A vegan twist on the popular Vietnamese street food sandwich, the banh mi, a delicious sandwich of tofu, pickles & salad on crispy baguette. Not traditional at all, but try some of this Carrot Coleslaw on it.
My latest sandwich is a colourful and absolutely delicious vegan tofu banh mi sandwich.
My husband loves this one, and I’m happy to make it for him as it has tofu and extra veg, so it’s healthier than the vegan cheese and Branston pickle sandwich he would make on repeat with no salad or anything nutritious involved.
This Vietnamese-style sandwich is a much better option and so much tastier.
I hope you try it, I’m sure you’ll love it.
To perk it up and give it some zing, try adding some of this easy Balsamic Slaw.
I’ve included the recipe for Gochujang tofu ‘bacon’, but you could use pre-made vegan bacon, although it’s nowhere near as good as this tofu bacon.
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At a glance – vegan tofu banh mi
⏲️ Ready in: 10 minutes
👪 Serves: 3
🍽 Calories: 302
🧾 Main ingredients: baguette, vegan tofu (ingredients included – make it at home or buy it), iceberg lettuce (for crunch), cucumber, pickles (I added pickled radishes), peeled carrot slices & fresh coriander (cilantro)
👩🏻🍳 Suitable for: vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, egg-free, vegetarian
Summarise & save this recipe:
🥖 What is a banh mi?
Banh mi or banh my is a popular Vietnamese street food.
It’s a sandwich made with a crusty baguette and usually stuffed with meat, salad, and pickles, as well as fresh coriander (fresh cilantro).
It sometimes includes chilli peppers too, but that is optional.
Of course, it can be made meat-free, and if you dislike coriander, you can substitute it with fresh parsley or other herbs instead.
🥓 What can you replace the meat in a banh mi with?
If you are vegetarian or vegan you can swap the meat in a banh mi with a few different plant-based options to make it a meatless banh mi.
I replace it with tofu bacon, but here are some more ideas:
Do try my vegan tofu bacon though, it’s gorgeous stuff and so easy to make.
🥓 Is tofu bacon easy to make?
Homemade tofu bacon is super easy to make, I promise you!
Use a potato peeler or cheese plane to slice extra firm tofu (or pressed firm tofu) into thin strips, then marinade it, lay it in a single layer on a lined baking tray (sheet pan) and cook until chewy and crisp at the edges.
Lovely crispy tofu.
My recipe for vegan bacon is lush and has a bit of a kick!
I’ve included the recipe along with the banh mi sandwich recipe below, but skip it if you are buying deli slices to use.
🥓 Making vegan bacon? Here’s what you need
If you’re making your own vegan bacon from tofu slices for this vegan tofu bánh mì, here’s what you need, including the tofu marinade.
- Extra-firm tofu – or pressed firm tofu (it’s a great plant-based protein)
- Olive oil – sesame oil or another mild oil
- Gochujang paste – you can less and include tomato puree for a milder version (you will find this an asian market, but most supermarkets sell it too now)
- Soy sauce
- Maple syrup
- Water
- Salt & black pepper – to season
See the fully printable recipe card at the bottom of this page for quantities, method, notes and nutritional values or use the jump to recipe button in the index below the first paragraph.
📋 What you need to make a tofu banh mi
Here are the simple ingredients you need to make these banh mi sandwiches which are so popular in Vietnamese cuisine.
- French baguette – or a similar crispy baton roll
- Mayo – you can spice it up (see below)
- Tofu bacon – or other vegan deli meat
- Salad Leaves – I like to use crispy iceberg lettuce
- Cucumber
- Carrots
- Pickles – I used quick pickled radish this time
- Fresh coriander (cilantro) – or other fresh herbs
🥣 Daikon & carrot pickle
Traditionally, crunchy daikon and carrots pickles are added to these Vietnamese sandwiches.
Daikon is a South Asina mooli (large root) which is also called white cabbage, winter cabbage or oriental cabbage.
These are easily found in Asian supermarkets and grocery stores.
🥢 Use quick pickles
Instead of daikon radish and carrot pickles, you could use quick and easy homemade pickles.
I used quick-pickled radishes for this sandwich this time, but here are a few easy quick pickles you could add to this traditional Vietnamese sandwich for a superior lunch or dinner.
You decide which quick pickled veggies you would prefer in this gorgeous sandwich.
