• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Full of Plants
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Main Dish
    • Soups
    • Sides
    • Salads
    • Desserts
  • Shop
  • About
    • FAQ
  • Resources
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Resources
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipes
    • Shop
    • Resources
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Course » Condiments

    Bánh Mì Sauce

    By: Thomas Published: 22 Jun, 22 Updated: 22 Jun, 22 1 Comment

    RecipePrintComments

    Take your bánh mì game to the next level with this amazing Vietnamese-inspired tomato sauce! Infused with garlic, green onions, chili sauce, and five-spice, this sauce is thick, spicy, and so flavorful!

    Pouring tomato sauce into a Bánh Mì sandwich.
    Jump to:
    • ⭐️ Why You Should Try This Recipe
    • 🥣 How to Make Bánh Mì Sauce
    • 🥖 Where to Use This Sauce
    • 💬 FAQ
    • 🥫 More Sauce Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    ⭐️ Why You Should Try This Recipe

    • It's packed with flavor. This sauce has the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and spicy. The addition of garlic and a pinch of five-spice gives it a subtle char siu flavor! It's definitely going to be your next secret ingredient for amazing bánh mì!
    • It's quick and easy. 20 minutes, 12 ingredients, and one pot.
    • It's a versatile sauce. That's right, this sauce doesn't have to be used only for bánh mì! It's also delicious used in burgers, sandwiches, or as a dipping sauce!
    Ingredients like tomatoes, five-spice powder, green onions, oyster sauce, and sugar.

    🥣 How to Make Bánh Mì Sauce

    This sauce takes just 20 minutes to prepare and one-pot. Here is what you will need:

    • Tomatoes - Use fresh and ripe tomatoes for the best flavor. If you don't have fresh tomatoes on hand, you can use tomato purée, check out the FAQ below for more info.
    • Garlic and shallots
    • Scallions - Also called green onions, these add a sharp and peppery flavor to the sauce.
    • Soy sauce - For saltiness. Feel free to use tamari or coconut aminos.
    • Oyster sauce - Sometimes sold as "stir-fry sauce", it's a sweet and salty sauce that has a thick consistency. You can use store-bought vegan oyster sauce, or learn how to make your own oyster sauce here!
    • Sweet chili sauce - For a hint of spiciness and extra sweetness. I also have a recipe for homemade sweet chili sauce, if you want to try it!
    • Five spice powder - We will not use a whole lot of five-spice powder, but enough to add a hint of anise and cinnamon to the sauce.
    • Black pepper
    • Cilantro - For freshness, we will add chopped cilantro at the end of cooking.
    • Tapioca starch - To make a slurry and thicken the sauce. If you don't have tapioca starch, you can use cornstarch.
    Sautéed garlic, shallots, and green onions in a saucepan.

    First, start by sautéeing the garlic, shallots, and green onions until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.

    In the meantime, add the tomatoes to a blender and blend to make a tomato purée. Pour in the tomato purée into the saucepan, add the sugar, and cook for about 5 minutes.

    The tomato purée will take a deeper red color and shouldn't smell like raw tomatoes anymore.

    Preparing Bánh Mì sauce in a saucepan.

    Next, add the rest of the seasonings: vegan oyster sauce, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, black pepper, and five spice. Pour in ¼ cup of water to slightly dilute the sauce and let simmer for another 5 minutes.

    Finally, add the tapioca slurry and cook for one more minute, or until the sauce has thickened.

    Note: The sauce will thicken even more once chilled. Feel free to reheat it over low-medium heat to get a thinner consistency again.

    🥖 Where to Use This Sauce

    This sauce obviously shines in bánh mì sandwiches! Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of the sauce inside the bread to add flavor and make the sandwich juicier.

    You can also use this sauce in regular sandwiches, tacos, burgers, or simply as a dip for taro fries, mushroom tempura, or even vegan chick'n nuggets!

    Bánh Mì sauce in a saucepan topped with cilantro.

    💬 FAQ

    • Is this recipe authentic? There is not one authentic recipe, each cook has its own way of making bánh mì sauce. It is, however based on Vietnamese recipes.
    • Can I substitute tomato purée for the fresh tomatoes? Yes, you can use about 1 cup of tomato purée.
    • How long does this sauce keep? You can keep this bánh mì sauce for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
    Bánh Mì sauce topped with green onions in a bowl.

    I hope you are going to love this sauce! If you ever wondered what makes those Vietnamese sandwiches so tasty, the sauce is definitely one of the key component!

    🥫 More Sauce Recipes

    • How to Make Hoisin Sauce
    • Vietnamese Peanut Dipping Sauce
    • Vegan Oyster Sauce

    Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!

    Bánh Mì sauce topped with green onions in a bowl.

    📖 Recipe

    Bánh Mì Sauce

    Author: Thomas
    A sweet and spicy tomato sauce that is perfect to add a ton of flavor to your Bánh Mì sandwiches! Infused with garlic, five-spice, chili sauce, and green onions!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 20 mins
    Course Condiment
    Cuisine Vietnamese
    Servings 1.5 cup
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 2 tablespoon oil
    • 2 cloves of garlic minced
    • 1 shallot minced
    • ¼ cup chopped green onions
    • 3 medium ripe tomatoes
    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • 2 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
    • 1 tablespoon vegan oyster sauce
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    • ¼ teaspoon five-spice powder
    • ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • ¼ cup water
    • 2 teaspoon tapioca starch diluted in 1 tablespoon water
    • 3 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

    Instructions
     

    • Heat the oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the minced garlic, shallot, and green onions. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until fragrant.
    • In the meantime, wash the tomatoes and slice them into quarters. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth, about 30 seconds.
    • Pour the tomato purée into the saucepan. Add the sugar, and let simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the tomato purée has darkened and no longer smells like raw tomatoes.
    • Add the sweet chili sauce, vegan oyster sauce, soy sauce, five-spice powder, ground black pepper, and water. Let simmer for another 5 minutes.
    • Finally, add the diluted tapioca and cook for one more minute, or until the sauce has slightly thickened. Stir in the chopped cilantro and let cool for a few minutes before using to make bánh mì!
    • This bánh mì sauce will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Tag @fullofplants on Instagram and hashtag it #fullofplants
    Sign up to the Full of Plants Newsletter
    Subscribe To Our Newsletter
    Receive new recipes straight to your inbox + a free eBook on Vegan Cheese Making!
    Invalid email address
    Thanks for subscribing!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ramya

      June 22, 2022 at 3:09 pm

      cant wait to make this soon for me i never had banh mi sauce before perfect for my snacks or your banh mi recipes love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Rate this Recipe




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Thomas, welcome to my blog! Here you will find simple, healthy and tasty plant-based recipes. Experimenting in the kitchen is my passion.

    Learn more about me →

    Please wait...

    Thank you for sign up!

    Most Popular

    • Instant Pot Cauliflower Tikka Masala
    • How To Make Bánh Mì (Vietnamese Baguette)
    • Vegan Aged Camembert Cheese
    • Spicy Vegan Hot Pot

    Footer

    • Quick Dinners
    • Vegan Cheese Recipes
    • Instant Pot Recipes
    • Vegan Desserts

    About

    • About
    • FAQ
    • Privacy Policy
    • Blogging Resources

    Join the Community!

    Copyright © 2022 Full of Plants.

    x
    WANT A FREE EBOOK?
    Subscribe to receive your FREE 100-Page eBook "The Art of Vegan Cheese Making" with over 25 recipes!

    We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
    Invalid email address
    Thanks for subscribing! You should receive your eBook soon!
    Close Optin
    We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
    Invalid email address
    Thanks for subscribing!