This vegan recipe is the perfect international meal that is full of Vietnamese flavor. Tamari, garlic, and cilantro create a robust Vietnamese sandwich that is also gluten-free.
Watch Carolyn Scott prepare this international recipe and share her secrets on the latest episode of The Global Kitchen, here.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup stalks of fresh lemongrass, washed and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 large (14–ounce) block extra firm tofu, pressed and drained, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup grapeseed or olive oil
- 5 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- Pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- Two, 6 to 8-inch baguettes, sliced horizontally in half but not cutting all the way through (sub style)
- Vegan mayonnaise, for sandwich (optional)
- 1/2 medium tomato, thinly sliced
- 1 small to medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 small white onion, thinly sliced (can be raw or sautéed)
- 1/4 cup cilantro
- Jalapeno slices, for sandwich (optional)
- Sweet relish, for sandwich (optional)
- Kimchi, for sandwich (optional)
- Soy sauce or tamari, for sandwich
Preparation
- 1 Place chopped lemongrass in mortar & pestle and crush pieces until pulverized (you may also mince it if you don’t have a mortar and pestle).
- 2 Add 2 cloves of garlic in mortar and crush garlic together with lemongrass.
- 3 In large plastic freezer bag, combine crushed lemongrass and garlic, grapeseed oil, soy sauce, pepper and sesame oil.
- 4 Mix the marinade well, then add slices of tofu in bag, being careful not to break them but coating well. Let marinate for at least an hour.
- 5 Heat pan to medium high and fry slices of tofu until both sides are golden brown and crispy.
- 6 Let cool.
- 7 Place mayonnaise and tomato slices on the bottom half of the baguettes, then tofu, then cucumbers, onions and cilantro (and any other optional fixings).
