Tofu Banh Mi

Tofu Banh Mi sandwich is packed with fresh coleslaw of carrots, cabbage, and red onions. Then topped with seared Sriracha Tofu and topped with handfuls of cilantro, jalapenos, and crisp cucumber slices with spicy vegan mayo.

When I am craving a sandwich, I want a healthy but hearty sandwich built with vegetables and a great combination of flavors. Typically, a Vietnamese Tofu Banh Mi sandwich has fried tofu and oily coleslaw, so I have reduced the calories and deleted the oil for a healthier version of one of my favorite sandwiches. 

Jump to:

• How to Reduce Bread Intake
• Sandwich Ingredients 
• Sandwich Ingredient Substitutions
• Sriracha Mayo Ingredients 
• Mayo Ingredients Substitutions
• Coleslaw Ingredients
• Coleslaw Ingredients Substitutions
• Coleslaw Dressing Ingredients
• Coleslaw Dressing Substitutions
• How to Press Tofu
• Tofu Cooking Options
• How to Make the Sandwich
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• Other Great Vegan Sandwich Suggestions
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

Instead of frying the tofu, I opted for grilled spicy Sriracha tofu. But, I have also provided a variety of cooking options to accommodate a variety of cooking styles.

I also made an oil-free coleslaw and vegan mayo for my Tofu Banh Mi sandwich. 

How to Reduce Bread Intake

Despite loving bread, I have a little secret. I buy my baguettes from a vegan baker. Though most bread does not have eggs or milk, you should look at the label to be sure. To avoid the amount of "bread" in the loaf, I cut it and removed the inside of the bread by pulling it gently out, leaving the top and bottom intact.

As a result, I can avoid eating extra bread and still get the crunch of the sandwich. But, of course, you can also use gluten-free bread and follow the same trick to reduce the amount of bread in your sandwich.

Like a sandwich thin, you can reduce your baguettes by simply removing the inside. 

Another idea is to turn this sandwich into a bowl. Instead of eating the bread, fill a bowl with the coleslaw, add the tofu on top with all the other ingredients, drizzle with the Sriracha mayo, or skip it altogether. 

Regardless of how you choose to eat Tofu Banh Mi, this sandwich's flavors are phenomenal together. 

Sandwich Ingredients 

So, what's in a Tofu Banh Mi Recipe? Well, it's more simplistic than you think. As always, I suggest marinating the tofu overnight for maximized flavors. But, first, the ingredients you need for a Tofu Banh Mi Sandwich are:

• Whole-grain or gluten-free baguettes: You want a sturdy bun to hold all the ingredients.
• Extra-Firm Tofu: The firmer, the better. I prefer extra-extra firm tofu or sprouted tofu, so it doesn't need to be pressed. I grilled the tofu, but it can be baked or air fried.
• Red Cabbage: This beautiful purple cabbage is firm and makes a great slaw base.
• White cabbage (I used Napa): Napa cabbage is a bit thinner in texture.
• Carrots: What is a cole slaw without carrots? I shred them to make them the same texture as the other ingredients.
• Red onion: Sweet in flavor but tangy; red onion is tasty in coleslaw.
• Cucumber: I slice the cucumber thin to add to the sandwich.
• Jalapeno: When cooking with jalapenos, always wear gloves and remove the seeds before cutting them into rings.
• Cilantro: Cilantro provides a fresh and earthy taste to the sandwich.

Sandwich Ingredient Substitutions

• Use French bread or Ciabatta bread if you can't find a good baguette.
• If avoiding soy, try chickpea tofu.
• Cut zucchini thin as a substitute for cucumbers
• Choose yellow or white onion instead of red onion
• If you don't like cilantro (some people claim it tastes like soap), try fresh basil leaves.

Sriracha Mayo Ingredients 

A combination of my vegan cashew mayo and add a little Sriracha. But, to be more specific, you need: 

• Raw cashews: Raw cashews make the best creamy vegan mayo. It's my favorite!
• Lemon juice: Lemon juice adds incredible flavor to the mayonnaise and helps stabilize the mixture.
• Water: Water is used to thin the mayo
• Apple cider vinegar: The apple cider vinegar adds a tart and sour aspect to the mayo
• Sriracha: Just a little Sriracha goes a long way. Add as little or as much as you like. Add more for spicier mayo.

Mayo Ingredients Substitutions

• Substitute white beans or silken tofu for a nut-free option.
• In a pinch, use lime juice instead of lemon juice.
• Try white wine vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar.
• Any hot sauce works.

Coleslaw Ingredients

• Red cabbage: I love adding red cabbage to coleslaw for color and texture.
• White cabbage: White cabbage tastes sweet and mild and absorbs flavors of dressing well.
• Carrots: Carrots add both texture and sweetness to the coleslaw.
• Red onions: The sweetest of onions, red onions are beautiful in color and flavor.

