Vegan Vietnamese-Style Lemongrass Tofu Banh Mi

Pan-seared lemongrass tofu, crisp quick pickles, and a creamy vegan mayonnaise make a bright, savory Vietnamese-style sandwich without fish sauce, pate, dairy, or eggs.

57 min

4 sandwiches

Four vegan lemongrass tofu banh mi are filled with pickled daikon and carrot, cucumber, cilantro, and jalapeno.

Ingredients

14 oz extra-firm tofu

1/2 cup rice vinegar

2 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tsp kosher salt, divided

1 small daikon radish

2 medium carrots, cut into matchsticks

1 stalk lemongrass, tender inner core finely minced

3 garlic cloves, finely grated

2 tbsp tamari, divided

2 tbsp neutral oil, plus more for the pan

4 small crusty baguettes, split

1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced; cilantro, jalapeno, and vegan mayonnaise, for serving

Equipment

Clean kitchen towel · Small bowl · Shallow bowl · Large skillet · Sheet pan · Tongs

Keep the pickles crisp

Use firm matchsticks and drain them just before assembly; prolonged soaking or excess brine softens both vegetables and bread.

Offer extra heat

Set out extra sliced jalapeno at the table so each sandwich can be adjusted without changing the tofu marinade.

Press and pickle

01. Weight the wrapped tofu for 20 minutes so it browns instead of steaming, but do not press hard enough to crack it.

02. Dissolve sugar and salt in the vinegar, then toss in daikon and carrot; leave them crisp at room temperature while the tofu marinates.

Marinate the tofu

03. Stir lemongrass, garlic, sugar, salt, tamari, and oil until evenly mixed, then coat the tofu slabs without scraping away the aromatics.

04. Let the tofu sit 10 minutes only; this gives it flavor while keeping the slabs easy to turn in the skillet.

Warm and sear

05. Mist the split baguettes lightly and warm at 300 F just until supple; longer baking makes the crust brittle.

06. Sear the tofu in a single layer over medium-high heat until it releases and shows dark golden edges.

07. Turn the slabs and add tamari for the final glaze, cooking until the skillet is nearly dry and the second side is bronzed.

Assemble promptly

08. Drain the pickles well before they touch the bread, then set out all fresh fillings beside the hot tofu.

09. Spread each baguette with vegan mayonnaise and layer it with tofu, cucumber, pickles, cilantro, and jalapeno; serve right away.