Minimalist Baker

Simple Food, Simply Delicious

Cauliflower Banh Mi

Plate displaying two gluten-free vegan Cauliflower Banh Mi sandwiches

Friends, behold: The Vegan Banh Mi Sandwich.

Consider this my spin on the popular, classic Vietnamese sandwich. So many versions I’ve seen rely on tempeh or tofu as the main filling. But I couldn’t help but wonder if the humble cauliflower could step in and take its place, because it’s fast to prepare, absorbs flavors well, and is so delicious when stir-fried. Spoiler alert: It totally worked.

Wood cutting board filled with ingredients for making our Cauliflower Banh Mi recipe

This recipe comes together in 30 minutes! Yep, that fast, which means it’s lunch- and dinner-friendly (quick meals for the win).

It starts by quick-pickling radish and carrot in vinegar, a little salt, and sugar. This makes them crispy, salty, tangy, and a little sweet. Next comes the main event: the cauliflower.

Using a spoon to mix spices with cauliflower for Cauliflower Banh Mi

First, we marinate it in a simple spicy, savory sauce. Then we sauté and finish by roasting in the oven until tender. Mmm, roasty.

Cooking cauliflower in a cast-iron skillet for delicious gluten-free vegan sandwiches

Once the 3-ingredient sriracha mayo is made and the bread is toasted, it’s time to assemble! First aioli, then cauliflower, then pickled vegetables and garnishes. That’s it!

Open-faced Cauliflower Banh Mi sandwiches resting on a wood cutting board

We hope you LOVE this sandwich. It’s:

Hearty
Crunchy
Savory
BIG on flavor
Quick to make
& SO satisfying

This would make the perfect meal when you’re craving a sandwich but want something more than PB&J. It’s the perfect marriage of textures, temperatures, and flavors. Enjoy as is or pair with these Vietnamese-inspired Spring Rolls!

If you’re into cauliflower, also check out our Curried Cauliflower Wings, Cauliflower Rice Stir-Fry, Gochujang Cauliflower Wings, Curry Roasted Cauliflower Kale Salad, and The Best Whole Roasted Cauliflower.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

Close up shot of two Cauliflower Banh Mi sandwiches on a metal tray

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Tray displaying two gluten-free vegan Cauliflower Banh Mi sandwiches with a jar of pickled veggies behind it
4.98 from 46 votes

Cauliflower Banh Mi Sandwich

Vegan Banh Mi Sandwich made with savory, caramelized cauliflower, sriracha mayo, and quick-pickled vegetables. Just 30 minutes to make this hearty sandwich!

Author: Minimalist Baker
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 2 (Sandwiches)
Category: Entree
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Vegan, Vietnamese-Inspired
Freezer Friendly No
Does it keep? 2-3 Days

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

PICKLED VEGETABLES

  • 2/3 cup rice wine vinegar (or sub apple cider vinegar)
  • 1/3 cup hot water
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 Tbsp organic cane sugar (or stevia to taste)
  • 2/3 cup thinly sliced or shredded carrot
  • 1/3 cup thinly sliced or shredded daikon or round radish

CAULIFLOWER

  • 2 Tbsp chili garlic sauce
  • 5 Tbsp coconut aminos (or sub tamari and reduce quantity to taste as it's saltier)
  • 1 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 Tbsp lime juice
  • 1 Tbsp sesame or avocado oil (if avoiding oil, omit)
  • 4 cups (heaped) cauliflower florets (cut in bite-size pieces)

AIOLI

  • 1/2 cup Vegan Mayo (or store-bought)
  • 2 tsp maple syrup
  • 1 Tbsp sriracha (or other hot sauce of choice)

SANDWICH

  • 2 small baguettes* (use gluten-free bread to keep gluten-free friendly, such as New Cascadia)
  • Fresh cilantro (optional)
  • Fresh cucumber (optional)
  • Sliced jalapeño pepper (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (232 C).

  2. Prepare pickled vegetables first by adding vinegar, hot water, salt, and sugar (or stevia) to a glass jar and shaking or stirring vigorously to dissolve salt and sugar. Then add carrot and radish, stir to coat, and push down to submerge. Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill, where they will "quick pickle" until sandwich is ready. Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator up to 1 week (sometimes more).

  3. To a medium mixing bowl, add chili garlic sauce, coconut aminos (or tamari), maple syrup, lime juice, and oil and stir to combine. Then add cauliflower florets and toss to combine.

  4. Heat a large rimmed oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, use a slotted spoon to scoop the cauliflower into the pan, reserving most of the liquid in the bowl.

