Deconstructed Tofu Bahn Mi

The Bahn Mi sandwich is the iconic street food from Vietnam. Here it is reimagined by chef and TABLE contributor, Veda Sankaran, as a delicious vegetarian dish.

Ingredients for Tofu Marinade

4 large cloves of garlic smashed
½ cup chopped cilantro including stems
1 tsp black peppercorn crushed
1 tsp coriander
⅓ cup thinly sliced lemongrass
1½ tbsp Palm or brown sugar
2 tsp soy sauce
3 tbsp oil
1 block extra firm tofu

Ingredients for Pickled Daikon and Carrots

1 ½ cups daikon, peeled and julienned
1 ½ cups shredded or peeled and julienned carrot
¾ cup water
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
¼ cup brown rice vinegar

Ingredients for Chili Oil

3 tbsp neutral oil
1 tbsp Szechuan chili flakes
1 tbsp gochugaru

Ingredients for Smashed Cucumbers

7 Persian cucumbers (14 oz) sliced lengthwise in half
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
3 tsp brown rice vinegar
4 large cloves of garlic grated or finely minced
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp chili oil with the pepper flakes

Instructions:

To make the marinade for the tofu, blend all the marinade ingredients together until smooth. Slice the tofu into ½” - ¾” steaks. Spread the marinade on all sides and place in a closed container and refrigerate for a few hours or preferably overnight. When ready to assemble the dish, heat a skillet and coat with some neutral oil. Cook each of the tofu steaks on medium heat for a few minutes per side, until cooked through and lightly browned.
To make the pickled daikon and carrots, dissolve the sugar and salt into the water. Stir in the vinegar. Pour this over the julienned daikon and carrot. Place in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
To make the chili oil, Stir together the gochugaru and the Szechuan chili flakes in a heat safe bowl. Heat the oil until it reaches around 350 degrees. You want the oil hot enough, but not so much as to burn the chili flakes. Once hot enough, pour the oil over the chili flakes, stir, and let sit to infuse. Once cool, you can place it in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for about 2 weeks. It will keep longer in the refrigerator.
To make the smashed cucumbers, salt the halved Persian cucumbers and let sit cut side down on a paper towel lined baking sheet. This is so you will have crispy and not watery cucumbers. After about 20 minutes, smash the cucumbers by using a rolling pin, flat side of a cleaver, or or even a meat tenderizer. Be careful to hit it only once or twice, with just enough force to crack the skin and slightly flatten.
Stir together all the ingredients for the sauce, adjusting the chili oil so as to get your preferred heat level. Once you are ready to assemble the dish, pour the sauce over the smashed cucumbers and toss to evenly coat.

To assemble the dish, plate the smashed cucumbers, add a few tofu steaks, and top with the pickled daikon carrots.

*Note: This recipe was inspired by Kenji Lopez-Alt’s Grilled Lemongrass and Coriander-Marinated Tofu Vegan Bahn Mi

Recipes by Veda Sankaran / Photography by Dave Bryce

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