Banh Mi Sandwich with Seitan

Banh Mi Sandwich.jpg

By the Gracious Vegan

I developed this recipe for a recent "Tempeh and Seitan" demo for Northwest Veg here in Portland. You could switch out the seitan with tempeh or tofu. “Banh mi” is the Vietnamese term for “bread,” specifically a baguette-type roll that is a basic staple in Vietnam. There was a French presence in Vietnam for hundreds of years, leading to this fusion bread. The Vietnamese version has a thinner crust and contains rice flour as well as wheat. 

Here are the layers, starting from the bottom:

  • 6-7” Banh mi bread roll (or a section of baguette or other roll—whole grain preferred), split lengthwise (but leave them connected)

  • A swipe of sriracha mayo on top and bottom sides of the roll (2 or 3 parts vegan mayo to 1 part sriracha) (here’s my oil-free mayonnaise recipe)

  • Thinly-sliced jalapeño, optional

  • Fresh chopped cilantro leaves

  • Thin slices of English cucumber (made with a peeler, mandoline or knife)

  • A handful of pickled carrot and daikon radish (see recipe below)

  • A layer of Seitan for Banh Mi (see recipe below)

  • More sriracha on top, if desired

Pickled vegetables (enough for 4 sandwiches). These can be made up to several days ahead (in fact, that improves the flavor).

Pour the pickling ingredients into a pint-size glass or plastic container with a lid. Shake or stir to dissolve the salt.

  • 1.5 cups water­, warm enough to dissolve the salt

  • 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar

  • 1/2 Tablespoon salt

  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup

Add vegetables. Add more water if needed to cover them. Secure the lid. Refrigerate until ready to use. It's best to give them several hours, if not a couple of days, to pickle them. 

  • 1 carrot, peeled and julienned/grated/thinly sliced

  • 1/2 daikon radish, peeled and julienned/grated/thinly sliced

Seitan for Banh Mi (enough for 4 sandwiches). In a shallow dish or a Ziplock gallon bag, mix the marinade ingredients together.

  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced or chopped

  • 2 Tablespoons finely chopped lemongrass (from frozen is fine)

  • 1/4 cup date paste (or 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar)

  • 2 Tablespoons water

  • 1.5 Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

  • 1 Tablespoon roasted sesame paste or tahini (What is Chinese Roasted Sesame Paste?)

  • 1 teaspoon ginger, minced

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Add the slices of seitan and let them marinate for at least 20 minutes (preferably several hours).

  • 8 ounces seitan, sliced into thin slices

A few minutes before assembling your sandwiches, heat a large skillet on the stove. Pour the seitan and all the marinade into the skillet and cook on medium heat, stirring frequently, until the marinade is mostly absorbed, anywhere from, say, 3 to 10 minutes. 

Timing: About 2 hours, including soaking. Hands-on time is much less, about 30 minutes

Not gluten-free unless you substitute tofu or tempeh for the seitan and use gluten-free bread

SandwichLinda TylerComment