This one has a lot of moving parts, and requires some advanced prep. After your first but you’re going to agree with me that it’s worth all the time an effort. A Banh Mi is a Vietnamese sandwich that leans heavily into French influence. On good quality French bread layer on:
- Your choice of protein, lemongrass tofu here (see below)
- Pickled daikon (or radish) and carrot sliced thin
- Copious amounts of fresh cilantro
- A liberal spread of pate – if you’re game
- Thinly sliced cucumber
- Chilli sauce
- Chilli-lime sauce
For the tofu: press dry firm tofu then fry in a pan with crushed lemongrass stalk and garlic. Lots of garlic. As the tofu firms up season with soy sauce and fish sauce to taste.
For the pickle: add julienned carrots and daikon to a bowl with a mix of rice wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, a dash of salt and sugar. Leave covered in the refrigerator overnight.
For the chilli-lime sauce: add equal parts freshly squeezed lime juice, canola/veg oil and fish sauce to a glass and stir well. Add a tablespoon crushed garlic and a heaping tablespoon of sambal hot sauce.
Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you! I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC – Utah’s biggest and oldest online food magazine; I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune. I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV shows.
I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have covered the Utah dining scene for the better part of fifteen years. I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand. I started Shop Smart to catalogue my adventures in the grocery store and kitchen. Follow along on Instagram too!