Tofu Banh Mi Sandwiches

Currently on repeat at my house - these Tofu Banh Mi Sandwiches. They’re messy + not the most amazing thing to look at, but holy crap they are absolutely delicious. Thinly sliced tofu marinated in all sorts of yummy things, then pan-fried to perfection, and stacked on baguettes with a healthy smear of sriracha mayo + some of the best pickled veggies I’ve ever had. It’s light, fresh, crunchy, and coming in hot with a lot of good sauces + marinades that make the flavors pop. I can’t emphasize enough that they’re a get your hands dirty kinda meal, but in the comfort of your own home who really cares?

 
 

Big bread people over here

We’re back in our sourdough era over here. Jordan is whipping up lots of fresh sourdough these days, so weeknight veggies sandwiches are kind of where it’s at. I had my mind set on trying our hand at Banh Mi’s sometime this season, & when he whipped up some sourdough baguettes I was officially putting these sandwiches on our weeknight dinner line-up. We loved them so much we made then a 2nd time, and we both got to look like barbarians together while we ate them. Our take-away was to leave our cloth napkins in cupboard - these sandiwches + all there juices were a job for disposable paper towels only.

KoreAn Radish - heard of it?

I can’t emphasize enough that the best part about this sandwich is the pickled veggies. The perfect balance of sweet + vinegary, and the veggies get perfectly crunchy + tangy. It’s seriously so good! Like could eat it on its own as a side salad good. I love to hollow out the bread just a big so I can really pile on these pickled veggies - being sure to add a light drizzle of the pickling liquid to soak into the bread + bring the extra tangy flavor.

The key has been using these Korean radishes I randomly stumbled on while composing my Whole Foods grocery order. They’re big (almost the size of a carrot), so it’s easy to work with, and the flavor + texture reminds me of jicama. Perfect for a pickled medley, and so much easier to deal with than traditional radishes.

 
 

Key to flavorful tofu - Marinade

MARINADE YOUR TOFU. Especially if you’re doing it patty style - serving larger “chunks” that act as patties in the center of the sandwich. That’s what we do for these sandwiches, and a simple marinade of garlic, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar goes a long way. I press out as much moisture as I can, slice up the block of tofu to the size that I want, and place the tofu + all marinade ingredients in a glass tupperware container with a firmly locked lid. Add it to something like this lets you give the tofu a little shake every so often - really mixing that marinade around so it seeps into as much of the tofu as possible. It’s gratifying to look at the tofu from the side angle to get a visual for how it just permeates the tofu.

A perfect at-home rendition of one of my favorite sandwiches, and a premium tofu sandwich. Messy, delicious, tons of fun sauces, and honestly - my idea of a midweek pick me up.

 
 

For the pickled veggies (make a day ahead of time)

  • 1 carrot, peeled + cut into matchsticks

  • 1 Korean radish, peeled + cut into matchsticks

  • 1 cucumber, cut into matchsticks

  • 1 jalapeno, halved + thinly sliced

  • 1/3 c. rice vinegar

  • 1/3 c. water

  • 1 tbsp sugar

  • pinch of salt

For the marinated tofu

  • 1 block of extra firm tofu, pressed + cut into “slabs”

  • 1 tbsp sesame oil

  • 3 tbsp soy sauce

  • 1 lime, juiced

  • 2 garlic clove, minced

  • 1 tsp corn starch + 1 tbsp water, whisked to make a slurry

For the sandwiches

  • 1/2 c. mayo

  • 3 tbsp sriracha

  • 1 tbsp maple syrup

  • fresh cilantro

  • baguette

  • For the pickled veggies - add all of the veggies to a 32 ounce mason jar. Pack them in so they fit into the jar. Pour in the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt. You want the liquid to cover the veggies, so totally fine to add in another splash of vinegar + water if needed. Seal the jar and shake vigorously. Leave the veggies in the fridge for at least 12 hours.

For the tofu - place all marinade ingredients into a glass tupperware. Whisk everything together. The final step is to mix-in the corn starch slurry. Add in the tofu, seal the tupperware, and shake to disperse the marinade & get it all over the tofu. Leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes - rotating the tofu in the marinade after 15 minutes.

For the sandwiches - prep the spicy mayo, Whisk together the mayo, maple, + sriracha in a small bowl. Set if aside in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble sandwiches.

To prepare the marinade, place a large skillet over medium heat. Add in a tablespoon of EVOO. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu pieces to the skillet in a single layer. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side. The tofu should be crisp + browned.

To assemble the sandwiches, halve the baguettes + lightly hollow out the baguette. Toast the baguettes if desired. Spread a light smear of the spicy mayo on both sides of the bread. Lay a few pieces of the tofu on the bottom piece + top with a generous pile of the pickled veggies. Drizzle and extra teaspoon of the pickling liquid over the veggies. Sprinkle a pinch of the fresh cilantro over veggies + smash the top piece of bread over the top top. Serve it up + dive in!

Lesley ZehnerComment