Vegetarian Banh Mi Sandwich

This is a vegetarian/vegan take on the classic Vietnamese sandwich. Even if you love the meat version like I do, you will be just as happy with this one–the pickled veggies and my homemade mushroom paté are the star.

My Sunday morning routine goes something like this: church service followed by two grocery store runs and a final stop at the farmers market. No one place has everything I need so I do my loop around town, ending up at the farmers market at a little after noon, hungry and, even though I have just spent the last two hours refreshing the larder, unwilling to make lunch from scratch once I return home.

Instead, I’d rather wait in line at the farmers market on California Avenue for the best banh mi in town–a classic with paté and ham for me, a veggie for my husband. The short drive home is a struggle because the aroma of the pungent, vinegary pickled vegetables refuses to stay contained in the bag–it tempts me all the way home so inevitably, I walk in the door and dive right into the sandwich without even bothering to put away the groceries first.

The lines to the banh mi stand are long for good reason. The ingredients are fresh, the rolls the perfect balance of crispy/chewy on the outside and soft inside. Plus, the portions are huge and they don’t mind that I ask for extra pickled veggies and peppers with every order. It’s eight dollars (each) well spent for the best Vietnamese sandwiches I’ve ever tasted (both the carnivore and veggie versions) and for the past few months have been meaning to recreate a vegetarian banh mi in my own kitchen.

What is Banh Mi?

Literally translated, banh mi means bread [made of wheat]. Here in the West the term has come to be synonymous with the classic Vietnamese sandwich. A product of French colonial rule, the banh mi was born after the baguette was introduced to Vietnam in the mid 19th century. It’s a tasty fusion of two cultures–popular fillings include French paté and/or ham mingling with pickled Asian vegetables, mayonnaise, peppers and cilantro. While my local vendor also sells one with grilled, marinated pork I grew up with the classic paté, ham, head cheese and the assortment of vegetables.

The baguette is critical and can make or break banh mi. I’ve seen hoagie rolls being used instead of Vietnamese baguettes and this just doesn’t work. Even the Italian sourdough baguette I used here isn’t quite the best option because the crust is thick and hard but it was the best I could find.

Though rooted in French tradition, Vietnamese baguettes have characteristics that differ slightly from their French predecessors. A proper Vietnamese baguette is smaller, has a light, thin, crisp-chewy crust and a soft crumb. You should be able to bite into it easily but it shouldn’t be too doughy.

As for the important fillings, pickled daikon radish and carrots are a must for me…as is a good paté.

How to Make a Vegetarian/Vegan Banh Mi Sandwich that will Rival the Carnivore Version

I love a good banh mi with ham, liver paté or grilled pork and if you can source a good quality Vietnamese baguette a classic meat-based sandwich is easy to put together. I’m lucky in that my local grocery store sells French ham and liver paté is widely available. Since my husband tends to prefer the vegetarian version of banh mi, I challenged myself to recreate it home.

Paté: It starts with a good paté and if you’ve been visiting my blog for the past few months you might have come across this recipe for Vegan Mushroom Paté which was wholly inspired by this challenge to make my own vegan Vietnamese sandwich. It’s very easy to prepare and is perfect on its own. It’s been the highlight of my appetizer table for the past few months and I was very happy to finally use it in a sandwich.

Pickled Vegetables: The pickled daikon radish and carrots are the next important components of a good banh mi–without them the sandwich wouldn’t be Vietnamese. They add crunch and punch and combined with fresh cilantro, cucumber and chili peppers, brightness, too. The quick-pickling method is very easy and the vegetables are ready in around one hour. And if you like chili peppers in our sandwich like I do, try pickling them with the radish and carrots instead of raw–you won’t be sorry and the chili-infused brine will impart a little kick to the vegetables, too.

Tofu: Besides the paté, tofu–the other protein–is almost an afterthought considering its bolder companions but it’s no slouch here either. I’ve borrowed the classic preparation for Vietnamese grilled pork by marinating the tofu in a lemongrass-garlic-soy mixture. (Note: You can use seitan instead of tofu but I don’t have much experience with it. My local banh mi stand uses both in their veggie sandwich.)

Once assembled, my veggie banh mi is the perfect blend of sweet, tart, fresh and bright. My carnivore taste buds don’t miss the meat at all and I was very happy to be able to cross this challenge off the list. I continue to search for a homemade Vietnamese baguette recipe and when I do, you can be sure I’ll share it here with you.