Vegan Bánh Mì Sandwich

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Published: Jan 24, 2023 by Cadry Nelson
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Sink your teeth into this delectable vegan bánh mì.

A French baguette is loaded with fresh herbs, quick pickled vegetables, and hearty Field Roast.

This is a sandwich you’ll crave.

Pungent, flavor-packed sandwiches always speak to me.

(That’s why vegan reubens hold such a soft spot in my heart.)

The vegan bánh mì recipe I’m sharing today has a similar balance of salt, fat, and acid going on.

Bánh mì is a Vietnamese sandwich with French touches. It first came about as a street food in Saigon in the 1950’s.

The thing that I love about bánh mì sandwiches is that it’s not just about the meaty element.

The fresh salad aspect plays every bit of important a role in keeping the whole thing balanced, making it a lot lighter in feel while lacking nothing in flavor.

While a traditional banh mi isn’t vegan, the meaty portion of this vegan version is Celebration Roast from Field Roast.

It’s tossed with a soy & sesame dressing, which really amps up the flavor.

This meatless sandwich is then topped with a vinegary mix of shredded Daikon radish & carrots, strips of cucumber and jalapeño pepper.

Table of Contents

Field Roast Cookbook

This vegan banh mi recipe is from the cookbook, Field Roast: 101 Artisan Vegan Meat Recipes to Cook, Share, and Savor by Tommy McDonald.

It is the kind of cookbook that makes you hungry just flipping through the pages.

With 101 recipes and lots of tantalizing photographs, I could basically start at one end, work my way through the other, and be a very happy vegan.

You likely already know the Field Roast brand from the vegan sausages, burgers, deli slices, frankfurters, and Chao cheeses in their line-up.

Now you can make your own sausages & roasts at home with the help of their cookbook.

Or if you’re looking for a simpler route, many recipes like this bánh mì sandwich also include the shortcut option of using Field Roast products instead.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.

Ingredient notes

Field Roast Celebration Roast: This half pound roast is generally sold in the frozen section.

If you don’t have access to Field Roast, try it with seitan sausages instead.

Or use the soy sauce mixture as a marinade for tofu. (No need to reduce it first.)

Sesame oil: A little bit goes a long way with this nutty oil.

Look for it at your favorite Asian market or near the soy sauces in the grocery store.

Seasoned rice vinegar: This mild vinegar adds tang.

Look for it with other vinegars in the grocery store or by Asian ingredients.

Roasted chili paste: Be sure to check ingredients on chili paste, as it sometimes contains anchovies and/or shrimp.

Or use gochujang, which is a fermented Korean chili paste.

Cucumber: Cut cucumber into french fry-length strips.

If you don’t have cucumber, pickle planks are also terrific.

Daikon radish: Daikon is a mild-flavored winter radish. It’s sold in Asian grocery stores, as well as natural grocery stores.

If you can’t find it, replace with a roughly equal amount of standard radishes. (If using small radishes, I recommend thinly slicing.)

Jalapeno peppers: Thin strips of jalapenos add heat & crunch.

They can also be replaced with pickled jalapenos.

Vegan mayo: Vegenaise is my favorite brand. But use whatever eggless mayonnaise you prefer.

Or if you’d like a spicy edge, slather on sriracha mayo.

French bread: Look for a French baguette that is soft & pillowy on the inside, crusty and flaky on the outside.

An Italian-style loaf will also work.

Step by step instructions

Here’s how to make this recipe at a glance. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together:

Sesame oil
Soy sauce or tamari
Light brown sugar
Seasoned rice vinegar
Roasted chili paste
Tomato paste
Garlic

Bring to a low boil. Then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside.

In a medium-size bowl, combine:

Peeled & shredded carrot
Peeled & shredded daikon radish
Seasoned rice vinegar

In a skillet or grill over medium-high heat, brown slices of Field Roast Celebration Roast for 3 minutes per side.

Remove from the heat and cut each slab into strips.

Toss the strips in the sauce, and return to the grill or skillet for another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Baguette cut in sandwich-sized pieces & browning in skillet.

Lightly toast each piece of bread.

Skillet with browned and seasoned Celebration Roast, baguette, cilantro, vegan mayo, pickled & raw veggies.

Spread the mayo on the inside of each piece of bread.

Then layer each sandwich with:

Browned strips of roast
Cucumber strips
Daikon & carrot mixture
Jalapeño
Cilantro

Serving ideas

Man smiles at vegan banh mi in his hands.

This delicious sandwich is a full meal on its own with toothsome vegan meat, veggies, and bread.

However, it also works well with any of these side dishes:

Storage

Banh mi sandwiches are best right away, because of their mixture of hot & cold ingredients.

If storing leftovers, I recommend storing each element separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. All of the components will last 3 or 4 days.

The roast slices can be reheated in a microwave or skillet until warm.

More vegan sandwich recipes

Who doesn’t love a hearty sandwich?

These vegan sandwiches eat like a meal:

Vegan bánh mì

We have what must be hundreds of Vietnamese restaurants in Seattle, so it’s never a challenge to find a good bánh mì sandwich. When I first started picking them up for lunch many years ago, they were only two dollars and always wrapped in that characteristic white paper with a rubber band around each one. A bánh mì is great with any meat, but we often use our sliced Celebration Roast, and beyond that, you’ll need a good crusty French roll that’s soft in the middle, fresh herbs, and a few quick-pickled vegetables. While it’s tempting to go big with this recipe, do keep in mind that these sandwiches are really best enjoyed the same day they’re made.

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Course: Sandwich

Cuisine: Vegan, Vietnamese

Keyword: field roast, seitan, Vietnamese sub

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 541kcal

Author: Tommy McDonald

Instructions

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In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the sesame oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of the vinegar, and the chili paste, tomato paste, and garlic. Bring to a low boil, then lower the heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside.
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In a medium-sized bowl, combine the carrot, daikon, and remaining 2 tablespoons of vinegar, toss thoroughly, and set aside.
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Brush the steaks with the oil. In a skillet or grill over medium-high heat, grill each steak for 3 minutes per side.
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Remove the steaks from the heat and cut each into strips. Toss the strips in the sauce, and return to the grill or skillet for another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
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Lightly toast each piece of bread.
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Spread the mayo on the inside of each piece of bread, then layer on the roast, cucumber, carrot mixture, jalapeño, and cilantro.

Notes

CHEF’S NOTE: The bread for this sandwich should be soft and pillowy on the inside, crusty and flaky on the outside. Most artisan baguettes have too firm a crust so look for something a little softer.
Excerpted from Field Roast by Tommy McDonald. Copyright © 2017. Available from Da Capo Lifelong Books, an imprint of Perseus Books, LLC, a subsidiary of Hachette Book Group, Inc.