This delicious vegan Banh Mi Salad with marinated tofu, crispy baguette croutons, carrots, cucumber, and a spicy mayo dressing is a fresh and filling twist on the classic Vietnamese sandwich. Basically it has all the awesome flavors and textures of a Banh Mi, but in salad form. It’s quick and easy to make, great for weeknight lunch or dinner, and it’s also totally customizable.

Vegan Banh Mi Salad is such a fun recipe. Think of it as a Vietnamese style Panzanella. Instead of tomatoes and basil, you’ve got crispy baguette pieces, crunchy veggies, marinated tofu, peanuts, and a spicy and creamy mayo dressing. The tofu is marinated with soy sauce, lime, garlic, ginger, and a little sweetness, then air-fried until crispy. It’s so so so tasty!

And just like with Panzanella, you can decide how you like your bread. Serve the salad right away for extra crunch, or let it sit for half an hour so the crouton pieces soak up some of that delicious mayo dressing. Both versions are so good!

Banh Mi Salad is…

vegan and fully plant-based
fresh and crunchy
spicy and flavorful
filling and satisfying
packed with different textures
very customizable
easy to prepare
great for lunch or dinner
also lovely for picnics or potlucks
perfect for using up leftover bread

What’s Bánh mì?

Bánh mì is a delicious Vietnamese sandwich traditionally made with a crispy baguette, pickled veggies, fresh herbs, some sort of protein, and a delicious sauce. The exact fillings can vary a bit, but the combination of crunchy bread, fresh veggies, herbs, and flavorful savory fillings is always so good.

It’s a classic Vietnamese street food, that has also become super popular around the world. You can pretty much find a good Banh Mi nowadays at any Vietnamese restaurant or food truck in bigger cities.

How to make Banh Mi Salad

This Vegan Banh Mi Salad is inspired by those classic flavors and turns them into a simple but very delicious salad.

To make this salad start by marinating your tofu. Whisk together soy sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, ginger, and salt and pepper. Add diced tofu, close the container, and give it a proper shake, so everything gets fully coated. Let your tofu marinate for at least 30 minutes, or, if you have the time, overnight.

Cut your baguette (or whatever leftover bread) into bite size pieces, and air fry until crispy and lightly toasted. Set aside to cool a bit.

Coat your marinated tofu with starch and air fry until crispy as well. If you don’t have an air fryer, you can of course also bake both the bread and tofu in the oven instead.

While everything is cooking, prepare your veggies and dressing. Slice the cucumber and carrots, chop the green onions and peanuts, and add everything to a large bowl together with the lettuce and air fried bread.

For the dressing, whisk together vegan mayo, sriracha, lime juice, garlic, rice vinegar, sesame oil, maple syrup, a pinch of MSG, and salt and pepper. Add a few tablespoons of water so you get a thinner dressing.

Add crispy tofu and dressing to the salad and toss everything together. You can serve it immediately while the bread is crispy, or let it sit for half an hour or so, so the bread softens slightly and soaks up some of your delicious dressing.

How to serve Banh Mi Salad

Vegan Banh Mi Salad makes a delicious light, yet filling lunch or dinner on its own. It’s also a fun salad to bring to picnics, potlucks, or BBQs.

For the best texture, add the dressing shortly before serving, especially if you want to keep the baguette pieces crispy.

Customize it the way you like it!

You can totally play around with the ratio of ingredients here, depending on what you like. You can also add extras like daikon radish, edamame, fried onions, chopped cashews, fresh chili, or mint

My spicy sriracha mayo makes a delicious dressing for this salad, but if you want something lighter, simply whisk together lime juice, sweetener of your choice, (sesame) oil, and a little garlic instead

You can slice, dice, or crumble your tofu, depending on what texture you enjoy the most. Or use tempeh, vegan chicken, or soy chunks instead

More delicious vegan salads to try:

Vegan Banh Mi Salad w/ Marinated Tofu

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Author: Plants for Later
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

3 oz / 80 g mixed lettuce
1/2 cucumber
2 carrots
3 green onions
1/4 cup peanuts
1 small baguette (or 7 oz / 200 g bread of your choice)
2 tsp sesame seeds

Marinated tofu

14 oz / 400 g firm tofu
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 lime, juice
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup (or sugar)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 tbsp cornstarch
salt, pepper

Dressing

1/2 cup vegan mayo
1/4 cup sriracha
1/2 lime, juice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp maple syrup or sugar
pinch of MSG
salt, pepper

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Instructions

Start by marinating your tofu. In a container with a lid whisk together soy sauce, lime juice, vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, ginger, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Dice tofu, and add to the marinade. Close your container and shake vigorously, so the tofu pieces are covered completely, and the pieces break slightly. Let tofu marinate for at least 30 minutes, or ideally overnight.
Cut your baguette into bite size pieces. Place them in the air fryer, and bake at 400°F/200°C for 3-5 minutes, or until crispy and slightly toasted. Transfer to a large salad bowl.
Sprinkle corn starch over the tofu, and shake the container to coat the pieces evenly. Place tofu in the preheated air fryer, and bake for about 15 minutes, shaking the basket every couple of minutes, or until tofu is crispy. Let them cool a bit before adding them to the salad bowl.
If you don’t have an air fryer, you can also bake the bread pieces and tofu cubes in the oven.
While tofu is baking, prepare the rest of the ingredients. Slice cucumber and carrots thinly, chop onions and peanut, and add them all to the salad bowl together with lettuce and sesame seeds.
For the dressing whisk together mayo, sriracha, lime juice, garlic, vinegar, sesame oil, maple syrup, msg, and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Add a few tablespoons of water to reach a thin, dressing like consistency. Taste and adjust to your liking.
Pour dressing over the salad, and mix everything well together. You can serve it immediately or let the bread pieces soften for 15-30 minutes for the best result. Enjoy!

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes