Recipe

Vegetarian Banh Mi with Marinated Tofu

Servings:
2
Total Time:
0
hr
35
min
Jump to RecipeAn open vegetarian bahn mi sandwich.
Healthy Highlights
Meal Type
Sandwiches
Main Dishes
Dietary
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gut Healthy
Dairy Free
Follow Along

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.

A vegetarian banh mi cut in half.

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.
A close up of a tofu banh mi sandwich.

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

Vegetarian Banh Mi with Marinated Tofu

5 stars4 stars
(
1
)
Servings:
2
Prep Time:
25
min
Cook Time:
0
hr
10
min
Total Time:
0
hr
35
min
An open vegetarian bahn mi sandwich.
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Quick Pickled Vegetables

  • 1 cup carrots, sliced (about 3 large carrots)
  • 1/2 cup radishes, sliced (about 5 radishes)
  • 2 cups water
  • 3 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tsp granulated sugar

Tofu

  • 1 block of extra firm tofu (about 10-14oz)
  • 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil or olive oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp of grated ginger (about 1/2 inch piece)

Sriracha Mayo

  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise (regular or plant-based)
  • 1 tbsp sriracha

Sandwich

  • 1 large baguette or 2 sandwich rolls
  • Lettuce
  • A handful of fresh cilantro
  • 2 green onions, sliced
  • 1 fresh jalapeño, sliced (optional)

Directions

  1. Start by making your pickled veggies. Chop up your carrots and radishes and place them in a bowl. Pour over the water, rice vinegar, and sugar. Let this sit for 20 minutes while you prepare the rest of the meal.
  2. Now make the tofu. Press out any excess water in your tofu using a towel or tofu press. Slice the tofu in half long ways to get thin slices of tofu then cut each piece into 4-6 rectangles. You will have about 8-12 rectangle pieces all together.
  3. Mix all the tofu marinade ingredients in a large bowl or a shallow dish and add the tofu slices. Let tofu sit for about 10 minutes to soak up the flavor.
  4. Heat on a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and add the tofu pieces. Cook each side until it starts to slightly brown. About 4-5 minutes a side.
  5. While the tofu is cooking, make the sriracha mayo by mixing the mayo and sriracha in a small bowl.
  6. Assemble the banh mi! To your baguette roll, add the sriracha mayo, tofu slices, some pickled vegetables, lettuce, cilantro, green onion, and jalapeño (if using). Enjoy!

Notes

Products Used

Chefs knife
Kitchen

Shun Chef's Knife

Three glass mixing bowls.
Kitchen

Pyrex Mixing Bowls

Caraway pots and pan set.
Kitchen

Caraway Cookware

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