Vegan Banh Mi Bowl

What's a Banh Mi Bowl? A healthy vegan deconstructed Vietnamese sandwich! Loaded with greens, raw veggies, spicy tofu, brown rice, and pickled veggies, and drizzled with a tangy Sriracha vegan mayo dressing. You will love this Vegan Banh Mi Bowl Recipe.

One of my favorite Vietnamese sandwiches is a Banh Mi sandwich. But today, I deconstructed my sandwich to make a Banh Mi Bowl instead. Although I love sandwiches, bowls are much healthier. Bowls provide a ton of extra space to add vegetables, brown rice, and greens for a nutrient-dense meal. And this vegan Banh Mi Bowl recipe is a show stopper. 

Jump to:

• What is Banh Mi?
• What Ingredients are in a Banh Mi Bowl Recipe?
• Ingredient Substitutions
• How to Make Sriracha Tofu 
• Sriracha Tofu Marinade Ingredients
• Sriracha Tofu Marinade Ingredient Substitutions
• How to Cook Tofu (Choose One of Four Options)
• Quick and Easy Pickled Vegetable Ingredients 
• How to Make Banh Mi Pickle Vegetables 
• Vegan Bahn Mi Sauce
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• Other Vegan Bowls to Enjoy
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

My husband often asks to take the same meal for lunch he ate the day before. Even though he loves leftovers for lunch, he usually avoids repeating the same meal the next day for lunch. He asked about leftovers today while eating his Banh Mi Bowl. 

What is Banh Mi?

The modern Banh Mi as we know it today is believed to originate in Saigon.

The first to be credited for creating the Vietnamese sandwich were a couple called Mr. and Mrs. Le.

Their family still runs a restaurant selling Banh Mi called Banh Mi Hoa Ma, located in modern-day Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City.

Traditionally a sandwich, I chose to add my favorite vegan Banh Mi ingredients into a fabulous bowl. 

What Ingredients are in a Banh Mi Bowl Recipe?

Since this bowl recipe combines raw and cooked ingredients, I chose all my favorites! However, select any combination of ingredients you enjoy and replace those you don't care for. For instance, if you don't like it hot, leave the jalapeños out and add a different vegetable you enjoy. 

Raw Ingredients

• Kale and Romaine Lettuce: I like a combination of crispy Romaine and kale. I chop kale finely, so it is easy to eat and digest.
• Carrots: Carrots add sweetness to the bowl. I shredded them to the same texture as the lettuce and kale.
• Tomatoes: I used different colored grape tomatoes. Grape tomatoes have fewer seeds than other tomatoes.
• Jalapenos: Deseed and devein the jalapenos and always wear gloves. If you are sensitive to spice, skip this ingredient.
• Cilantro: Cilantro adds freshness the bowl
• Limes: I prefer using fresh lime juice whenever possible
• Pickled Red Onions: Pickled Red Onions add a tanginess to the bowl.
• Pickled Cabbage: Like red onions, pickled cabbage adds a tangy flavor.
• Microgreens: Microgreens add more nutrients and greens.

Warm/Hot Ingredients

• Brown Rice: Brown rice is served in a bowl hot as the base.
• Sriracha Tofu: Marinated tofu is topped in the bowl with a Sriracha marinade.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Choose any preferred greens.
• Any parsnips substitute carrots in recipes.
• Try cherry tomatoes for a similar taste and texture as grape tomatoes.
• Skip the jalapenos if sensitive to spice, or try serrano peppers with a flavor similar to jalapenos.
• Try parsley or basil instead for those who don't care for cilantro.
• Instead of pickled vegetables, try raw cabbage and red onions.
• Any rice of rice blend works with this bowl recipe.
• If you don't like spicy tofu, choose to leave out the Sriracha.
• Chickpea tofu is available for those avoiding soy.

How to Make Sriracha Tofu 

Recently, I invested in a new air fryer since I love air-fried tofu! Air frying tofu without oil is so simple. As a result, the tofu is crispy on the outside and firm inside. 

But I also love to grill tofu as well. So if you don't have an air-frier or a grill, don't worry; baking tofu or cooking on the stove in a skillet is just as simple. 

The key to perfect tofu is pressing and marinating the tofu overnight. I prefer cooking with extra-firm or sprouted tofu, which presses and marinates well. Also, pressing tofu, marinating it, freezing it, and then thawing gives an additional firmness. Often, if my tofu is about to expire, I press, cut, marinate and freeze it until ready to use. Not only does this trick help to keep tofu fresh, but it also adds a way to marinate tofu for use later. 

Sriracha Tofu Marinade Ingredients

• Sriracha: The taste varies by brand, but generally, it's tangy-sweet with a kick of garlic. Also, it's spicy. A little goes a long way!
• Soy Sauce or Tamari (gluten-free option): I always use low sodium soy sauce for reduced sodium.
• Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar is acidic and provides a natural sweetness to the marinade.

