Anyone else obsessed with the flavors of Banh Mi?? Traditionally in a sandwich form- the Vietnamese name actually refers to the bread with which the sandwich is served, so a “Banh Mi” bowl is actually completely missing the point lolololol BUT you get the idea. It has the pickled veggies, the cilantro, and the delicious spicy mayo that traditionally comes with it.
The best part about these bowls is that you can really put ANYTHING you want in them… including meat (more specifically pork in the Banh Mi case). So look at this as guidelines and sub in anything your heart desires!
You will need
For the pickled veggies:
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup shredded radish (daikon is preferred, white or red will work too)
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
1 cup rice wine vin
1 tbs sugar
1/2 tbs salt
For the cooked veggies:
1-2 Tbs Olive oil
2 cloves of minced garlic
1/2 Tbs grated ginger
Sprinkle of chili flake
1 bunch chard cut into bite sized pieces
2 cups chopped broccoli
1-2 Tbs soy sauce
1 portabello mushroom (gills removed and sliced)
For the fresh veggies and topppings:
Sliced Cucumbers
SLiced Red bell peppers
Sliced Jalapeños
Sliced and toasted Almonds
Toasted Sesame seeds
Chopped fresh Cilantro
Lime wedges
For the spicy sauce:
1/2 cup mayo
1 Tbs Sriracha
cooked white or brown rice (quinoa would be fun too!)
Get your fixings ready
To prepare your pickled veggies- combine all six ingredients in a bowl and set aside (or refrigerate) for about an hour to cold-pickle. I did the carrots separate from the radish and onion for aesthetic reasons only (you can definitely skip that step and throw them all in a bowl together).
To prepare the cooked veggies- In a large skillet over medium-high heat add your olive oil, ginger, garlic, chard, and broccoli. Let the veggies sit still for a bit to develop some caramelization and then stir, about 3-4 minutes. Continue until veggies are soft but not mushy. Toss in your soy sauce, cook for another minute and remove. Add your mushrooms, flipping after about 2 minutes. Set aside and keep warm for your bowls.
To prepare your sauce- combine mayo and Sriracha in a bowl, place in the fridge until ready to use. (I also transferred mine to a squeeze bottle for aesthetic reasons… you can just spoon it on if you want).
ASSEMBLE! Rice, hot veggies, fresh veggies, pickled veggies, cilantro, almonds, sesame seeds and sauce! DIG IN! I am going to be honest. The pretty version (pictured) is not as good as a version where it all will easily mix together… aka sauce ALL OVER as well as cilantro and pickled veggies in EVERY bite. YUM.
