Vegan Bánh Mì

Name: Vegan Bahn Mi
Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients: 1 medium carrot, peeled and shredded or cut into sticks; 1 medium daikon radish, shredded or cut into sticks; 1 tsp. salt; 1 Tbsp. sugar; 1 Tbsp. white distilled or rice vinegar; 3½ ounces (100 g) dried white beans, soaked in 2 cups water for at least 8 hours (or 10½ ounces [300 g] canned white beans, drained); 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil; 1 Tbsp. minced leek (white part only); 1 Tbsp. minced lemongrass; 1 Japanese eggplant, cut into ½-inch thick slices; 10 raw cashew nuts, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes and peeled; 1 Tbsp. sugar; 2 Tbsp. soy sauce; ½ tsp. salt; ½ tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder; Freshly ground black pepper, to taste; ¼ cup vegan butter or margarine, melted; 1 Tbsp. minced lemongrass; 1 Tbsp. minced leek (white part only); 2 Tbsp. char siu seasoning mix; 1 Tbsp. vegetarian oyster sauce; 3 Tbsp. water; 1 Tbsp. sugar; ½ tsp. salt; ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper; 1 block firm tofu; 3½ ounces (100 g) store-bought or homemade seitan; ¼ cup vegetable oil; 8 Vietnamese baguette loaves or 8 sections (7 inches) French baguette(s); 1 recipe Pickled Carrots and Daikon

By Helen Lê

September 21, 2023

Vegan bahn xeo with tofu and seitan on a plate.

Photo by Detas Studio

During the French colonization in the mid-nineteenth century, people started putting local Vietnamese ingredients on French baguettes and sold them as affordable sandwiches. Bánh mì has remained a popular street food ever since. It’s also consistently ranked as one of the best sandwiches in the world. The basic components include pâté, a main protein (such as egg, cold cuts, grilled meat, or tofu), pickles, fresh herbs, and sauce. However, the fillings are versatile and vary by region. The main proteins for this vegan bánh mì are tofu and seitan flavored with char siu seasoning mix, which is used in Chinese-style barbecue pork.

This recipe was excerpted from 'Vegan Vietnamese' by Helen Lê. Buy the full book on Amazon.

What you’ll need

Char Siu Seasoning Mix
$8 At Amazon
Vegetarian Oyster Sauce
$15 At Amazon
White Beans
$14 At Amazon

Cooks' Note

If you want to prepare this recipe in stages, you can store the vegan pâté in the refrigerator for up to 1 week and the pickled carrots and daikon for up to 2 weeks. You can easily double the pickled carrots and daikon recipe.

Recipe notes

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Recipe notes

89 Vegetarian Dinner Party Mains for Easy Entertaining

29 Radish Recipes That Bring a Peppery Zing to Meals

Plant-Based Vietnamese Cooking Takes Center Stage in This New Cookbook