A banh mi, the popular Vietnamese hero sandwich, is generally piled high with meat or fish. We’ve subbed in meaty shiitakes and tofu, slathered with a hoisin marinade, to make our banh-meatless. Pressing the liquid out of the tofu firms it up and keeps it from sticking to the grill.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 35 min |
| Prep: | 5 min |
| Inactive: | 20 min |
| Cook: | 10 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 15 ounces extra-firm tofu
- 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- Kosher salt
- 1 large carrot (about 6 ounces), shaved with a vegetable peeler
- 1 medium cucumber (about 8 ounces), thinly sliced on the bias, slices halved
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Sriracha
- 3 large cloves garlic
- 1 cup hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for oiling the grill grates
- 1 pound large-capped shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 soft hero rolls, sliced almost all the way through lengthwise
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Prepare a grill for medium-high heat. Put the tofu between 2 plates, and weight the top plate down with about 4 pounds (3 large cans or a large, heavy skillet) for about 20 minutes to remove excess moisture.
- Meanwhile, whisk together 1/2 cup of the vinegar, 1/2 cup water, the sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl until the sugar and salt dissolve. Add the carrots and cucumbers, toss to coat and chill until ready to serve.
- Whisk together the mayonnaise and Sriracha in a small bowl; set aside.
- Pat the tofu dry, and cut it into 8 1/2-inch-thick slices. Grate the garlic into a large bowl, and stir in the hoisin, the remaining 3 tablespoons vinegar and the oil. Add the mushroom caps, and stir to coat. Lightly oil the grill grates.
- Shaking off any excess marinade, put the mushroom caps on the grill. Grill them for about 1 minute, rotating them once to char more of the cap, then flip and cook until almost tender, 30 seconds to 1 minute more. Transfer the mushrooms to a platter, and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
- Toss the tofu in the marinade, then grill, marinade-side down, for 2 minutes. Flip, and grill the second side for 2 more minutes. Transfer the tofu to the platter.
- Open the rolls, and grill, cut-side down, until just toasty, about 2 minutes.
- Smear each half of a roll with 1 heaping tablespoon of the mayonnaise mixture. Put 2 pieces of tofu on each roll, then shingle the mushrooms, overlapping slightly, on top. Top with some of the carrot-cucumber salad, drained, and a shower of cilantro leaves. Close the rolls, pressing gently. Halve them on the diagonal, and serve.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 689 |
| Total Fat | 38 g |
| Saturated Fat | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 70 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 9 g |
| Sugar | 25 g |
| Protein | 19 g |
| Cholesterol | 13 mg |
| Sodium | 1489 mg |
Reviews
Tasty but difficult to eat – most of the mushrooms slid out
Love this sandwich! Delicious and different. I decided to bake the tofu and mushrooms @400° for about 20 minutes.
Very good in the summer: only heats up the grill. Made homemade hoisin:
https://www.food.com/recipe/homemade-hoisin-sauce-312992
This is a great recipe for vegetarians. Loved the taste and I will make it again very soon!