Fast, fresh, flavourful, nutritious, delicious AND vegan - how can a sandwich be all these things at once?
One of my favourite places to grab lunch in town is the Banh Mi Grill - they do their vegan one with mushrooms and it’s pretty fabulous. I decided to make it myself at home with tempeh - as Tommy, bless him, isn’t the biggest fan of mushrooms - and it was so good, and fast to put together. I’ve since made this sandwich several times, with both tofu and tempeh and they are equally delicious.
The combination of fresh baguette, a plant-based pate or cream cheese, tangy pickled vegetables, warm grilled tofu or tempeh, saltiness from soy sauce, freshness of mint and coriander and the bite of chilli make this an absolute flavour sensation. I think it’s the perfect WFH lunch.
Tofu (or tempeh) banh mi
For 2 people
1 x regular sized baguette (Hobartians, I like Imago’s wholemeal sourdough one), cut in half and then lengthways
150g firm tofu or tempeh, cut into four equal pieces
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (or black vinegar, that you dip dumplings in)
A squeeze of lime juice
A pinch of chilli flakes
Plant-based pate or cream cheese (I have used Lauds’ cashew cream cheese and aged cashew cheese and they are both sensational on this - the aged cheese is probably more pate-like)
Fresh mint and coriander, as much as you like, shredded or chopped roughly
A handful of salad leaves or lettuce - today I used baby spinach and celery leaves out of my garden - shredded
Pickled vegetables such as carrot, cucumber and chilli (see note below)
Fresh chilli, if liked
Sriracha sauce, if liked
Prepare your baguette - if it’s a day or two old, you might prefer to toast it first.
You can marinate the tofu or tempeh slices ahead of time if you wish, it would certainly add to the flavour. But if you don’t have time, it’s fine. Just place the slices in a Tupperware container, then add the soy sauce, vinegar, lime juice and chilli flakes. Feel free to add any other flavourings you want, like minced garlic and ginger. Place the lid securely on top, turn gently a few times to get the tofu/tempeh coated in the marinade and then set aside.
Heat a small non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat and once hot, using tongs, place the slices of tofu or tempeh in the pan. Sear on both sides. It will take 2-3 minutes each side.
Spread each of the baguette halves with the pate or cream cheese - you can also just use mayonnaise if that’s all you’ve got in. At this point I would add some kind of chilli condiment as well! Then place your fresh herbs, salad leaves/shredded greens and pickled vegetables on top of the baguette halves, bearing in mind that you will have to eat this with your hands and over-filling it, while tempting, might lead to a big mess later! Distribute everything evenly :)
With the pickled vegetables - I have a giant jar of pickling liquid in my fridge which has flavourings such as star anise, pepper, chilli, coriander seed and the base is rice wine vinegar, so it’s perfect for making pickled vegetables that go with this dish. Sometimes I have the vegetables ready to go from the fridge. Other times, I just get out the jar of liquid, peel strips off a fresh carrot and thinly slice a cucumber, and then put the vegetables into the liquid for 10 minutes while the tofu cooks. Then take them out with tongs or a clean fork and distribute to your liking over the baguette halves. Alternatively, you can just put freshly grated carrot and sliced cucumber on your baguette and skip this pickling palaver all together! But it’s fun, I promise! And you feel like a bit of a kitchen genius whipping out your fridge pickles at times like this.
Once the tofu/tempeh slices are ready, turn up the heat to high and pour the soy/vinegar marinade into the hot pan. It will sizzle and evaporate almost immediately, but give your tofu slices a bit of extra flavour and moisture. Plus, no waste! Alternatively, you can save the marinade in a jar for a stir-fry or something else later.
Using tongs, place the tofu/tempeh slices evenly on each baguette.
Add slices of fresh chilli and a drizzle of sriracha, if liked.
Press the halves together and eat straight away - not wearing your favourite top, and with napkins close by!