Tofu Banh Mi (Recipe #31)

        There is just something about a sandwich or a sub. The soft roll and the mixture of textures and flavors are a few key things that make the perfect sub. The Vietnamese inspired tofu banh mi in the Vegan for Everybody cookbook is one of the best sandwiches I have ever had!

The sandwich is made of a few components. There is the roll, mayo, “meat,” pickled vegetables, and garnish. I toasted Italian sub rolls. I mixed sriracha and lime zest into some vegan mayo. I quickly pickled carrots and cucumber. I also cooked tofu in a nonstick pan coated in cornstarch (after draining it on a paper towel). The tofu came out incredibly crispy! I did have to keep mine in the pan longer than the recipe suggested to get it to the perfect crunchiness. The cornstarch became a flaky outer layer surrounding perfectly cooked tofu.

I piled all of these ingredients high on the toasted sub roll and added additional sriracha to my sandwich. I took a big bite and knew immediately that I loved it. The freshness from the cilantro, the crunch from the carrots, the beautiful tofu, and the soft roll came together to create an incredible sandwich. Jacob and I thoroughly enjoyed these sandwiches and I am going to keep them on our radar! The recipe stated that it served four, but Jacob and I enjoyed them too much, so we ended up finishing all four sandwiches! 

I have heard a lot of negative commentary surrounding tofu. I normally say that tofu takes on the flavor of whatever you surround it in. For example, if you are making a curry with tofu, the tofu pieces are going to taste like the curry sauce you put it in. I think tofu is more than that. It is a great plant based alternative that provides a “meaty” texture and similar filling sensation to meat. That being said, other vegetables can work just as well creating this texture and sensation (like cauliflower and mushrooms). I think tofu was the perfect choice for this sandwich and belongs in certain dishes.

Taste: 10/10

Level of difficulty: 1/5

Notes for next time: Remember to be patient with the tofu--the crispiness is the key!