Vegan Banh Mi Recipe

This vegan banh mi recipe layers smoky, charred tofu with vegan pâté, hummus, hoisin, pickled carrots and daikon, jalapeño, cucumber, cilantro, and a savoury vegan mayonnaise sauce. Featured on VEGANnotvegan with Maddie and Kiki Longo, the sandwich is paired with a vibrant quinoa papaya salad for a fresh, bold, plant-based meal.

The Inspiration

Inspired by Vietnamese banh mi and Southeast Asian-style green papaya salad, this recipe balances sweet, salty, spicy, tangy, and savoury flavours. Red miso, soy sauce, ginger, sambal oelek, garlic, scallions, and lime give the grilled tofu plenty of intensity, while carrot-daikon pickles, vegan pâté, hoisin, cucumber, jalapeño, and cilantro create layers of texture in the sandwich.

The quinoa papaya salad brings freshness with long beans, bell pepper, Thai basil, peanuts, chillies, lime, and kelp powder, making this VEGANnotvegan dish a colourful example of Maddie and Kiki Longo’s plant-based cooking style.

Ingredients

For the Marinated and Grilled Tofu Chops

• 2 blocks of extra firm tofu
• 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup red miso paste
• 1/2 cup Soy sauce
• 3 inches Ginger, grated
• 2 tbsp Sambal Oelek
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 6 scallions, finely chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, grated
• Zest and Juice of 2 limes
• 1/4 cup of Vegetable oil

For the pickles

• 1 cup carrots, julienned
• 1 cup daikon, julienned
• 1 cup seasoned rice vinegar

For the Banh Mi

• 8 Marinated and Grilled Tofu ‘Chops’, sliced
• 4 (8-inch-long) soft white bread rolls
• 1/2 cup Hoisin sauce
• 1/2 cup vegan Mayonnaise
• 2 tsp soy sauce, plus 1 tbsp soy sauce, divided
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp Maggi Sauce
• 2 jalapeños, cut into thin rings
• 1/2 seedless cucumber, cut into thin rings
• 1/2 cup of cilantro leaves
• 1/2 lb of vegan pate
• 1/4 cup hummus

For the Papaya Salad

• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 inch of ginger, grated
• 2 red Thai chillies, finely chopped with seeds
• 2 tbsp white sugar
• Juice of 2 limes
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp kelp powder
• 3 tbsp water
• 1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped
• 10 Chinese long beans, cut into 2 inch sections
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and julienned
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
  4 cups green papaya, shredded
• 1 1/2 cups of cooked quinoa
• 5 sprigs of Thai basil (leaves only), hand torn

Method

For the Grilled Tofu Chop

• Wrap the tofu in a towel or paper towels and place on a plate.
• Top with a weight such as a casserole dish or cast iron skillet and let sit for 20 minutes.
• Unwrap the tofu and cut into 4 equal slabs.
• Scare the outside of the tofu lightly.
• Heat grill over medium-high heat.
• Mix together the soy sauce, red miso paste, rice vinegar, ginger, sambal oelek, brown sugar, black pepper, scallions, garlic and lime zest.
• Add the tofu to the marinade and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Bring back to room temperature before grilling.
• Remove tofu from marinade. Oil the grill.
• Place tofu on hot grill.
• Sear for 2-3 minutes, baste with more marinade, flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until nicely charred.
• Keep flipping and basting until perfectly cooked and charred.
• Remove from grill and drizzle lime juice over the top.
• Slice thinly before building sandwiches.

For the Papaya Salad

• Julienne the papaya, red bell pepper and shallots.
• Place in a bowl. Blanch the Chinese long beans in boiling water for 20 seconds.
• Rinse under cold water, pat dry.
• Add to the bowl with the julienned veggies and toss.
• Then, line up the julienne sideways on your cutting and cut
• crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces.
• Place in a bowl. In a small pot, gently warm the rice vinegar, kelp powder, lime juice, water and sugar until the sugar has just melted.
• Remove from the heat.
• Add grated garlic, ginger and red Thai chillies and let cool to room temp.
• In a large mixing bowl, add half the peanuts, half the Thai basil leaves, quinoa, red bell pepper, shallots, Chinese long beans and papaya.
• Pour the dressing over the salad. Let sit for 10 minutes.
• Serve salad, and garnish with remaining peanuts and Thai basil leaves.

For the Pickles

• Mix the julienned carrots and daikon in a bowl. Pour the seasoned rice vinegar over the vegetable. Let it marinade for a minimum of 1 hour in the refrigerator.

For the Banh Mi

• In the food processor, blend together the vegan pate, hummus and 1 tbsp soy sauce.
• Mix together the vegan mayonnaise, remaining soy sauce, rice vinegar and Maggi sauce.
• Warm the bread rolls in a hot oven for 30 seconds. Slice the bread open lengthwise.
• Spread vegan pate mixture over the bottom bun and drizzle hoisin over.
• Place grilled tofu chops over the top. Garnish with carrot and daikon pickles, jalapeño and cilantro.
• Spread mayonnaise mixture over the top bun and close your sandwich.

Serving Suggestions

This vegan banh mi recipe is perfect for lunch, casual dinner, summer entertaining, or a colourful plant-based meal. Serve the sandwiches soon after assembling so the bread remains soft while the grilled tofu stays warm and the pickled vegetables retain their crunch.

The quinoa papaya salad makes a refreshing side, with lime, Thai basil, chillies, peanuts, and crisp vegetables balancing the rich pâté, hoisin, and mayonnaise in the sandwich. For entertaining, prepare the tofu marinade, pickles, and salad dressing ahead of time, then grill and assemble the sandwiches shortly before serving.

Final Thoughts

This vegan banh mi recipe stands out for its bold combination of savoury, spicy, sweet, tangy, and fresh flavours. The tofu absorbs red miso, soy sauce, ginger, sambal oelek, garlic, scallions, and lime before being grilled until charred and flavourful.

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