Best Vegan Banh Mi (With Tofu)

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This protein-packed vegan Banh Mi is a meat and dairy-free version of the infamous Vietnamese sandwich. French-style bread is stuffed with umami-rich tofu, pickled vegetables, spicy aioli, and green chiles. Try making your very own version at home!

Sliced french bread, toasted sandwich on a wooden cutting board.

What is Banh Mi?

Banh Mi (or Bánh Mì) is a Vietnamese sandwich that’s popularly served by street vendors and restaurants around the country.

A typical sandwich consists of French-style bread, more specifically Banh Mi bread, stuffed with pickled vegetables, green chiles, sliced cucumber, fresh cilantro, creamy mayo, and seasoned meat. The usual protein options include pork, chicken, or liver pâté, but there are also many vendors in Vietnam serving them up with tofu.

Is Banh Mi vegan?

The most common Banh Mi sandwiches are not vegan-friendly. As noted earlier, meat and mayonnaise are included in most of the preparations.

In this vegan Banh Mi recipe, I wanted to showcase just how easy it is to swap out meat for tofu and use a vegan sriracha aioli in place of regular mayo.

History

Northern Vietnam was occupied by the French for many years during the 1800s, and this had a significant impact on the cuisine — much more than in other South East Asian countries. A few notable examples include Vietnamese coffee, Vietnamese flan, and Banh Mi bread (or Vietnamese baguette).

The Vietnamese took French baguettes and lightened up the texture with rice flour, creating a pillowy soft interior with a thin, crispy exterior. They also sweetened up the flavor ever so slightly, making this bread the perfect base for Banh Mi sandwiches full of spicy, tangy, herbaceous, and umami elements.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Top view of twelve different ingredients.

Tofu: In place of chicken or pork, use extra-firm tofu for an equally delicious option. Once baked, it provides a chewy, textured, and hearty protein base. If you don’t like tofu, try oyster mushrooms or tempeh!
Sesame oil: I love the nutty flavor that toasted sesame oil adds to the tofu! No sesame oil around? Use olive oil or avocado oil instead.
Salt: I prefer to season the tofu with a dash of sea salt, but it’s up to you.
Hoisin sauce: To coat the tofu with after it’s baked. Hoisin sauce adds layers of umami-rich flavor that replaces the liver pâté found in many traditional recipes.
French bread: Either a French-style baguette or Banh Mi bread (made with rice flour) works for this recipe.
Sriracha aioli: Make your own delicious Sriracha aioli or combine vegan mayo and Sriracha hot sauce for a quick option in a pinch!
Pickled vegetables: A good Banh Mi needs a healthy dose of pickled vegetables like carrots and onions. They add tangy, sour, and acidic notes.
Cilantro: A quintessential component of Banh Mi sandwiches. If you really don’t enjoy cilantro, omit it or replace it with mint, Thai basil, or Italian parsley.
Radish: For the perfect bite and crunch. Daikon or regular sliced radishes work — whatever is available near you!
Cucumbers: English or Persian cucumbers are my personal favorite for this recipe. You can use field cucumbers, but they aren’t quite as crispy.
Jalapeño peppers: To add a little more heat, use sliced jalapeños or serranos.

Instructions

Tofu block wrapped in a kitchen towel and placed on a cutting board. — Tofu block wrapped in kitchen towl.

Cast iron skillet pressing on a wrapped tofu block, over a cutting board. — Tofu block wrapped in kitchen towl.

Step 1: Wrap the tofu block with a kitchen towel and set something heavy over it (like a cast-iron skillet) for 15 to 20 minutes. You can also use a tofu press for this process, but I find the skillet does a great job.

Tofu sliced in half and bite size cubes over a kitchen towel. — Tofu cubes after pressing out all the water.

Step 2: Unwrap the towel from the tofu block, and cut it into rectangular or cube slices.

Tofu cubes coated with oil, placed on a lined baking sheet.

Step 3: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the tofu slices on the prepared baking sheet, drizzle them with oil, and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10 minutes, then flip the tofu and bake for another 10 minutes.

Tofu cubes coated with sauce in a mixing bowl.

Step 4: Once the tofu is baked, place it in a mixing bowl along with the hoisin sauce. Toss gently until all of the tofu pieces are properly coated.

French bread sliced lengthwise and layered with aioli sauce on one side.

French bread sliced lengthwise and topped with cilantro, onions, carrots, radish and jalapeño slices.

Step 5: Slice the French bread lengthwise, and toast it on each side. Spread a generous layer of vegan sriracha aioli, then top it off with fresh cilantro, cucumbers, radishes, pickled vegetables, and fresh jalapeño peppers.

French bread sliced lengthwise and layered with veggies and marinated tofu cubes.

French bread sandwich sliced in half next to a mason jar of aioli sauce.

Step 6: Lastly, add the tofu slices and fold the bread together before slicing it in half.

What to serve with vegan Banh Mi

Although Banh Mi is often served as a standalone meal or snack in Vietnam, you may enjoy it paired with a soup or salad like one of these:

Storage

Once assembled, serve vegan Banh Mi immediately. If you have any leftovers, here’s what to do:

Fridge: Store the leftovers separately in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing any of the ingredients in this recipe.
Prep ahead: You can prep the pickled veggies, Sriracha mayo, and other sliced vegetables a day or two ahead of serving.

Close of of sandwich with layers of cilantro, carrots, radish, onions, jalapeños and tofu.

Variations

Five-spice: A common seasoning found in Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwiches is Chinese five-spice. Try seasoning the tofu or your aioli with it to elevate the flavors even further!
Slices or match sticks: Try the vegetables sliced or cut into match sticks for a difference in texture.
Protein: Serve this vegan Banh Mi sandwich with grilled tempeh or oyster mushrooms for a complete spin on the texture and taste.

Top tips

Use fresh herbs: For the best flavors, make sure you use fresh herbs in this vegan Banh Mi.
Choose a soft baguette: Make sure the baguette is fresh and of good quality for this recipe. This is especially important if you use regular French baguettes since they are denser than Vietnamese baguettes.
Make sure the tofu is firm: If you’re using tofu, choose the firm or extra-firm variety in this tofu Banh Mi recipe for the best texture.