Sriracha Tofu Marinade Ingredient Substitutions

• Any hot sauce works well.
• If you don't like spicy, choose from various tofu marinades you may prefer.
• Liquid aminos are another option for a gluten-free soy sauce substitute.
• Champagne vinegar is similar to rice vinegar in a pinch.

How to Cook Tofu (Choose One of Four Options)

Grilling Tofu

• Pre-heat grill to 350 or medium-low
• You can place the marinated tofu directly on the grill or use a grill basket.
• Grill for 7 minutes on each side
• Let cool slightly

Baking Tofu 

• Follow the exact directions for marinating.
• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
• Place tofu pieces on a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mats; I used my copper crisper pan.

Air-Fried Tofu

• Place marinated cubes into the basket, not touching each other. Some people prefer dipping pieces of marinated tofu in corn starch; I don't use the cornstarch method, but feel free to do so if desired. 
• Cook on 370 for 10 minutes
• Open the basket and turn large tofu pieces over.
• Bake for 10 more minutes.

Skillet Tofu

• Heat a non-stick skillet to medium.
• Add marinated tofu, only adding a small amount of the marinade at a time.
• As the tofu cooks, using a spatula, turn it over, adding the additional marinade. 
• Cook until brown on all sides and the marinade has diminished. 

Quick and Easy Pickled Vegetable Ingredients 

Although many people buy pickled vegetables, making pickled veggies at home is easy! 

• Red Onions or White Onions: Choose any onions you have. I like red onions for pickling, but white or yellow onions work as well.
• Red Cabbage: Although red cabbage is purple, when pickled, it turns bright pink and vibrant in the rice bowl recipe.
• White Vinegar: White vinegar adds an acidic component to the pickled vegetables.
• Choose your preferred vegan sweetener for Agave, Maple Syrup, or Date Syrup.

How to Make Banh Mi Pickle Vegetables 

• First, fill an 8-ounce or 16-ounce mason jar ¾ full with white vinegar.
• Next, pour that vinegar into a saucepan, add 1 Tablespoon of agave, maple syrup, or date syrup, and bring to a boil. 
• Then chop Cabbage or onions, and place the chopped vegetables in different mason jars (8 or 16 ounces, depending on the amount you plan to pickle.)
• Now, pour the boiling mixture into the mason jar, covering the vegetables placed inside.
• Allow to cool to room temperature, and then place a top on the jar tightly and refrigerate overnight before using.

Vegan Bahn Mi Sauce

Like a Banh Mi Sandwich, I made a thinner version of Sriracha mayo dressing to drizzle over the ingredients in the bowl.

Again, use sparingly or toss in the dressing; you decide. Always add small amounts of Sriracha or any spicy ingredient and taste before adding more.

Everyone has different spice tolerance; some people love it, and others tread lightly. 

What is in Sriracha Mayo?

A combination of my Vegan Cashew Mayo and add a little Sriracha. But, to be more specific, you need: 

• Raw Cashews (or substitute silken tofu or white beans for a soy-free option)
• Lemon Juice
• Water
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Sriracha 

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• When working with jalapenos, ALWAYS wear gloves! It's a rule I learned the hard way. The oils in the jalapenos and seeds transfer to bare hands and cause skin and eye-burning.
• One way to avoid contact with jalapeno seeds is to cut the end off the jalapeno and use a paring knife you core the veins and seeds from the jalapeno before cutting into rings. 
• Jalapenos are much milder once the seeds are removed. 
• When making Sriracha mayo dressing, use silken tofu or white beans instead of cashews for a nut-free option. 
• Cooking How to Cook Brown Rice in advance and reheating it for the Bahn Mi Bowl saves time. 
• Choose to Pickled Red Onions or pickled Cabbage, or a combination of both. Another quick tip is to use raw onions and Cabbage. 
• Choose your spice level by adding spicy ingredients in small amounts, tasting, and adjusting for individual taste. 
• Always press and marinate tofu overnight. The tofu absorbs the marinade over time and has a deeper flavor. 
• Is your tofu about to expire? Press, cut, marinade it, and freeze it until you are ready to use it. Then, thaw overnight for a super firm and tasty tofu. 
• Sriracha tofu is available pre-marinated at Whole Foods, Frys (Kroger), and Trader Joe's.
• Don't like tofu? Leave it out. This Bahn Mi Bowl is full of flavor with or without the tofu, but I do love the tofu. 

If you love delicious vegan bowls, try this Banh Mi Bowl! You will love the combination of flavors.

Other Vegan Bowls to Enjoy

If you love this Banh Mi bowl recipe, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!

📖 Recipe