this sandwich is that you can add in extra fresh veggies to make the sandwich your own. Feel free to add in cucumber slices or thinly sliced red onion.

Common Questions

Is this banh mi vegan?

This banh mi can easily be made vegan! For the vegan version, swap out the mayo for a vegan mayonnaise and you will have a completely vegan banh mi recipe.

Is it spicy?

This vegetarian banh mi is on the lower end of spicy. The spice comes in with the sriracha mayo and jalapeños (if using). If you are sensitive to spice, add half the sriracha to the mayo and skip the jalapeños.

Do I need a tofu press?

The short answer is no. A tofu press helps get all the excess moisture out of the tofu. This can be nice to have, but you can use a tea towel or paper towels to press out any excess water.

Remember to be careful when pressing out the water. Tofu is fairly delicate and you don't want to break the tofu block into pieces.

Other Vegetarian Sandwiches You Might Enjoy

• Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich
• Eggplant Parmesan Sandwich
• Vegetarian Ciabatta Sandwich