Instead of stuffing this banh mi sandwich with meat, I fill it with zesty marinated tofu. Pickled veggies and cilantro leaves take it over the top.
When I lived in Austin, I got a tofu banh mi sandwich from two different Vietnamese restaurants as often as I could. Stuffed with sweet and tangy pickles, herbs, creamy mayo, and more, the sandwiches were hearty and comforting, but still refreshing. My mouth is watering just thinking about them! Since we’ve moved, I’m still searching for a great banh mi in Chicago (let me know if any of you have suggestions!). Until I find one, I’ll be making this yummy banh mi recipe to curb my cravings at home.
What is banh mi?
Banh mi sandwiches are a Vietnamese street food that originated in Saigon. Served on soft French baguettes, they’re a delicious hybrid of French and Vietnamese cuisine. Typically, they contain pickled carrots, daikon, chiles, cucumber slices, cilantro, mayo, and a protein. Popular proteins include marinated pork, chicken, and paté, but I use tofu in this recipe to make it vegetarian.
Banh Mi Sandwich Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:
- Baguette – Look for soft baguette with a lightly crisp exterior. If it’s too chewy or crusty, the fillings will squish out of the sandwich!
- Seared marinated tofu – The “meat” of this sandwich. I marinate firm tofu in a blend of tamari or soy sauce, lime juice and zest, garlic, ginger, and black pepper. It’s super savory and bright. Yum!
- Pickled vegetables – These guys are key for giving a banh mi its signature sweet and tangy flavor. I pickle a combination of carrots, cucumber, jalapeño, and daikon in white wine vinegar, rice vinegar, salt, and sugar. If you can’t find daikon, red radishes taste great here too. And if you’re sensitive to spice, go easy on the jalapeño.
- Spicy mayo – A banh mi essential! This sauce, made from mayo, sriracha, lime juice, and sesame oil, adds delicious richness and heat to this fresh sandwich. To make this recipe vegan, substitute your favorite store bought vegan mayo, or make your own.
- Cilantro – The perfect fresh finishing touch!
After the tofu marinates, heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and sear the tofu on both sides. When it’s golden brown and caramelized, stuff it into the baguette with the pickled veggies, cilantro, and a slather of spicy mayo. Enjoy!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Banh Mi Recipe Tips
- Plan ahead. For the best sweet and tangy flavor, you need to make the pickles ahead of time. They’ll taste good after an hour in the fridge, but they get better by the day. If you can, prep them a day or two before you make this recipe!
- Press your tofu. This simple, hands-off step only takes an extra 20 to 30 minutes, and it will give your tofu an amazing chewy texture! I love the Tofuture Tofu Press, which is easy to use and captures the excess water from the tofu, making cleanup a breeze. You can get it on Amazon for $25.95. Want to look at some other options? Check out my guide to the best tofu presses!
- Don’t let the pickled veggies go to waste! You’ll likely end up with leftover pickles from making this recipe. Store them in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Make more sandwiches later on, or pile them onto rice bowls, top them onto avocado toast, or stuff them into spring rolls!
- Change it up. This vegetarian banh mi recipe is fantastic as written, but feel free to play with it. Avocado and sautéed shiitake mushrooms would both be excellent here, as would extra cucumber slices. Let me know what variations you try!
More Favorite Tofu Recipes
If you love this tofu banh mi sandwich, check out this post for my best tofu-cooking tips! Then, try one of these delicious tofu recipes next:
- Crispy Sesame Tofu
- Best Vegetarian Lasagna
- Avocado Summer Rolls
- Vegan Egg Salad
- Sesame Noodle Bowl
- Ginger Miso Soup
Banh Mi Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 (14-ounce) package extra firm tofu (see notes)
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for the pan
- 4 baguette pieces, sliced in half
- Spicy Mayo
- A few sprigs of cilantro per sandwich
Pickled Veggies:
- 1 small daikon, sliced into matchsticks
- 2 small carrots, sliced into matchsticks
- ½ small cucumber, seeded & sliced into matchsticks
- ½ jalapeño, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar, more as needed
- 1/3 cup water, more as needed
- Pinches cane sugar
- Pinches sea salt
Tofu Marinade:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- Juice of ½ lime + a little zest
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ teaspoon minced ginger
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Make the pickles ahead: Place the daikon, carrots, cucumbers, and jalapeños in a medium jar with the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt. If the liquids don’t cover the veggies, add more water and vinegar if necessary. Let chill for at least an hour, or store in the fridge for up to a week.