🥣 Flavoured vegan mayonnaise
I used plain plant-based mayo for this vegan banh mi sandwich, but a flavoured mayo does elevate the sandwich and is quick to make using ready-made mayonnaise.
Here are some ideas for flavoured mayo:
- Lemon mayo – mix some lemon juice and zest, with a little salt into mayo
- Lime mayo – add lime juice, lime zest and some paprika
- Sriracha mayo – mix some sriracha sauce with mayo, lemon juice is a good addition to this one, to tingle your taste buds
- Dill mayo – mix fresh dill and lemon juice with mayo or other fresh herbs like mint, coriander (cilantro), basil or parsley
- Garlic mayo – mix garlic powder or crushed fresh garlic with mayo
- Firecracker mayo – it has a bit of a kick, a real spicy mayo
Thousand Island dressing would be good too, instead of mayo.
I’m sure you could come up with some good ideas for pimping up mayo.
🥕 Peeled carrot strips
Generally, people add grated carrot to this Vietnamese classic sandwich.
You could definitely do that for your sandwich.
However, if you peel a carrot into strips using a potato peeler, it looks affy bonnie as we say here in Scotland.
🥗 Serving banh mi sandwiches
Here are a few ideas of what to serve with this popular Vietnamese sandwich for a hearty lunch or dinner.
- Green salad – with dressing
- Coleslaw – with some salad and dill coleslaw
- Potato wedges – and salad
- Potato salad
- Crisps – flavoured chips
- Fresh fruit
Just remember it’s quite filling.
Looking for more vegan baguette sandwich recipes? Try these:
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👩🏻🍳 How to make vegan tofu banh mi
These step-by-step photos will show you how to make these delicious bánh mì sandwiches with pickled vegetables.
Step 1
- Preheat your oven and prepare the tofu ‘bacon’.
- Make your marinade in a tub that has a tight-fitting lid.
- Slice the extra firm tofu (or pressed firm tofu) into thin strips with a potato peeler or cheese plane.
- Place the tofu in the tub the the marinade, secure the lid and shake for a few seconds to coat the tofu. You can set it aside to marinade while you shred the lettuce, peel or grate the carrot and slice the cucumber.
- Spread out the marinated tofu in a single layer on a couple of lined baking trays (sheet pans) and roast in the oven until golden, chewy and crisp at the edges.
Step 2
- Once the vegan ‘bacon’ has cooled, if you are using it, cut your chunk of baguette or baguette baton in half, then spread each side with mayo.
- Add cucumber slices, shredded lettuce and slices of carrot.
Step 3
- Add slices of tofu bacon or deli slices
- Then add pickles veggies and fresh coriander (cilantro) or other fresh herbs.
- Serve and enjoy!
📖 Recipe
vegan Vietnamese tofu banh mi recipe
Ingredients
Tofu Bacon (if you are making it) Ingredients
Banh mi sandwich ingredients
Instructions
Keep screen on
Making tofu bacon
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Make your marinade. In a tub, add the gochujang sauce, soy sauce, maple syrup, water, olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Whisk well to combine.
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Peel your pressed tofu into strips with a potato peeler or cheese slicer (cheese planer). Add them to the tub with the marinade, add the lid securely and shake to coat all the tofu strips. Set aside for a few minutes (see notes for leftover bits of tofu).
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Now pre-heat your oven to 220c / 200c fan/ 425f / gas mark 7 and line two large baking sheets or sheet pans with non-stick baking paper or parchment paper.
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If you are using an air fryer, you will have to cook in batches and it will cook quicker, so keep an eye on it.
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Lay the strips in a single layer across both trays (or in two batches). Cook for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown and crispy at the edges, then leave to cool.
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Making a banh mi sandwich
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Cut the baguette into three chunks or two if you are very hungry, slice them open through the top of side and spread the inside with mayo.
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Add slices of cucumber and then shredded lettuce, then top with carrot slices or grated carrot.
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Next add slices of vegan bacon and top with pickled radish or other pickled veggies and finish with fresh coriander (cilantro) or other fresh herbs.
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Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- You can use deli slices, vegan meatballs or falafel instead of vegan bacon.
- Any pickled veggies will do.
- If you have leftover bits of tofu, shred or crumble them and toss in the remaining marinade, bake on a baking tray and keep for wraps.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sandwichCalories: 302kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 14gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 1047mgPotassium: 437mgFiber: 1gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 422IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 94mgIron: 3mg