Recipe: How to make banh mi two ways, and bun cha

I think banh mi is the perfect sandwich. It’s perfectly balanced: you get acid and tang from the pickled carrots and daikon, crispness from a little bit of sliced cucumber, freshness from the obligatory heaps of cilantro, a hint of spice from the raw scallions and (optional but recommended) jalapeños, and creaminess from the mayo. Then you top the thing off with your protein of choice, and stick it in a crusty-on-the-outside-pillowy-on-the-inside baguette, aka the perfect vehicle for all of those heavenly flavors. It’s the perfect sandwich.

In my experience, it’s pretty hard to come by a satisfying vegan banh mi. The ones that exist just aren’t that good, and I get why - it’s not super authentic, and plant-based options tend to be an afterthought at most restaurants. That’s why I make mine at home. The raw veggies are obviously pretty consistent across restaurants, but at home you can substitute your plant-based protein of choice, and that makes all the difference. I like to use either tempeh or tofu in mine, and if I’m itching for a change, I’ll hammer some oyster mushrooms into oblivion, season them slightly, and that’ll do the trick. Actually, I’ve been really into substituting meat for mushrooms lately - but that is a post for another day.

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When the weather starts to get warm, like it is now (sort of - it feels like Spring has been taunting those of us in New York for the entire month of April), this is one of my favorite recipes to make. Why? For one thing, all of the adjectives I already listed above: acid, tang, crispness, freshness. Doesn’t that just spell warm weather? Also, it’s an excellent recipe to meal prep. You can prep a giant jar of pickled carrots and daikon on a Sunday night that will last you through the week. Almost all of the components are raw vegetables, save for the tofu/tempeh/mushrooms, and the fresh baguette you will pick up at your nearby bakery, so the assembly time required for this recipe is basically under 10 minutes.

As if that doesn’t sound great enough, I’ll give you another reason to hop on the banh mi train. With a batch of pickled carrots and daikon in your fridge, you can turn one recipe into three. Recipe #1 is the simple banh mi sandwich, recipe #2 is a banh mi summer roll, and recipe #3 is bun cha, a Vietnamese vermicelli noodle dish that uses similar garnishes.

Want to learn how to make all three? Read on.


Banh mi

Ingredients

  • 2 large carrots, peeled

  • 1 large daikon radish, peeled

  • 1 cucumber, whatever kind you like best, sliced

  • 1 bunch of scallions, chopped

  • 1 bunch of cilantro

  • 1 avocado (optional, but highly recommended)

  • 1 lime

  • 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced

  • 1 baguette

  • Seasoned sushi vinegar (this is the brand I use)

  • Vegan mayo (whatever brand is your favorite)

  • Chili-garlic paste

  • Seared tempeh or tofu from this recipe

Optional add-ons: Sometimes I add some steamed or charred kale to this sandwich. That is definitely not authentic at all, but it does add some extra nutrition and crunch.

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Instructions

  1. To make the pickled carrots and daikon: Finely julienne your carrots and daikon. You can do this by hand, or I really recommend investing in a (cheap) julienne peeler like this, which will save you a lot of time. Put the veggies in a mason jar, packing them in as tightly as possible. Pour enough sushi vinegar into the jar that it covers the veggies halfway, and then fill the jar with water until the veggies are fully submerged (I do half vinegar/half water because sushi vinegar is very strong). Stick the jar in your fridge and allow at least one day for the flavors to mingle. The pickles will last a really long time, I wouldn’t worry about that because you will definitely finish them quickly.

  2. To assemble the banh mi: Slice your baguette in half. In a small bowl, mix together equal parts vegan mayo and chili-garlic paste (or a hot sauce of your choice). Spread a generous layer of the spicy mayo on one piece of the bread; smash half of the avocado (season with salt/pepper, and squeeze of lime) onto the other half. Layer on your tofu/tempeh, a handful of pickled carrots and daikon, thinly sliced cucumber, cilantro, and jalapeños.


Banh mi summer rolls

Summer roll ingredients:

  • Pickled carrots and daikon (see above)

  • 1 cucumber, julienned

  • 1 bunch scallions, chopped

  • 1 bunch cilantro and/or mint (both make this particularly excellent)

  • 1 avocado, sliced

  • Seared tempeh or tofu from this recipe

  • Rice paper like this

  • Optional add-ons: Again, you can add charred/steamed kale to this to bulk it up more nutritionally.

Dipping sauce ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp juice

  • 1 tbsp low-sodium sauce

  • 2 tsp Sesame seeds

  • Handful of chopped scallions

  • Optional substitute: The spicy mayo from the banh mi recipe above also makes an excellent dipping sauce.

Instructions

  • To cook the rice paper wrappers: Heat a small pot of water over medium heat; when it is hot, but not boiling, transfer to a wide and deep bowl. Working with one rice paper round at a time, soak the rice paper in the warm water, turning occasionally, until just pliable - this takes about 30 seconds. Transfer to a work surface.

  • To assemble the dipping sauce: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

  • To assemble the summer rolls: Arrange a few pieces of tofu/tempeh across center of round. Top with some cilantro and/or mint lives, pickled carrots and daikon, cucumber, scallions, and avocado. Be careful not to over-fill. Fold bottom of rice paper over filling, then fold in ends and roll like a burrito into a tight cylinder. Transfer roll, seam side down, to a platter and refrigerate.


Bun cha

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Ingredients (very very similar to above)

  • Pickled carrots and daikon (see above)

  • 1 cucumber, julienned

  • 1 bunch scallions, chopped

  • 1 bunch cilantro and/or mint (both make this particularly excellent)

  • 1 avocado, sliced

  • Seared tempeh or tofu from this recipe

  • Vermicelli noodles like this

  • Optional add-ons: Fresh chopped lettuce (this works much better in this recipe than the kale)

Dipping sauce ingredients

  • 2 tbsp lime juice

  • 2 tsp tablespoons sugar

  • 1 tsp soy sauce

  • 1 tsp minced garlic

  • Optional substitute: The above ingredients are a vegan version of a traditional bun-cha sauce, but this dish is equally delicious served alongside a bit of chili-garlic paste and hoisin sauce (pictured below).

Instructions

  • To cook the vermicelli: Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, remove the pot from the heat, and add the noodles. Let the noodles soak until they're tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry.

  • To assemble the dipping sauce: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

  • To assemble the bowls: Place a handful of the vermicelli in a bowl. Top with pickled carrots and daikon, tofu/tempeh, cucumber, cilantro and/or mint, and lettuce.