Gluten-Free Banh Mi
An off-version of the Vietnamese Banh Mi using Brot Box gluten-free bread, tofu, and lots of veggies. This is not a real Banh Mi, but an approximate using a gluten-free sliced bread instead of the real type of bread roll. Is the same? No, but a good approximation.
- Veggie setup (cutting board, discard bowl, towell, Chef knife, etc)
- Frying pan and spatula
- Bowl for the salad
- Planer and squeezer for zesting and juicing limes
Salad
- 1 Orange carrot (matchstick)
- 1/8 Head Small Red Cabbage (thinly sliced)
- 1/4 Red onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 Scallion (thinly sliced green parts only)
- 2 T Cilantro (chopped)
- 1 t Jalapeño (finely chopped)
- 1/4 C Lime dressing
- 1/4 C Fried ground chicken (Avoid if veggie or vegan)
- 2 T Olive oil (To fry ground meat)
- 1/4 t Ginger (Fresh grated, to flavor, but not too much)
Lime Dressing
- 2 T Lime Juice
- 1 T Lime zest
- 2 T Olive Oil (Use up to 2T of oil, only half will be absorbed)
- 1/2 t White organic cane sugar (adjust to your flavor preference)
- 1 t Salt and pepper
Fried Tofu Slices
- 1 Pack Tofu
- 1 T Salt and pepper
- 2 T Olive oil (Use up to 2T of oil, only 1T will be absorbed)
- 2 T Herbs (cilantro, basil, oregano, etc) (Chopped, fresh green herbs you like)
Bread
- 4 Slices Gluten free bread (Brot Box)
Bred Prep
Toast four slices of Brot Box Gluten Free bread.
Salad Dressing
Add 2T olive oil to a bowl.
Add 2T fresh lime juice to the same bowl, along with 1T lime zest.
Add 1t white, organiz cane sugar to temper the acidity a bit.
Mix until sugar is integrated. Then set aside.
Salad Prep
Set up veggie prep board
Wash and cut all the veggies and herbs for the salad mix: matchstick carrots, thinly slice cabbage, slice scallion green parts only, thinly slice red onion, chop cilantro, finely dice jalapeño, top with salt and pepper)
Add these prepped veggies to the bowl of salad dressing and mix well. Place aside to marinate while making the rest of the salad.
Tofu Prep
Squeeze and dry tofu. Then thinly slice.
Place on a cutting board so that you can season each slice with a bit of salt and pepper.
Then sprinkly the chopped herbs on both sides of the tofu.
Next wait for the skillet to get hot so they can be fried golden brown.
Frying
Heat a skillet and add 1T olive oil.
Fry 1/2 ground meat of your choice (chicken, beef). Season with salt and pepper and add just a bit, 1/4t, of freshly ground ginger (use a planer).
Once completed, add the meat mixture to the salad and mix into the dressing well. Set aside again.
Place skillet back on the stovetop and add another 1T olive oil.
Placed seasoned and herbed tofu slices into the pan and fry until browned, flip and cook both sides. Then remove from skillet and set out to drain.
To lower the grease, be sure to drain all grease from the meat and tofu and dispose of the left over.
Sandwich
Place bread on a plate.
Add 1.5 slices of fried tofu to the sandwich.
Mix up the salad again, then take a handful of the salad, give a little shake to remove excess moisture, and place on top of the tofu.
Top with the other sliced bread and serve.
2 sandwiches per serving.
When making a sandwich like this, the nutritional values come out wrong in that frying in oil and using a dressing will overstate the amount of oil that will actually be consumed. As a general rule, I expect no more than half of the oil that I fry with or add to a dressing will be absorbed. Most stay behind in the skillet or bowl. So I try to adjust the nutritional factors, but keep this in mind when figuring out calories or carbs.
My spouse wanted the sandwich to be a bit hotter, so added some hot sauce on top of the salad. For me the added Jalapeños were enough heat.
These nutritional values are for Germany’s Brot Box gluten-free bread which does not match the regular loafs in your local store. If you use “pattycook 15” at check out you will receive a 15% discount. Read my post about their gluten bread.