Vegetarian Banh Mi

I love watching food network shows, and one that has been a lot of fun to watch is the one with the food trucks.  Food trucks are becoming very popular, especially in big cities, and they have some very tasty food!  One dish that I have seen come up a lot on a food truck is a Vietnamese sandwich called Banh Mi.  The classic version of this sandwich is made with various Vietnamese cold cuts such as sliced pork and pork bellies, head cheese, liver pate, and vegetables.

In Vietnam, vegetarian sandwiches are rarely ever found on the streets, but I was curious to see if there were any vegetarian versions of this sandwich available.  My mom got me a cook book recently called Culinary Consciousness: An Intimate Journal of Vegetarian Food and Travel by Nirupa Sejpal-Parmar.  And to my great delight, I found a recipe for vegetarian Banh Mi in it!

When I saw that there were radishes in this week's CSA box, I knew I had to make this sandwich with them, as they are one of the key ingredients!  I also got spring (green) onions in this week's CSA box, which is also needed for this sandwich.  I have made this a few times now, and it is quickly becoming my favorite sandwich of all time!  This time, I even made my own French baguette using my new bread maker that Vivek got for me for my birthday.  So yummy!

Recipe for Vegetarian Banh Mi

INGREDIENTS
1 French baguette, sliced
10 radishes, shredded
1 carrot, shredded
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
1 cucumber, sliced thinly
1 tbsp light mayonnaise
2 tbsp yellow mustard
1 tbsp garlic chili sauce
1/2 cup red onion, sliced thinly
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/3 cup white vinegar
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt

INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a large bowl, mix vinegar, sugar, and salt until dissolved.  Add the carrots and radishes and marinate for about 1 hour.  Then strain the mixture.

2. In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, mustard, and garlic chili sauce until smooth.  Spread this mixture on one side of the baguette slice.

3. In another small bowl, toss together green onions, cilantro, and mint.

4. Layer on the baguette the pickled carrots and radishes, a few slices of cucumber and red onion, and the green onions/cilantro/mint mixture.

5. Drizzle with soy sauce, top with the other slice of baguette, and serve immediately.