I like Banh Mi but it’s not very easy to find a good one.
However, the Asian grocery store 10 minute from our house recently opened a deli inside the store, and I found their Banh Mi quite tasty.
The one reason I was not 100% satisfied was that they only serve the meat version.
So I decided to make a plant-based Banh Mi myself.
Inside my plant-based Banh Mi you’ll find Renkon lotus Cashew pate, garlic tofu, roasted portabello, pickled radish and carrot, jalapeno slices, and cilantro.
The sandwich was absolutely delicious.
Love the freshness of all the veggies, but more than anything, the combination of everything is so amazing.
I just recently found these adorable wood crates and tray at Target for amazing prices.
The Farmers Market logo is just awesome.
When you pack the sandwich with fresh fruit like this in the crate and bring it to a park with lemonade, it can be a perfect picnic lunch, don’t you think?
Tofu Portabella Banh Mi – This is rather a note for myself. The amount of each ingredient should be adjusted and modified to your liking.
4 soft crust buns for sandwich
Renkon lotus cashew pate
– about 1 cup sliced Renkon lotus braised in soy sauce(2 parts), maple syrup(2 parts), white vinegar(1 part), salt
– about 1/2~1 cup cashew nuts soaked in hot water and rinsed
– 3 cloves garlic, cooked in boiling water until cooked through
– about 1/2 tablespoon mustard
– about 1/2~1 teaspoon lemon juice
– salt
– sugar
– water in which garlic was cooked
Garlic tofu
– 1 package fried tofu, thinly sliced
– canola oil
– 2~3 tablespoons soy sauce
– 2~3 tablespoons maple syrup
– garlic powder
– salt and pepper
Roasted portabella
– 3~4 portabella mushrooms (roasted with olive oil/salt/pepper at 400F for about 20 minutes, then sliced)
Lightly pickled radish and carrot
– 1/2~1 cup julienned radishes
– 1/2~1 cup julienned carrots
– about 2 tablespoons sugar
– about 2 tablespoons white vinegar
– salt
1 cucumber, peeled and cut into sticks
A few jalapeno slices
Cilantro
1. Make pate. Combine all the ingredients. Use a band blender and puree until smooth. Add water where garlic was cooked 2 table spoons at a time until it achieves the preferred texture.
2. Cook tofu in oil. Add soy sauce, maple syrup, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook until the sauce coats the tofu.
3. Make pickles. Combine sugar, vinegar, and salt. Add vegetables. Let them pickled for about 15 minutes.
4. Assemble sandwiches. Slice the buns. Spread the pate. Place the tofu, the portabella, and the veggies.
