Tofu Banh Mi

I’m officially a San Franciscan. I can no longer stand weather about 75 degrees. I melt. I’m still in Charlotte, North Carolina visiting family and it is HOT! My daughter has also become acclimated to chilly SF summers and screams bloody murder when I try to take her outside. This has led me to being indoors more often than not. To prevent myself from going nutty with cabin fever, I decided to give myself a little project and made tofu banh mi.

The first time I ever had a good banh mi sandwich was in Singapore at a restaurant called Nom Nom. I still dream of that sandwich. Crusty french bread, sour pickled carrots and daikon with spicy jalapeños — SO FREAKIN GOOD! My little cousin had never had a banh mi before so I decided to share the experience by making some for dinner.

You’d be surprised at how easy it is to make. There is a lot of waiting, but it’s well worth it. The marinade for the tofu, in my opinion, is what makes this dish. It’s garlic-y, spicy, salty and slightly sweet. My little cousin scarfed it down declaring the tofu as the best thing he’s ever eaten!
Normally, the carrots and daikon are shredded into thin sticks, but I didn’t have time for all that fussy cutting so I sliced them thin and it worked out just fine. You’ll end up with extra pickled carrots and daikon which you can save in the refrigerator for future use.

Banh Mi is a great addition to a lunch box or as a make-ahead dinner. It’s so quick and easy to put together and requires very little effort for a lot of flavor. Give it a try!

Tofu Banh Mi

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• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 2-3 banh mi 1x

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Ingredients

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Tofu Marinade

• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tbsp ginger, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• Sriracha to taste
• 1 (14oz) pkg of extra firm tofu

Carrot and Daikon Pickle

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 cup daikon, thinly sliced

Sriracha Mayo

• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp Sriracha

Banh Mi

• 2 small baguettes (French is best!)
• 1 cucumber, sliced
• 1/2 cup red cabbage, shredded
• bunch of fresh cilantro
• 1/4 jalapeno , seeded and thinly sliced (optional)

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Instructions

Tofu Marinade

1. Place all the ingredients except the tofu in a large baking dish or tupperware. Mix well. Slice tofu into 1/2 inch slabs and add to the marinade. Toss to cover the tofu pieces in the marinade and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours or overnight while covered.

Carrot and Daikon Pickle

1. Heat water, vinegar, sugar and salt in a sauce pan until the sugar dissolves. Place sliced carrots and daikon into a jar and pour pickling liquid into the jar. Close and refrigerate overnight.

Sriracha Mayo

1. Mix Sriracha and mayo in a small bowl until well combined. Set aside

Banh Mi

1. Place marinated tofu on a baking sheet lined with foil. Save the marinade and set it aside. Bake tofu at 355 F for 30 – 40 minutes. Remove the baked tofu and place tofu back into the marinade while hot.
2. Slice and toast the baguettes. Spread Sriracha mayo on the bread, top with marinated tofu, pickled carrots, pickled daikon, cucumbers, shredded red cabbage, a couple sprigs of cilantro and jalapenos. Cut in half and enjoy!

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes

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