Coleslaw Ingredients Substitutions

• Add red or green bell peppers
• For a spicier version, add chopped jalapenos
• Napa Cabbage is thinner and has a lighter texture.
• Try adding chopped kimchi for another spicy option

Coleslaw Dressing Ingredients

• Rice wine vinegar: When combining two types of vinegar, you create your own flavor profile. Rice vinegar is sweet.
• White wine vinegar: White wine vinegar has an approachable level of tang to its bouquet: not too sour, not too sweet, especially when compared to red wine vinegar, organic apple cider vinegar, and certainly balsamic vinegar.
• Maple Syrup: Adds sweetest to the slaw. I prefer pure maple syrup.

Coleslaw Dressing Substitutions

• Red wine vinegar is the best substitute for white wine vinegar.
• Substitute champagne vinegar for rice wine vinegar in a pinch.
• Try date syrup or agave as a sweetener.

A little dressing goes a very long way. To get the best flavors in the Asian coleslaw, I suggest making it ahead of time and brewing it in the refrigerator. 

How to Press Tofu

First, carefully remove the tofu from the package, discarding the fluid.  

Although you can use a heavy book and many paper towels to press tofu, I strongly suggest investing in an inexpensive tofu press like the E-Z Tofu Press. Not only does it save time and paper towels, it simply works better. 

Then, place the tofu in the middle of the tofu press and turn both knobs equally for about four turns. I usually put the tofu press in the sink on its side, but I placed it on a plate to drain.

• Turn the knobs every two minutes, equally, until you have the result (the last picture).
• Most people stop here…NOT YET. So keep turning until the knobs are screwed as far as they can, almost to touch the end like this:
• Although I have never tried this, I decided this time to measure the amount of water I got from the bottom of the plate at the end.
• The amount was ¾ cup fluid.
• Now, remove the press from the plate, and I give it another press with a paper towel for excess fluid removal.

Tofu Cooking Options

Grilling

• Preheat the grill to low
• Place a grill mat on the grill (you can also use a grill pan; if you are careful, place the tofu directly on the grill.
• Cook for about 8 minutes on each side
• Remove from the grill and place back in the marinade until ready to use.  
• Then, cut it into strips or cubes.

Baking

• Follow the same pressing and marinating process. 
• Then, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Place cut or uncut tofu on a silicone baking mat  or parchment paper
• Cook for 15 minutes
• Remove from oven and flip tofu over; cook for an additional 15 minutes. 

Air frying

• Follow the same pressing and marinating process. 
• Set air fryer temperature at 375 degrees
• Cook for 10-15 minutes, shaking the basket a couple of times through the cooking process.

Then, fill it with the rest of the vegetables, slaw, and tofu. Top with sriracha cashew mayo, and you have a fabulous Vietnamese Bahn Mi Sandwich.

How to Make the Sandwich

Now, it's time to build your tofu banh mi sandwich!

First, toast or broil your baguette. If using a grill, it makes sense to throw it on the grill with the tofu. But, you can also broil the baguettes in the oven. Then, add the grilled tofu. 

As suggested earlier, remove any excess bread to reduce your bread consumption.

Next, add the rest of the goodies: Asian coleslaw, sriracha vegan mayo, cucumber slices, jalapenos, and cilantro. 

Then, fold and bring both sides of the sandwich together. Slice in half, or leave whole.

The next step is the best part, take a bite and enjoy!

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• Make the Sriracha tofu and the Asian coleslaw ahead of time to save time.
• If you like it spicier, add more sriracha to the vegan mayo or leave some seeds in the jalapeno slices.
• Also, the tofu reheats well before making the sandwich or tastes just as good cold once it's cooked.
• You can also make a Bahn Mi Bowl and skip the bread.
• Remember to wear gloves while cooking with jalapenos.
• Try baked sweet potato Vietnamese french fries on the side! They are to DIE FOR!
• Remove the inside of the bread without breaking through the bun and make a well to place the ingredients.
• Keep the extra bread sealed in a plastic bag to use for bread crumbs or to dip into soup,
• Prepare the Sriracha mayo in advance; it stores in the refrigerator for up to 5 days,
• Use white beans or silken tofu for the mayo to replace the cashews for a nut-free option. The buns brown quickly, especially after the inside of the bread is removed, so watch them, so they don't burn,
• Prepare the coleslaw in advance and refrigerate to enhance the flavors.
• To avoid soggy bread, use a slotted spoon when adding the slaw to the sandwich.
• If sensitive to spice, always add small amounts of sriracha and jalapenos and taste them before completing the recipe. Everyone enjoys different levels of spice. You can always add more spice; you can never remove it.

Try this vegan version of a Bahn Mi Sandwich. You will love the combination of flavors wrapped inside the crunchy bread.

Other Great Vegan Sandwich Suggestions

Do you love this tofu Bahn Mi? If so, give us a 5-star rating and drop a comment below. We would love to hear from you!

📖 Recipe