Fresh lettuce, crisp bread cubes, crunchy banh mi pickles, and flavorful sautéed tofu make this banh mi-inspired salad a standout supper.
Table of Contents
If you're craving a banh mi but want something even more vegetable-forward, I have got you covered. This tofu banh mi salad is like the sandwich converted into salad form.
Instead of layering the ingredients onto crusty bread, this salad also takes inspiration from Italian panzanella. You cube and sauté bread and add it to your salad. It's sort of crouton-adjacent, but the bread stays a bit softer in a panzanella.
I love a banh mi sandwich. Savory tofu, a spicy spread, and vinegary pickled veggies just warm my heart. Slap those suckers onto crusty bread, and you have got a seriously awesome sandwich.
Of course, banh mi is not traditionally made as a salad. If you're looking for an authentic, vegan banh mi sandwich recipe, look no further than The Viet Vegan!
Love dinner salads? Also try my vegan Asian salad and gochujang salad recipes!
✓ Ingredients and substitutions
- carrot and radish - You want to cut these into matchsticks or shred them.
- seasoned rice vinegar - For making the pickles. You want to warm the vinegar, so the sugar will dissolve. You can do this on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- sugar - Banh mi pickles are a little bit sweet.
- tofu - Press your tofu, so it will soak in the marinade. Firm or extra firm is ideal.
- tofu marinade - Soy sauce, lime juice, and black pepper make your marinade.
- toasted sesame oil - To sauté the bread cubes and the tofu.
- baguette - Cube your bread into ½" to 1" pieces.
- dressing - The dressing is a simple mixture of vegan mayo, hoisin sauce, lime juice, and sriracha.
- veggies - For the salad, you'll need lettuce, cilantro, and cucumber. If you like heat, also include jalapeño.
🥣 How to make tofu Banh Mi Salad
Stuff the carrots and radishes into a mason jar, packing them tightly. Warm up the vinegar and water on the stovetop or in the microwave, then stir together vinegar, water, sugar, and salt, and pour over the veggies. Set aside.
Add the soy sauce, lime juice, and black pepper to the tofu.
Mix well, and set aside to marinate while you sauté the bread.
Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in your frying pan on medium high, and add the bread.
Sauté the bread for about 5 minutes, until it's nice and browned. Make sure you stir frequently and get all of that bread coated in oil. Set aside.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil on medium high. Add the tofu and the marinade.
Cook, stirring, until the tofu begins to brown, around 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside.
Divide the lettuce, cilantro, and cucumber between your bowls. Top each bowl with some of the pickles, bread, and tofu. Top with sliced jalapeño and drizzle on the dressing.
💡 Helpful tip
You can make the pickles and marinate the tofu up to a day ahead, if you like.
🫙 Storage directions
Store leftover veggies separately from the tofu, bread, and pickles. Toss together just before serving. Leftovers will keep for two to three days in the refrigerator. The bread will lose its crunch as it sits in the fridge.
💬 Frequently asked questions
A banh mi is usually served on crusty bread with pate, mayo, meat, banh mi pickles, jalapeño, and cilantro. This salad takes those flavors and textures and converts them into salad form.
📖 Recipe
Tofu Banh Mi-Inspired Salad
Ingredients
For the Banh Mi Pickles
- ¾ cup seasoned rice vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup organic sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup shredded carrots
- ¾ cup sliced radish cut into matchsticks. If you can get your hands on daikon, then peel it and cut into matchsticks instead of using radishes.
For the Tofu
- 1 block extra firm tofu pressed and cut into ½" cubes
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
To Sauté
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil divided
- 1 cup cubed baguette About ¼ a regular-sized loaf will do the trick; go for ½" pieces.
For the Dressing
- 3 tablespoons vegan mayo
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
For the Banh Mi Salad
- 4 cups chopped green leaf lettuce
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ½ cup sliced cucumber
- sliced jalapeno optional
Instructions
Make the banh mi pickles.
- Stuff the carrots and radishes into a mason jar, packing them tightly. Warm up the vinegar and water on the stovetop or in the microwave, then stir together the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt, and pour over the veggies. Set this aside and let the veggies marinate on the counter while you prep everything else. You can do this the night before, if you prefer.
Marinate the tofu
- Add the soy sauce, lime juice, and black pepper to the tofu. Mix well with the tofu, and set aside to marinate while you sauté the bread.
Make the dressing.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, and set aside.
Time to saute.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in your frying pan on medium high, and sauté the bread for about 5 minutes, until it's nice and browned. Make sure you stir frequently and get all of that bread coated in oil. Set aside.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil on medium high. Cook the tofu and the marinade, stirring, until the tofu begins to brown, around 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside.
Assemble the Salad
- Divide the lettuce, cilantro, and cucumber between your bowls. Top each bowl with some of the pickles, bread, and tofu. Top with sliced jalapeño and drizzle on the dressing.
Cadry
Yum! I love meals that are super healthy but also satiating & flavorful. This bowl has all of that in spades!
Becky Striepe
Thank you, Cadry!
Sarah De la Cruz
Ooh, this looks delicious! I am obsessed with the Bahn Mi salad at Veggie Grill so I can't wait to try it at home! Such a smart idea to serve this like panzanella!
Dianne
I love bahn mi sandwiches and it's pure genius to turn them into a healthy salad. So delicious!
Chitra Jagadish
wow this looks delcious...cant wait to give it a try... :)
Jaime
What a genius idea!! I've been meaning to make bahn mi, but now I'm going to do this instead. Pinned!
Becky Striepe
Yay! Enjoy it, Jaime!
acookinthemaking
Brilliant! I love banh mi and this looks so good!
Also, I'm so glad you used the radishes and jalapeno too...those are things I'm much more likely to have lying around my kitchen on any given day :)
Becky Striepe
Thank you! I am excited to defrost the rest of my stale bread and make this again!
Claryn
I think I love you for coming up with this. Panzanella is awesome and I would kill for banh mi pretty much any day!
Becky Striepe
Thank you so much! :D
Alissa
Very clever, and delicious looking! I love banh mi and panzanella - awesome idea to combine them! :)
Becky Striepe
Thank you, Alissa!
Cadry's Kitchen
This sounds fabulous! I have been really into homemade croutons this summer. Plus, like you said, it's a great cooking improv tool when good bread has gone bad.
Becky Striepe
Thank you, Cadry!