Vegan Pulled Mushroom Bánh Mì
This Vietnamese-inspired pulled mushroom banh mi is stuffed with meaty king oyster mushrooms infused with five-spice, crispy pickled carrots, juicy cucumber, fresh cilantro, and roasted peanuts. It's one of my absolute favorite bánh mì!
Ingredients
Pickled Carrots
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 small carrot shredded or sliced into matchsticks
Pulled Mushrooms
- 3 large king oyster mushrooms
- 2 tsp oil
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 shallot minced
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1/4 tsp five spice
- 1/8 tsp ground chili
Banh Mi
- 2 banh mi baguettes
- 1/4 cup vegan mayo
- 2 leaves of lettuce
- a handful of fresh cilantro
- 1/2 small cucumber sliced into matchsticks
- 2 tbsp roasted peanuts
Instructions
Pickled Carrots
- Make the brine. Add the sugar and salt to a small bowl. Pour in the water and vinegar and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add the carrots. Add the shredded carrots to the brine and allow them to soak for at least one hour or preferably overnight in the refrigerator. You can keep them in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Pulled Mushrooms
- Preheat oven to
350 °F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. - Clean the mushrooms. Start by cleaning the king oyster mushrooms under cold water. Pat them dry.
- Shred them. Slice each mushroom in half, lengthwise. Next, use a fork to shred the mushrooms into thin strips. The goal is to create a texture similar to pulled pork.
- Toss with oil. Transfer the shredded mushrooms to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and drizzle with the oil. Use your hands to toss the mushrooms with the oil. Spread the shredded mushrooms into an even layer on the baking sheet.
- Bake. Bake the shredded mushrooms for about 20 minutes. Note: This step adds richness and slightly dehydrates the mushrooms, yielding a meatier texture.
- Toss with the sauce. Once the mushrooms are done, transfer them to a mixing bowl. Add the soy sauce, sugar, minced shallot and garlic, five-spice powder, and ground chili. Mix to coat the mushrooms with the sauce.
- Sauté. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick over medium heat. Once hot, add the shredded mushrooms with the marinade and sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring regularly until almost no sauce remains. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Assemble
- Slice the bread. Slice the baguette in half lengthwise, leaving one side unsliced. This will make it easier to close the sandwich later.
- Spread the mayo. Next, spread 1-2 tablespoons of vegan mayo on the inside of the baguette. At this step, you can even add vegan pâté!
- Arrange the vegetables. Garnish with one leaf of lettuce, fresh cilantro, a handful of carrot pickles, and a few sticks of cucumber. Add about one tablespoon of roasted peanuts as well.
- Add the pulled mushrooms. Finally, fill the baguette with half of the pulled mushrooms.
- Season to your liking. Before closing your bánh mì, feel free to add a drizzle of chili sauce for spiciness and/or Vietnamese soy sauce for an even more authentic flavor.
- Immediately enjoy either whole or sliced in halves!