  5. Sauté, stirring semi-frequently, until slightly browned on the exterior. Then add most of the reserved marinade (saving a little for serving) and toss to coat. Transfer pan to the oven and bake until crispy on the outside yet tender on the inside - about 15 minutes.

  6. In the meantime, prepare aioli by adding vegan mayo to a small mixing bowl with maple syrup and sriracha. Stir to combine. Then sample and adjust flavor as needed, adding more sriracha for heat or maple syrup for sweetness. Set in the refrigerator until serving.

  7. Slice the baguettes in half and toast in the oven (facedown directly on the oven rack) or on a hot grill pan until slightly browned. Then assemble: To the baguette, add aioli to both sides of the bread. Then to one side, add the cauliflower and brush on any leftover cauliflower marinade for more flavor. Last, add pickled vegetables, cilantro (optional), cucumber (optional), and jalapeño (optional).

  8. Enjoy. Best when fresh, though can be made in the morning and enjoyed for lunch - just refrigerate to keep fresh. Store leftovers separately in the refrigerator (except any un-toasted bread) up to a few days. Not freezer friendly.

Notes

*You could also swap the bread for lettuce cups or a collard green wrap to keep this grain-free!
*Inspiration taken from the New York Times. 
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 sandwich calculated without optional ingredients or toppings. 

Nutrition Per Serving (1 of 2 (Sandwiches))

  • Calories: 719
  • Fat: 44g
  • Saturated fat: 5g
  • Sodium: 3046mg
  • Potassium: 876mg
  • Carbohydrates: 64g
  • Fiber: 7g
  • Sugar: 26g
  • Protein: 7g
  • Vitamin A: 142.6%
  • Vitamin C: 140.2%
  • Calcium: 10.8%
  • Iron: 10.6%
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danaHi, I'm Dana! I am a food stylist, photographer, creator of Food Photography School and author of Everyday Cooking.

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  4. Delicious! We’ve made several times and keep coming back. I’ve found that a cast iron skillet really does make a (positive) difference for the texture of the cauliflower.

    Reply

  6. Hi Dana!

    I made these yesterday and served them with your crispy shallot spring rolls and I am IN LOVE. Banh Mi is my favorite food, and having recently moved from Austin to small town Texas where there are zero vietnamese restaurants, I’ve been going through banh mi withdrawal.

    I usually have tofu or meat substitutes in my banh mi and I was a little skeptical of using cauliflower. But holy smokes…that was SO flavorful and SO satisfying. My carnivorous boyfriend was obsessed…We’ve been making your recipes regularly lately and he’s given up purchasing meat and dairy when we grocery shop altogether (thanks for helping me with that!).

    Another killer recipe. Can’t wait to make your pot pies tomorrow!

    Reply

  7. This was probably the best sandwich I have ever made. My husband and I loved it but I didn’t serve it to our kids due to the spiciness. I think next time I’ll just serve theirs with plain vegan mayo.

    This will be a recurring dinner in our house for sure – thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  8. I was kind of skeptical about this recipe being good but it was AMAZING! The cauliflower tasted just like the real flavors of bahn mi. The extra sauce was great on the sandwich and this all reheated super well the next day. Definitely will be making again!

    Reply

    • Hmm..maybe eggplant, broccoli, or mushrooms? It may be difficult to replace. Let us know if you do some experimenting.

      Reply

  11. Made this for the first time tonight using pretty much the same recipe except for substituting shoyu for tamari. It is FABULOUS! My husband has been working nonstop for the past couple of weeks to meet his deadline and the banh-mi brought a smile to his otherwise stressed face.

    Reply

    • Thanks so much for the lovely review and sharing your modifications, Sej. We are so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo

      Reply

  12. My meat eating, pork bahn-mi loving husband absolutely loved this recipe (as did I!). The flavors are spot on and really capture the essence of a classic bahn-mi. Will definitely make again and again!

    Reply

  13. This was the bee’s knees! Super easy to make and extremely flavorful. Everything was so well balanced between savory, sweet and spicy. My husband loved it also!

    Reply

  14. I followed the recipe exactly and it was delicious: VERY SPICY, very flavourful. The next time I make it, I will keep all of the marinade aside and serve it as one of the condiments. But if you like it spicy, go for it. This recipe is a keeper!

    Reply

  15. This was a quick cooking and really flavorful dish. Almost four months meat free and dishes this full of flavor really hit the spot!

