For today’s recipe, we’re going to make a delicious plant-based version of the famous one bánh mi Vietnam Nam (“Vietnamese-style bread”), one of the best sandwiches in the world. And we do it with an amazing ingredient: Pulled Jackfruit!
What makes jackfruit such a famous substitute for pork in vegan recipes?
Green jackfruit (AKA young jackfruit) has a “fleshy” flesh with many strands. And when you pull those strings, you get what looks like pulled pork!
In addition, thanks to its neutral taste, you can easily spice it up and adapt it to an infinite number of recipes.
So we made our Vietnamese Banh Mi Rolls with Pulled Jackfruit instead of the classic pork schnitzel. And for the jackfruit to play the part, we seasoned it nicely with garlic, ginger and tangy sriracha sauce.
As further ingredients you need the traditional accompanying vegetables:
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Pickled carrots, crispy radish and fresh cucumbers for the filling;
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Chilies and coriander for sprinkling.
next to the crispy baguette, Vietnamese banh mi also includes two other ingredients from France: meat pie and egg mayonnaise. But wait, why French? Let’s not make a Vietnamese recipe?
Banh mi is basically a mix of Vietnamese and French cuisine, a result of French influence in Vietnam in the 19th century.
Take traditional French food, add a generous sprinkling of Vietnamese flair, and you’ve got scrumptious things like banh mi and savory pate chaud pastries!
In our vegan banh mi recipe, we left out the patty and replaced egg mayo with vegan mayo. But if you want an even healthier alternative, you can make your homemade vegan mayo with cashews!
If you still have some jackfruit left after swallowing this delicious banh mi, use it in one of these delicious recipes: Jackfruit Crab Cakes, Jackfruit Biryani or Jackfruit Gyros.
Let’s begin!
Ingredients
| Sugar (or sugar-free erythritol) | 2 Tea spoons |
| Salt | 1 teaspoon |
| Warm water | 350ml |
| Vinegar (rice, apple cider, or white vinegar) | 80ml |
| carrots | 160 g |
| Daikon (mooli) | 160 g |
| Preserved jackfruit in water (drained weight) | 400 grams |
| vegetable oil | 2 tbsp |
| Garlic cloves | 2 |
| Grated ginger root | 1 teaspoon |
| chili powder | 1/2 tsp |
| Sriracha sauce | 2 tbsp |
| Baguette (white or brown) | 200 grams |
| Vegan mayonnaiseRecipe | 2 tbsp |
| Cucumber | 1/2 |
| Fresh cilantro (cilantro) | taste good |
| Thin Red Chilies | 2 |
Step 1
Start by preparing the pickles to fill the banh mi.
Dissolve the sugar and salt in a bowl of warm water, then pour in the vinegar.
Peel and thinly slice the carrots and radish (mooli) and add to the bowl of salted water.
Make sure the veggies are fully submerged and let them soak for at least 1 hour – they should soften up a bit.
You can also let them marinate in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 24 hours to deepen and intensify the flavor.
When done, drain the pickles, squeeze out excess water and set aside.
step 2
Meanwhile, prepare the jackfruit.
Drain the jackfruit pieces from the can and rinse well with fresh water.
Then, without breaking the pieces, squeeze the pieces firmly to drain as much of the brine water as possible.
Now, on each piece, cut off the hard, fleshy piece that is attached to the stringy flesh.
Then pull the jackfruit strings apart as you would pork.
Pop out the seeds (if any) and their membranes and discard them.
You should now have shredded jackfruit that looks like pulled pork.
You can use the leftover hard “meat” pieces to make jackfruit nuggets, jackfruit tikka masala, or a jackfruit burger.
step 3
Heat the oil in a pan with the crushed garlic, grated ginger, and chili powder until sizzling and fragrant.
Then add the plucked jackfruit and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes (1).
Drizzle the jackfruit with sriracha sauce, stir and remove from heat (2).
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step 4
Warm the baguette bread in the oven until crisp and cut in half along the center without cutting through.
Pry open the baguette and if there is too much breadcrumbs for your liking, pluck them off – you’ll have more room for the delicious filling!
To assemble the banh mi sandwich, spread the vegan mayo (or this healthy cashew mayonnaise) on one side and top with the cooked jackfruit.
Then cut the cucumber lengthwise into long strips and place them on the other side (1).
Finally, top the sandwich with pickles, fresh cilantro (cilantro), and thinly sliced red chilies (2).
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step 5
Your vegan Jackfruit Banh Mi is ready.
Cut the sandwich in half and enjoy while it’s still warm!
Would you like to combine this sandwich with another vegan Vietnamese dish? Check out these recipe ideas:
tips
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You can load your banh mi with more fresh herbs like mint leaves or sliced spring onions, or drizzle it with extra sriracha sauce if you like.
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These Vietnamese jackfruit rolls are best eaten warm and crispy the same day.
However, you can store them tightly wrapped in cling film or foil in the refrigerator or in a tightly sealed container for up to 2 days. The bread will soften, but you can reheat it in the oven to make it a little crunchier again.