- Drain the tofu and slice it into ½-inch slices. Place it on a towel and gently pat dry to remove excess water.
- Make the marinade: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, tamari, lime juice and zest, garlic, ginger, and pepper.
- Place the tofu in a shallow pan and pour the marinade on top. Flip the tofu to fully coat it, adding more tamari if necessary. Let the tofu marinate for at least 15 minutes.
- Heat a nonstick skillet to medium-high heat. Add a little oil to the pan and place the tofu pieces with enough space between each so that they’re not too crowded, working in batches if necessary. Without moving the tofu slices around too much, let them cook for a few minutes per side until they’re deeply golden brown and caramelized around the edges. Remove from heat and season to taste.
- Assemble sandwiches with the baguette, spicy mayo, tofu slices, pickled veggies, and cilantro.
Notes
This looks really amazing and I’m planning on pickling vegetables today. One question, though: the recipe says let sit for at least an hour or at least one week. Could you clarify that? Thanks!!
Hi Amy, I meant to say that they’ll last in the fridge for up to a week after you make them. Hope you like!
This looks delish, hoping to make it tonight. I’ve made refrigerator pickles in the past and was told to simmer the wet ingredients before adding to veg. Is this not necessary?
Hi Breana, it’s not necessary if you’re putting them in the fridge (it is necessary if you’re canning). Sometime I heat my brine, most of the time I don’t. If you’re adding spices to your brine, simmering it will help infuse the flavors. In this particular recipe, I haven’t found it to make a big difference either way.
What a lovely photograph! Sometimes vegetarian banh mi is all ya need right? I usually don’t pickle my cucumbers for this but that sounds good too, will try it out.
Cheers!
Made these tonight. They were amazing. I’ve never had banh mi before. Thank you for the recipe. I will be making these on a regular rotation.
oh my word! how stunning are your photos though 🙂
Love these easy pickled veggies! Tofu is not my thing but these sandwiches look killer 🙂
Oh wow! This has me craving a banh mi now. Nom nom!
oh man. i lived in austin as well and just recently moved back to illinois so i’m missing lulu b’s and elizabeth st. HARD. i don’t think i’ve had a bahn mi since then. i can’t wait to try this recipe! you rule!
yum….. photos looking delicious.
This looks delicious and the tofu marinade sounds perfect, I love the combo of ginger and lime and I think tofu is best when it gets to carmelize. I might just try the tofu all on it’s own, it sounds that good to me.
I used parsnips instead of daikons, since I couldn’t find any at my grocery store (I’ll have to check out one of my city’s Asian speciality stores some time). In any case, I followed the other directions exactly as written, and it turned out great! I will definitely make this sandwich again – excellent job Jeanine 🙂
thanks Jerrica – I’m so glad you liked it!
I want one of these right now! They look fantastic. I normally would choose meat, but I like the idea of pickled vegetables and tofu as a variation of the usual; plus, it’s healthier. 🙂
Delicious! Beautiful sandwiches!!!
This looks so good. Glad that you posted this recipe, maybe I can try it soon. More awesome Vegan options.
Is it just me, or is it really hard to find hearty, filling vegan sandwich recipes? This looks amazing and I can’t wait to give it a try – thank you! Plus, anything with sriracha is a big win for me.
xx Kathryn
http://www.throughthethicket.ca
This look so delicious Jeanine! I’m a massive tofu lover!
So very excited about this recipe! Yum!
Sandwiches are not usually on the top of my list to make, but this one would certainly cut in line. I think marinated and cooked tempeh would be a good sub for tofu as well. And these pickled vegetables, wow!
Ahh! I LOVE banh mi, and used to get the tofu and mock duck curry band mi from a local place. The fillings are ‘incidentally’ vegan, so I didn’t think anything of it. Then, a friend learned that the bread has egg in it! 🙁 It was really sad news, and I’ve been missing my banh mi since then.
I absolutely LOVE Tofu Banh Mi and have been craving one ever since coming back from New York. I always thought to make it at home but never got around to it. Now I have no excuse. This looks incredible and the fact that you pickled your own veggies is a huge plus. Love quick pickling! Also, how in the world did you find a small daikon? The ones I find look like they’re on steroids!
Ha, let me know if you give it a try :). The ones at my farmers market (like the one pictured) was on the small side. But I’ve definitely seen ones in Japan that are the size of a small arm! You can adjust the vinegar amounts and pickle as much as you like… it’ll last in the fridge for awhile.
This banh mi sounds fantastic! You have to love all those beautiful zingy vegetables and herbs in the dead of winter. 🙂