Watch Me Make The Best Sandwich, Ever
It’s hot out, but even though we don’t really want anything heavy, we still have to eat. If you’ve looking for a fantastic meal that comes together quickly, look to the Banh Mi. It’s a sandwich, but it’s so much more than the usual sandwich. Packed with chewy, five-spice and garlic laced seitan, a sweet and sour quick radish pickle, sliced jalapenos, cilantro, and garlicky aioli, it’s a riot of flavors that will keep your palate in a state of excitement through the last bite.
Watch the video to hear my thoughts on this enigmatic, cultural mashup of a dish.
Of course, if you are avoiding gluten, you can use tofu, and a gluten free baguette. Make sure your tamari is gluten free, and you are good to go. I know that you can add more fillings, too, like a few slices of mushroom pate, or some sliced cucumbers. But you get the gist of it.
Do make the aquafaba aioli, it’s going to make your week. After putting it on this sandwich, you can make potato salad, or just dip veggies in it for a creamy, decadent dip. I used a pretty serious artisanal filone loaf for my bread, but you can steer toward the white loaf with a crispy, thin crust that is part of the banh mi vernacular.
Above all, please enjoy this amazing sandwich. It’s my fave. Let me know in the comments if you love it too!
Seitan Banh Mi
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1 cup shredded daikon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil
- 2 large shallots sliced
- 5 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped ginger
- 1 teaspoon Five Spice Powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- 8 ounces seitan shredded into chunks
- sliced jalapeno and cilantro leaves
- 1 large baguette
- 1/4 cup aquafaba aioli or mayo
- sriracha sauce if desired
Instructions
- First, mix the sugar, rice vinegar and salt, and stir in the daikon and carrots. Let stand til ready to serve sandwiches. Assemble all the ingredients, and cut the baguette, then pull out a bit of the insides of the bread to make room for all the fillings. Preheat the broiler.
- In a wok or cast iron pan, heat and then add the oil. Add the shallots, garlic and ginger and stir for a few seconds, then add the soy sauce, five spice, sugar, and stir, then add seitan. Cook, stirring, until the liquids are absorbed. Take off the heat.3. Spread aioli on each baguette, broil just until the aioli is bubbly. Stuff each with seitan filling, daikon mixture, jalapeno slices and cilantro, and add chile sauce to taste. Eat immediately.
