Lemongrass Tofu Banh Mi

According to Wikipedia, “banh mi” is the Vietnamese word for bread.  Banh mi is a result of the French influence in Vietnam, which introduced the infamous baguette to Indochina. Lemongrass tofu replaces the traditional pork in this plant based version of a banh mi.

Strangely, the sandwich’s history dates back only as far as the 1950’s, when the French were defeated. This freed up the  Vietnamese to modify the existing French dishes. They replaced certain higher priced imported ingredients with local ones. These changes made it more accessible for all and its popularity grew. The sandwiches are traditionally filled with spiced pork, this recipe uses lemongrass tofu as a plant based replacement.  It is important to fully caramelize the tofu to evoke the same flavours as the original. 

Recipe

For the quick pickled vegetables:

• 1 cup julienned vegetables (mixture of carrots, cucumbers, daikon radish, red onion)
• 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Stir together the rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Using a mandolin with julienne attachment (or with great knife skills), thinly slice vegetables. Add the vegetables to the rice vinegar mixture and let sit for minimum 30 minutes. Drain and use.

For the lemongrass tofu:

• 2 Tbsp lime juice
• 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp neutral oil (canola)
• 1 stalk lemon grass, sliced thinly
• 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
• ½ tsp 5-spice powder
• 1 Tbsp sugar or honey

Thinly slice lemongrass and mince garlic. Add to soy sauce. Press tofu under a plate and between several slices of paper towel for ~10 minutes to remove as much liquid as possible. Thinly slice tofu and place into the marinade for at least an hour. Remove and place on a silpat or baking paper lined baking tray. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until golden and caramelized.

To assemble, slice fluffy style baguette lengthwise. Spread sirracha aioli (mix sirracha with vegan or regular mayo) on both sides. Add vegetables and tofu as well as a handful of cilantro and mint.