March 12, 2023
This home-made take on the traditional Vietnamese baguette is filled to the brim with pickled veg, chilies, cucumber, cabbage, radish, cilantro, spiced mayo and marinated caramelised tofu. For the most authentic sweet and tangy flavour, make the pickles ahead of time ...two hours is great, but two days is utter perfection.
Serves 4
Note: keep leftover pickles for poke bowls, spring rolls or add to veggie burgers as a fresh tangy topping!
The Bread
1 Baguette (look for soft baguette with a crispy top) and cut into 4 equal pieces
The Spicy Mayo
2 tbsp hot chilli sauce (Sriracha)
Marinaded Tofu
1 tbsp plant based Nuttelex -melted
2 small garlic cloves minced/grated
1 thumb sized piece of ginger grated finely
The Pickle
2 medium carrots julienne cut or ribbon peeled
1 1 x small daikon (white radish) julienne cut or ribbon peeled
1 cup hot water (from the kettle)
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar (unseasoned)
1/2 cup rice vinegar (unseasoned)
The Salad Filling
1 small cucumber (Lebanese) thinly sliced
1/4 wedge small purple cabbage very thinly sliced
1 fresh chilly (red or green) thinly sliced
1 small handful fresh coriander
TOOLS
Make the Pickle Ahead
1In a bowl place sugar, salt, pepper, and vinegars then pour in hot water. Whisk to dissolve mixture then add carrots & daikon and set aside to pickle for a min 30 mins- for maximum pickle pleasure- a day or two! (Stores well up to 7 days in fridge)
The Caramelised Tofu
1Pat tofu dry with paper towel then slice into 1 cm slices. Pat slices dry again and set aside.
2Combine melted Nuttelex, tamari, lime juice, grated/minced garlic & ginger and freshly ground pepper and whisk in a bowl to combine. Then pour into a shallow tray or container. Next lay-in the tofu slices and let them marinade for about 10 minutes on each side
3Cooking in batches, heat frypan on medium heat, adding 2 tablespoons of Nuttelex and once melted add the now marinated tofu slices (don't overcrowd the frypan). Cook until golden brown and the edges are caramelised then flip to cook the other side. Once all tofu is cooked, set aside until ready to assemble
The Spicy Mayo
1Whisk together mayo and hot sauce in a small bowl and set aside
Assemble the Banh Mi
1Slice open your baguette or rolls. Dollop with spicy sauce, add a layer of caramelised tofu, add pickled veggies, then add the fresh cucumber slices, red radish slices, chilli, cabbage & fresh herbs.