    Reply

  16. This was delicious! I made this for a Sunday evening with my boyfriend. He is not vegetarian but I am. I always like to make us food that is very flavorful. This was great! He couldn’t stop eating! He wanted more. I loved it too. It was very spicy which I love but I know spice can be hard to handle for some people. But it was just great.

    Reply

  17. These are amazing! I think my favorite of your recipes so far. Just as good, maybe better, than the Bahn Mi joint I have steps from my apartment. I added mushrooms in with the cauliflower. Yummmmmmm!!!!

    Reply

  20. Honestly this recipe is so good that I’ve started using the sauce for all sorts of other dishes. It has so much flavor and I was super impressed with how it turned out.

    Reply

  21. I never leave reviews, but I feel like I HAD to say something about this incredible recipe. It is to die for! The combination of flavors is overwhelmingly delicious, and although I often tweak recipes to my taste, there isn’t a single thing I would change in this sandwich. My husband and I love making this because there is always enough for us to have it for dinner two days in a row…score! We just refrigerate the leftover cauliflower and veggies and assemble them on french rolls again the next day! Mmmmmmmmm. Thank you so much for your creative, beautiful recipes. You’re my fave!

    Reply

  22. I have made this sandwich a few times and love it!! I decided to get creative and add the ingredients to a pizza instead of a sandwich. I leave off the radishes because I am not a fan. I added Miyoko’s vegan mozzarella cheese. It was seriously the best pizza I have ever had!!!!

    Reply

  24. I was looking for a non-tofu filled Banh Mi and here it is! I had to tone down the spiciness (and my kids won’t eat the cauliflower for some reason), but my husband and I thought it was delicious! My favorite part is pickling the veggies. This is one of those recipes that once you do the initial time investment, it’s pretty easy to whip it out again. Thanks for your awesome recipes!

    Reply

  25. Made this for the first time tonight. My family DEVOURED it and we will make it a regular meal for sure. Could have eaten 2 more helpings if we hadn’t run out of rolls! One of the best vegan dishes I’ve ever had.

    Reply

  26. I will be making this ASAP (as well as several other recipes). Crazy because although I have tried several of your recipes (love) and consider your site a go-to, I somehow never noticed the mention of your recipes being plant based. Guess I was blinded by the goodness? You are gonna make me go vegetarian again lol.

    Reply

  27. Holy Wow!! So delicious! I’ve never had a Banh mi sandwich before but I know I will again & again! I didn’t have chili garlic sauce so I subbed with sriracha & minced garlic w/splash of vinegar & pinch of cane sugar. I highly suggest doubling the recipe and thennn some. As directed we topped with raw thinly sliced cukes, jalapenos & added in thin onion pieces. We absolutely loved it and wanted more! All the flavors go so well together, very impressed. My 12yr old son ate as is (even thanked me) and my younger daughter (somewhat picky) left off the pickled veggies, jalapenos & onions but enjoyed it with cukes and plain mayo. All the fam complimented me. Yayy :)

    Reply

  29. We tried and loved this. Outstanding flavours. The sriracha mayo and the pickles are amazing. For those that like a little less bread or don’t like baguette, we also tried the same ingredients in a wrap. That worked great too.

    Reply

  30. This came out SO GOOD! It’s hard to find new vegan sandwich recipes that don’t call for tofu. I’m so glad I found this one. I was a little nervous about the chili sauce as I typically find your recipes to be a little too hot/spicy but it ended up being fantastic.

    I ran out of soy sauce making this recipe but it worked well with 1/2 the amount in the recipe. I will definitely be making this again.

    Reply

  31. this was so delicious! that marinade is to die for… lick the spoon good! i only ended up using half a head of cauliflower to get the 4 heaping cups, but there was enough marinade and aoli to double the amount of cauliflower. And it was so good I wish there were leftovers so next time I’d use a whole large head of cauliflower, and probably double the pickled vegetables because it would be nice to have extra on hand for other stuff throughout the week. I also used gochujang instead of sriracha, because i dont really like sriracha. Great recipe thanks!

    Reply

    • You really don’t taste the mayo in the aioli! I’m not sure what you could use in place of it, but if you experiment with it, let us know how it goes!

      Reply

  33. This was so delicious, Dana, that I’m hatching a plan to have these all month and make them in large batches. Frozen, at some point, somehow. Before the saute? Really. These are incredibly satisfying and delicious. I never bought coconut aminos before but now they may be my go-to, so thanks for the tip. I couldn’t quite make them in 30 minutes this first time, but maybe with more planning and practice I could.

