Adapted from Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwich at feastingathome.com (https://feastingathome.com/authentic-banh-mi-sandwich-recipe/). Ingredients and timings from the original; method converted and scaled by Reduce. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the source.

From feastingathome.com

Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwich

Name: Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwich
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 5 servings
Ingredients: 1 small (about 3/4 cup matchstick) daikon radish; 1 medium (about 3/4 cup matchstick) carrot; ½ cup vinegar (white, rice, or apple cider); ½ cup water; ½ teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoons sugar, or sugar alternative; 16 ounces firm tofu (or chicken thighs, boneless skinless, or mushrooms, or pre-made pork); ¾ teaspoon salt, more to taste; ¾ teaspoon Chinese Five Spice, or to taste; olive oil, for searing; 2 Turkish cucumbers, thinly sliced; 1 cup cilantro leaves (or a mix of cilantro, Thai basil, mint); 1 jalapeno (or serrano), very finely sliced; ⅓ cup mayo, vegan mayo, or aioli; 1-3 teaspoons Sriracha or hot sauce; 1 large baguette

5 servings · 20 min prep · 20 min cook

Ingredients

Pickled Carrot & Daikon

1 small (about 3/4 cup matchstick) daikon radish
1 medium (about 3/4 cup matchstick) carrot
1/2 cup vinegar (white, rice, or apple cider)
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar, or sugar alternative

Protein

16 ounces firm tofu (or chicken thighs, boneless skinless, or mushrooms, or pre-made pork)
3/4 teaspoon salt, more to taste
3/4 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice, or to taste
olive oil, for searing

Sandwich Fillings

2 Turkish cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 cup cilantro leaves (or a mix of cilantro, Thai basil, mint)
1 jalapeno (or serrano), very finely sliced

Sriracha Mayo

1/3 cup mayo, vegan mayo, or aioli
1-3 teaspoons Sriracha or hot sauce

Bread

1 large baguette

Steps

Peel 1 small (about 3/4 cup matchstick) daikon and 1 medium (about 3/4 cup matchstick) carrot, then cut into matchsticks (thinly slice, stack, then cut into thin strips). Place in a small pot with ½ cup water, ½ cup vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons sugar. Feel free to add slices of 1 jalapeno, saving some fresh slices. Bring to a simmer, then cool immediately, placing in the fridge. You could do this a day before.
Blot 16 ounces tofu gently with paper towels, cut into 1/3 inch-thick squares or rectangles. Season both sides generously with ¾ teaspoon salt, and sprinkle lightly with ¾ teaspoon Chinese Five Spice. Pan sear in oil, until both sides are crisp and golden. If using chicken, season both sides generously with salt and lightly with five-spice. Pan-sear until deeply golden. Either lower the heat and cook through or finish cooking the chicken in a 350F oven, then shred it a bit with two forks. Taste and adjust salt and 5-Spice, adding more to taste.
10 min
Mix ⅓ cup mayo and 1-3 teaspoons sriracha together, adding more to taste. Sriracha has both acidity and sweetness, keep this in mind if using something else and adjust accordingly.
Slit one side of 1 large baguette down the whole length of it, leaving the other side intact, so it hinges open, like a book. Lather both sides with the sriracha ⅓ cup mayo. Layer in the protein, add 2 cucumber slices, and the pickled 1 medium (about 3/4 cup matchstick) carrot and 1 small (about 3/4 cup matchstick) daikon mix. Top with 1 cup cilantro leaves and 1 sliced jalapeno.
Give the sandwich a shake, open side up, to get things to settle towards the hinge. Cut into individual sandwiches.
You could also cut these into 8-12 mini finger sandwiches, piercing each piece with a toothpick, for a fun appetizer like we used to do in our catering business.

Nutrition

Per serving

kcal: 393
protein: 19 g
carbs: 43 g
fat: 16 g

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