Bánh Mì Sandwich With Savory Tofu

Name: Bánh Mì With Savory Tofu
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 2 Carrots, (cut into matchsticks); 1 Cucumber, (sliced into rounds); ¼ of a Red Onion, (sliced into rounds); ½-1 Jalapeño (sliced into rounds and deseeded); ½ cup Rice Vinegar; ½ tsp Sugar; ¼ tsp Salt; 1 package Extra Firm Tofu; 1 Tbsp Tamari or Liquid Aminos (or sub Soy Sauce); 1 ½ tsp Toasted sesame oil; 2 tsp Garlic Chili Sauce (or Sriracha ); ½ tsp Ground ginger; ½ tsp Garlic powder; 2 Tbsp Vegan mayo; 1 Garlic clove, minced; 2-3 tsp Sriracha; ½ tsp Lime juice; Fresh baguette (Not too dense; quality bread that’s flakey on the outside and soft on the inside ); Kale, chopped or thinly sliced; Cilantro (and/or fresh basil leaves)

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe· 5 from 2 reviews

My first Bánh Mì sandwich was a shift meal while working at Claim 52 Kitchen, a hip little brewery/restaurant in downtown Eugene. On my first day of work, I actually had to ask how it was pronounced; that’s how unfamiliar I was with the Vietnamese sandwich.

It was over a year before before there was a vegetarian option and the moment it went on the menu, I ordered one. I’d heard diners rave about it for so long but I wasn’t sure if it would be my jam. Oh, it was my jam all right; it was love at first bite! It exceeded my expectations in ways I couldn’t imagine.

How had I never tried this sandwich before and why wasn’t it more popular in general? I wanted one every time I worked a shift, raving about it to customers and coworkers alike. I seriously couldn’t get this sandwich out of my head, I was hooked. I had to start making them at home immediately.

What’s a Bánh Mì?

A spicy Vietnamese sandwich, Bánh Mì translates as “bread.” Traditionally served on a short baguette baked made with rice and wheat flour, the sandwich is filled with a savory cooked protein, pickled veggies and peppers, then topped with cilantro and a simple mayo spread.

I love a nice chipotle garlic aioli so I’ve included the recipe for what I make, but plain mayo is actually the traditional way to serve this sandwich.

I don’t always find daikon radishes to add to the pickled veggie mix, another traditional topping, but I don’t feel like I miss it. If you’ve got it, add it!

Fresh baguette — Traditionally served on short baguettes, I find a quality baguette that’s flakey on the outside and soft on the inside and cut it down into smaller sandwiches.

What’s the best bread to use?

Nothing too soft, otherwise it will be soggy right out of the gate! The Bánh Mì is traditionally served on short baguettes, but I just explore the bakery section and choose whichever baguette looks most appealing. Medium firmness, flakey on the outside and soft on the inside works best for me. Then I cut it down into smaller sandwiches.

Is the soy in tofu bad for you?

No. Unless you have an allergy. But I know that’s not your question.

I was under the impression that the phytoestrogens in soy was rocket fuel for breast cancer but I can’t pinpoint when and where I got this information. Can you? I had such a negative conception towards soy that I avoided it at all costs.

“Playing with fire,” I’d think to myself, shaking my head and passing by a soy product at the grocery store. Where did this thinking stem from? No one bats an eye when you reach for a handful of almonds, an apple, or eat a bowl of strawberries in a single sitting — yet those all have phytoestrogens, too.

Here’s what happened: in the 70s and 80s, studies on breast cancer and soy were done by using mice. Breast cancer cells were grafted on the rodents and they were fed a diet full of soy. The breast cancer cells grew. Assumptions were made that phytoestrogens must fuel breast cancer growth in humans as well. Decades go by and this information becomes engrained in society.

Studies on actual humans weren’t done until 2009. And what happened? Since we aren’t mice, it turns out that humans metabolize soy much differently than mice do. Not a single study on humans and soy intake showed cancer growth with soy consumption. In fact, the studies only showed beneficial effects¹ including a lowered risk of breast cancer occurrence, recocurrence, and death!

I find this topic delightfully intriguing and if you’d like to learn more, check out my post:

Glass of milk splashing — Does soy cause breast cancer?

Pickled Veggies? Is that a lot of work?

Nope! Don’t let that intimidate you. I do a “quick-pickled” method so it’s not a big ordeal. You can toss the veggies in the rice vinegar mix the night before or as little as 1 hour before starting to cook!