    Reply

  34. This is one of the best things I’ve ever made! It tastes almost EXACTLY like my favorite vegan restaurant’s Bahn Mi but with cauliflower of course. I don’t react well to too much soy so I try to stay away from it when I can (except for my love for soy milk). It was seriously delicious and not too hard to make. I can’t wait to take it for lunch tomorrow!

    Reply

  35. OFF THE CHAIN! Holy wow this sandwich rocked it! It’s my new fav recipe. My husband absolutely loves this sandwich and requests that it is in the weekly rotation. I made the recipe 3 times in the past week, and passed the recipe onto my friends with a note “you MUST make this for your next meal”. I followed the recipe to a T on the first batch, subbed tamari for the amino acid on the second, used radishes because I was out of carrots on the third. It’s all good, trust me, but my favorite is exactly like Dana suggests. I avoid oil so I did not not use the aioli on the second and third sandwich, still absolutely delish! Thank you, thank you, thank you Dana! I so very much appreciate your cooking style, quick but delicious. I no longer scour the web for vegan recipes (and I’ve been vegan for 6 years), I go straight to your website. Thanks again, you rock!

    Reply

    • Yay! We are so glad that you and your husband enjoyed this recipe, Jennifer! Thanks for sharing your changes!

      Reply

  36. We made this for dinner last night and it was so good! We added some cayenne to the cauliflower and also used a whole grain bread, but it’s all about the flavors from the sauce, pickled carrots, and the cauliflower! Yum! Also loved how easy it was to make the mayo. Vegan mayo can be hard to find or expensive.

    My husband and I recommend your site to people looking to cut down animal products. We appreciate that you don’t use too many obscure ingredients and that every recipe we try always tastes amazing!

    Reply

    • Hey Katie! They have vegan mayo at common stores like Safeway now! However, I had a lot of fun making the vegan mayo for this recipe at home. Cheers! – Jess

      Reply

  39. I made this tonight for dinner and OMG!!!! The flavoring was AMAZING! You never cease to amaze me with your delicious recipes!!

    Reply

  40. Hey great recipe- just had this for lunch today. Changed it a little by using normal mayo as I am not actually vegan and added some raw red skin peanuts to the cauliflower process. I am going to reuse the pickled veg liquid mix again as it crisped up my veg mix beautifully.

    Reply

  41. This was delicious! My husband who is a meat eater loved it too and went back for another half sandwich. I didn’t have coconut aminos so I subbed Bragg’s (not sure how different the flavors are, I’ll have to find coconut aminos before I make it next) and I subbed sweet chili sauce (which does have garlic in it) for the chili garlic sauce. I think next time I’ll skip sautéing the cauliflower and just toss in the sauce and roast in the oven. I’m definitely going to have to make this again later this week. Soooooo goooood!

    Reply

  42. This is delicious! Seriously. I was a bit nervous with 2 tbsp of garlic chili AND the spicy aioli but DANG it all came together so nicely. With the pickled carrots and radishes and cucumber, it cut the heat just enough that all the flavors came together great. I made the recipe for 2, but I’m pretty sure I’ll end up with 3-4 meals when all’s said and done. I’m so happy with how this recipe turned out – I will definitely be making it again soon!! I think next time I will thinly slice my carrots and radishes, I only have a one size grater, so my pickling turned them more into a paste versus clearly defined veggies. It still tasted fantastic, so I’m not complaining!!!

    Reply

  43. Made this last week, making it again it was that good! Your recipes are the few I make for friends without testing them first, I know it’ll come out great. Thanks!

    Reply

  44. This was fantastic! It received rave reviews from my husband, 10 year old and myself. We will definitely make this again.

    Reply

  46. I just finished eating this and am still speechless. I subbed the cauliflower for soy curls (trying to use what I had on hand!) and it was incredible. My husband requested that we add this to the weekly rotation and then insisted on cleaning the kitchen. Bless you!!

    Reply

  47. I made this for dinner and we all loved it, my 12 year old, 16 year old and her boyfriend. I made it exactly per the recipe, used commercial veganaise, purple cauliflower (super pretty, wish I had taken a picture but it was devoured so fast), and I slices the cucumber super thin with a regular veggie peeler. Thanks for posting. This one’s a keeper. Kids are asking for it in their lunches…I’m not that much of a morning person though.

    Reply

  48. I made this recipe with my friend and it was SO AMAZING. I couldn’t believe that we had made it ourselves! The taste was amazing, the sandwich itself was so beautiful. I can’t wait to make this sandwich again.

