Tofu Banh Mi
with pickled vegetables / coriander roasted broccoli
Vietnamese-inspired Banh Mi Sandwiches are always a favorite in our community and this version with pan-seared tofu can be entirely prepped ahead or made quickly before the meal. Just be sure to make your pickles ahead of time so they're ready to go when you want to assemble the sandwiches.
Smarts: Slice the carrots very thin so that they are easy to bite through when layered on the sandwiches. You can also slice the cucumbers and carrots into thin matchsticks if you prefer.
Ingredients
- Cucumbers - 3 oz , thinly sliced
- Carrots - 3 oz , thinly sliced
- Water - 3/4 cup
- Sugar - 1 1/2 Tbsp
- Salt - 1 1/2 tsp
- Vinegar, rice - 1/2 cup
- Tofu, extra-firm - 16 oz , sliced into rectangles or strips (vacuum-packed preferable)
- Water - 1/4 cup
- Hoisin sauce - 1/4 cup
- Vinegar, rice - 1 Tbsp
- Soy sauce, low-sodium - 1 Tbsp
- Cilantro leaves - 1 cup , can include some tender top parts of stems
- Cornstarch - 1 Tbsp
- Oil, cooking - 2 Tbsp
- Baguette - 1 , sliced down the center (look for a soft-style baguette; sub small French-style or hoagie rolls, 1 / serving)
- Pickled Carrots and Cucumbers (ingredients listed separately) - ~1 1/2 cups
- Sriracha Mayo (ingredients listed separately) - ~1/3 cup
- Mayonnaise - 1/3 cup
- Sriracha - 1 tsp , more or less, to taste
- Lime juice - 2 tsp
- Broccoli - 1 lb , florets
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
- Coriander, ground - 1 tsp
- Lime juice - 1 tsp
Prep
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Make pickles - Thinly slice cucumbers and carrots. Press them gently into a jar or small bowl. Combine water (portion for pickles), sugar, and salt in a microwave-safe bowl and heat until sugar and salt dissolve. Stir vinegar (portion for pickles) into sugar-salt mixture. Pour liquids over vegetables. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 5 days. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Tofu - If tofu is packaged in water, press out liquid first, like in this video. Then slice into rectangles or strips. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
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Make Sriracha mayo - (If prepping right before cooking, get oven heating first while finishing with prep.) Whisk together mayonnaise, Sriracha, and lime juice (portion for Sriracha mayo). Taste and adjust, adding more Sriracha if you’d like more spice. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Make sauce - Whisk together water (portion for banh mi), Hoisin sauce, vinegar (portion for banh mi), and soy sauce. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Broccoli - Chop broccoli into florets. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Cilantro - Tear off small bunches of cilantro leaves.
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Season tofu - Season tofu with some salt and pepper. Sprinkle cornstarch over top and stir gently to coat.
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Make
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Heat oven to 400F / 204C.
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Toss broccoli with oil (portion for broccoli), ground coriander, and some salt and pepper. Spread out on a sheet pan.
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Roast broccoli, shaking the pan halfway through cooking, until golden and tender, 20 to 30 minutes (depending on the size of the florets).
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When broccoli is about halfway done cooking, heat a large nonstick pan with oil (portion for banh mi) over medium heat. Add tofu in a single layer and sear on one side until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip tofu and pour sauce over top. Simmer tofu in sauce, gently flipping a few times towards the end of cooking, until all of the sauce has been absorbed, 4 to 5 minutes more. Set tofu aside.
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Slice baguette or rolls open. If using baguette, divide it into portions 1/serving. If you’d like the bread warm, you can spread it out on a sheet pan and warm it in the oven or use a toaster.
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Drain pickles.
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Assemble sandwiches by spreading them with Sriracha mayo and filling them with tofu, pickles, and cilantro.
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Squeeze lime juice (portion for broccoli) over roasted broccoli.
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Serve sandwiches with broccoli on the side. Enjoy!
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