A vegetarian take on the classic Vietnamese sandwich. This vegan bánh mi is made with a punchy marinated tempeh. It's stuffed inside a crusty baguette alongside pickled vegetables, mayonnaise and fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves. It's both filling and delicious.
Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a large flat bottomed bowl. Cut the tempeh into six or eight even slices, depending on the shape of your tempeh block. Slices should be about ½ a centimetre (1/5 of an inch) thick.
1 tsp toasted sesame oil*, 1 tbsp tamari (affiliate link), 2 tsp vegan fish sauce, 2 tsp chilli sauce, ½ lime, thumb size knob root ginger, 1 clove garlic
Place the tempeh slices in the bowl and coat with the marinade. Turn the slices over and ensure that everything is covered. Leave to marinade for ten minutes.
200 g tempeh
Pour the oil into a large nonstick frying pan and place over a moderate heat. I use my cast iron skillet for this.
1 tbsp sesame oil
Lay the tempeh slices down and fry for three minutes or until they're bronzed and slightly caramelised at the edges. Turn the slices over and fry for a further three minutes.
Meanwhile, halve the baguette and slice each piece so that you keep a "hinge" on one side. It doesn't really matter if you slice through the whole thing, but it makes it easier to eat if one side is closed.
1 demi baguette*
If you're baguette isn't nice and crunchy on the outside, then toast the bread pieces lightly under the grill.
Spread the bottom of each baguette piece with a liberal amount of mayonnaise. Top with the hot tempeh, then layer on the pickles, cucumber slices (if using) and coriander leaves.
2 tbsp vegan mayonnaise, 80 g carrot pickles*, small bunch coriander leaves, ¼ cucumber
Fold the tops over and tuck in whilst the sandwiches are still warm.
Notes
* Either cut off chunks from a full length baguette or if there are just two of you, a demi baguette is probably big enough. You want a length of twenty to twenty three centimetres (eight to nine inches) per sandwich.* Carrot pickles are traditional, but you can use any type of pickles you like. Daikon radish and cabbage are both particularly good as are a mix of all three.Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on exact ingredients used.