    Reply

  49. I’ve always felt like I’ve been missing out on the Bahn Mi sandwich craze since I don’t eat pork – this was so delicious! Thank you from South Africa. I didn’t have vegan mayonnaise and so I whipped an avocado instead and it tasted fantastic. Thank you again! I use your recipes all the time, though never comment! ;)

    Reply

  50. I just made it and its AH-MAZING. I was skeptical about how the pickles would turn out but they were perfectly tangy..juuust might add the jalapeños into the mix next time. The cauliflower was my favorite part though, juicy and packed a lot of flavor! I was out of vegan mayo and sriracha so I ended up subbing it with hummus and adding lots of chili flakes. YUM.

    Reply

  51. I made this but I am must not be able to handle so much sodium even issuing the aminos was a lot. This was very delicious but will not make again just because of sodium I will definitely use this idea to make other things. Thank you again for all your great recipes!

    Reply

  52. This was soooo good! Nice and spicy! I made extra of the pickled veggies and aioli to use on other sandwiches. I can never get my cauliflower really crispy, but it still came out great. Definitely a keeper

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  53. ohhhhhmahhhgawwwdddd. I just made this for a late lunch and it was TOO DIE FOR! Seriously so, so good! Thank you for this recipe!

    Reply

  54. I just made this for dinner tonight and we absolutely loved it! De-LICIOUS! My husband LOVES bahn mi sandwiches and now that we’re vegan he hasn’t had it recently. I saw this recipe in my inbox this morning and immediately went to TJ’s to get the goods. Everything was perfect on the recipe and made for a delicious dinner. Thank you again for filling our bellies with healthy eats!

    Reply

  55. This looks delicious…But…Is the sodium content accurate? That is a lot of sodium! The NY Times recipes has a lot but much much less! Just curious!

    Reply

    • Hmm, it all has to do with the brands you use. Perhaps ours was calculated with higher sodium ones. You can always try cutting back those ingredients, like coconut aminos or tamari!

      Reply

  57. Wow. Easy. Delish. Only sub I did was didn’t have radish so added thinly sliced red onion and some packaged Cole slaw mix to my pickled Veg. Will definitely make again.

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  58. So delicious and satisfying! I was literally dancing in my seat as I ate it. Thank you for making life that much better, all the time!

    Reply

  59. Run don’t walk to the kitchen. This was incredible. My husband who is a picky newly vegan demolished his sandwich and went back for a second! My only issue was that there was not enough! Perfect combination of salty and sweet. So many flavors that compliment each other perfectly!

    Reply

  60. Dana this was amazing! I had to use soy sauce instead of aminos, so I felt the sauce was a little wet but gladly put the rest in a jar to pour over rice and veggies later ;) SO tasty. My boyfriend frequently eats Viet pork rolls and smashed his baguette of this in under 5 minutes. Keep killing it!

    Reply

  61. As a Vietnamese woman myself, I approve! The cauliflower looks so flavorsome. I’d just eat it with the baguette any day! Cheers!

    Reply

  62. This looks great. I’ve been trying to cut back on how much meat I consume and your site has been such a great resource. And, as someone who is of Vietnamese descent, I really want to thank you for correctly spelling “banh.” :)

    Reply

    • Hmm, if it bothers you I know there other brands of chili garlic sauce out there! Otherwise, I’m sure there are some recipes for a DIY option. In the meantime, I’ll add recipe testing for one to our list!

      Reply

  64. If we want to make these recipe for 10 people, then How much “rice wine vinegar” should we use for it.
    :-) I am very keen to make this recipe and I am still thinking that soon go to the kitchen and start making this method.

    Reply

    • We have a function at the top of the recipe box to increase the serving size. Right now it’s at “2 sandwiches” so I’d suggest increasing that to 10 sandwiches. With that being said you likely don’t need *quite* that much vinegar, so just maybe try tripling it and going from there. Hope that helps!

      Reply

  66. I want to make it so bad, it looks delicious! but the only ingredient that I’m missing is chilli garlic sauce….any sub??

    Reply

  67. Yes Dana, this looks so good! The first banh mi I had was from a food truck in Scotland and the filling was pulled jackfruit, which was fab. I look forward to trying your version.

    Reply

    • Hi! Where in Scotland was the food truck? I am going to Scotland thos month and would love to find this food truck if I am going to be nearby :). Thank you
      Melissa

      Reply

  70. When I scroll through this, I think that I MUST try it as during the trip in Vietnam, I have three to four Banh Mi in total❤️❤️ and I missed that flavor back in Malaysia💔, thanks for sharing this😁

    Reply