I’m excited to introduce you this meaty pulled mushroom bánh mì, aka the best sandwich ever!
This Vietnamese-inspired sandwich is SO flavorful. It is stuffed with sweet and spicy mushrooms, tofu, pickled carrots, fresh cilantro, and cucumber. It’s loaded with different textures, fresh, portable and easy to make.
After trying several different types of bánh mì, and being disappointed by many of them, I decided to make my own.
The main filling here consists of king oyster mushrooms that are shredded to imitate pulled “pork”. Let me tell you, it works wonderfully! Mushrooms get a super meaty and tender texture.
First, we bake the mushrooms for about 20 minutes to make them tender and remove some moisture. Next, mushrooms are coated with a sweet and salty marinade that consists of soy sauce, coconut sugar, shallots, garlic, five-spice, and some ground chili for spiciness.
Sautée for a few minutes so they can absorb the flavors of the marinade and we are good to go.
For the rest of the filling, we have homemade crunchy pickled carrots, juicy cucumber, tofu (optional) for added protein, roasted peanuts, and of course cilantro. If you like it spicy, a drizzle of sriracha or your favorite chili sauce is always welcomed.
When it comes to the bread, I suggest trying to get your hands on some banh mi bread as it is lighter than regular baguettes. Otherwise, a baguette will work well too!
This bánh mì is a favorite here, it is juicy, meaty, satisfying, and so easy to make! Plus you can customize it to your liking by adding tempeh, Thai basil, red pepper, or even vegan cheese!
For more Vietnamese-inspired recipes, check out this Bun Bo Hue, Banh Xeo, Stuffed Tofu in Spicy Tomato Sauce, or these Egg Rolls!
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!
Vegan Pulled Mushroom Bánh Mì
Ingredients
Bánh Mì
- 4 large king oyster mushrooms
- 1 tsp oil
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar or regular sugar
- 2 shallots minced
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1/4 tsp five spice
- 1/8 tsp ground chili
- 1 small block 5 ounces of fried tofu, cut into strips (optional)
- 1 small cucumber thinly sliced
- fresh cilantro
- 2 tbsp roasted peanuts
- 2 banh mi bread or one baguette cut in half
Pickled Carrots
- 1 carrot shredded
- 1 tsp coconut sugar or regular sugar
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 3 tbsp white vinegar
- 3 tbsp water
Instructions
Pickled Carrots
- In a small mixing bowl, dissolve the sugar and salt in the water and vinegar. Add the shredded carrots and let it stand for at least one hour. Keep in the refrigerator if you want to keep it longer (up to 3 days).
Bánh Mì
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Wash the king oyster and pat them dry. Cut each mushroom in half, lengthwise. Next, shred the mushrooms using a fork (see photo). Transfer the shredded mushrooms to the baking sheet and drizzle with the oil. Mix using your hands to coat the mushrooms with the oil and spread them into an even layer. Bake for about 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and transfer the shredded mushrooms to a mixing bowl. Add the soy sauce, coconut sugar, minced shallot and garlic, five spice, and ground chili. Mix to coat the mushrooms with the sauce.
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick over medium heat. Once hot, add the shredded mushrooms with the marinade and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring regularly.
- In the meantime, cut the bread in half. Drain the pickled carrots. Arrange about 1/3 cup of pickled carrots on the bottom half of the bread. Top with cucumber slices, fresh cilantro, tofu slices, and the sautéed mushrooms. Optionally, you can drizzle with sriracha or chili sauce for more spiciness. Top with roasted peanuts and close the sandwiches.
- Serve immediately! Banh mi will keep in the refrigerator for one day.
Yum, this looks really good, thanks so much for the recipe. I used to get these at a local Vietnamese store/restaurant, and they’re delicious, but no longer live in the area so it’s great to see them again.
Thanks Rob! 🙂