Vegan Banh mi Pizza
A culinary fusion of Italian and Vietnamese classics, this vegan Banh Mi Pizza is made with quick pickled cucumbers and carrots, seasoned tofu, and creamy Banh mi sauce.
This post was originally published 3/10/2014. Last updated on April 23, 2019
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It’s time for some pizza, friends!
And not just any pizza. I’ve got one of my favorite pizza recipes today. It’s vegan Banh mi pizza! A sweet and savory pizza made with marinated and sautéed tofu, quick pickled vegetables, and creamy Banh mi sauce all over an artisan pizza crust.
I think you’re going to love this recipe!
What is Banh mi?
Classicly Banh mi is made in the form of a sandwich. It is popular street food in Vietnam and one of the best fusion cuisines I know. A blend of Vietnamese and French foods, a Banh mi sandwich combines Vietnamese meats and vegetables with the French baguette and wonderful creamy condiments for a sandwich that will amaze you.
For our Banh mi pizza, all we need to do is swap out our French baguette for an artisan pizza crust and we have a Vietnamese/Italian/French fusion meal that is so so good!
Typically Banh mi is made with beef, but we’re not going to let that stop us from making delicious vegan banh mi pizza.
Best meat substitute for vegan Banh mi
My favorite meat substitute for a banh mi is tofu. It’s thick, chewy, and will take on any flavors you give it. If you don’t like tofu, try swapping it out for tempeh or jackfruit for other variations of this delicious vegan pizza.
How to make vegan Banh mi
Step one – prepare the tofu
The first step is swapping out the Vietnamese meat for marinated tofu. I used extra firm tofu that is pressed and marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, hoisin sauce, and rice vinegar for a classic Vietnamese taste. Let the flavors soak into the tofu then cut into 1/4″ slices and pan-fried it in hot oil for that chewy, crispy texture.
Step two – make the quick pickled vegetables
The next step in making your vegan Banh mi is whipping up a batch of quick pickled vegetables (which already happen to be vegan, of course!). For this recipe, I omitted the daikon because they can be difficult to find and I like to keep my recipes as simple as possible. However, if you can find daikon at your local grocery store, feel free to add that in with the carrots and the cucumber for a more authentic vegetable mix.
Step three – make the creamy Banh mi sauce
Lastly, we make our creamy Banh mi sauce. As I said earlier, the Bahn mi fusion brings together Vietnamese flavors with French condiments. A combination of vegan mayonnaise, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and sriracha or jalapeños are whipped up into a spicy, tangy, creamy, and oh-so-delicious sauce that will have you licking your fingers for more.
The secret is in the sauce, my friends!
Step four – assemble the pizza
For the recipe, the crust gets baked separately. Stretch out the crust and bake it in a hot oven for about 15 minutes, until the edges are lightly brown. Once the crust is out of the oven, slather it in Banh mi sauce and top it with quick pickled vegetables, sautéed tofu, jalapeños, and cilantro.
Serve immediately.
Tips for making the perfect Banh Mi
- Getting perfect chewy tofu is key. This tofu can marinade up to overnight for a bolder flavored meat substitute
- The components of this sandwich can be made in advance. The tofu, sauce, and quick pickled cabbage can rest in the refrigerator for 1-2 days before serving. When ready to serve, just cook up to tofu and assemble the pizza.
- This pizza should be served shortly after assembling. Otherwise, the bread will start to get soggy
- Store uneaten pickled vegetables and Banh mi sauce in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
More vegan pizza recipes
Do you love pizza as much as I do? Here are a few more of my favorite pizza recipes:
- Roasted Beet and Cashew Cheese Pizza
- Grilled Pizza Margherita
- BBQ Chickpea with Vegan Ranch Pizza
- Eggplant and Caramelized Onion Pizza
- Palak Paneer Pita Pizza
But before you head off, let’s check out the recipe for this vegan Banh mi pizza below.
A culinary fusion of Italian and Vietnamese classics, this vegan Banh Mi Pizza is made with quick pickled cucumbers and carrots and seasoned tofu.
Cuisine: Pizza, Vegan
Keyword: Vegan Banh Mi
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 189 kcal
Author: Sarah McMinn
- 1/4 cup veganaise
- 2 tsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp agave nectar
- 1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks
- 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 8 ounces extra firm tofu, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- pinch of salt
- 1-2 tsp fresh grated ginger
- Fresh cilantro
- Sriracha
- Jalapeño peppers, diced
Prepare the tofu marinade in a large, shallow dish. Slice the tofu into 1/4" slices and place it in the marinade so that it is completely submerged. Marinate the tofu for at least 1 hour.
Combine the ingredients for the pickled vegetables, submerging the carrots and cucumbers completely. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425F. Lightly brush the pizza dough with olive oil and bake on pizza stone for 12-15 minutes until lightly golden.
- While the pizza crust is baking, heat the oil in a skillet and panfry the marinated tofu until darkened and crispy, about 5 minutes per side.
Whisk together the ingredients for the Creamy Banh Mi Sauce. Set aside.
Remove the crust from oven. Cover in an even layer of sauce. Add pickled vegetables, pan-fried tofu, and remaining toppings.
Seclusive Nature says
We’ve made this twice now and could easily have it every week. Definitely one of our favorite meals!
Sarah says
That’s great to hear! Thanks for letting me know.
ANGELA COOPER says
I’ve made this several times now on Whole Wheat Nash bread and it’s so fresh and delicious! It’s positively addicting! Thank you so much!!
ANGELA says
Made this a couple of weeks ago! Yummy! Dreaming about it since! Thank you so much for this awesome recipe!
Lesley says
This pizza is DELICIOUS. I’ve been making vegan pizzas every friday night for about 6 months now, and this is my family’s favorite.
Sarah says
Thanks! So glad it’s a hit. I love pizza night!
Heather says
You have been rock in’ out so many amazing recipes lately; do you need a live in nanny? I would totally work for your food;)
Sarah says
Um…yes please!!!! 😉
Carolyn says
Wow this looks amazing – I love banh mi and am so happy you’ve created a vegan version…and a pizza one at that!! I’ll definitely be trying this. Your photos are gorgeous by the way.
Linda says
I love pizza, but maybe not quite as much as my hubby who would marry pizza if he could. This combo of flavors sure sounds delicious and I know it would be a big hit in our household. Yay for finding awesome new recipes to try!
Ana says
Those brown pieces like bacon is the tofu? What’s
agave and sriracha? Do we have it here in Japan?
Sarah says
Yes, that’s tofu. I’m not sure if you have agave or sriracha in Japan. Agave is a sweetener. You could sub maple syrup and Sriracha is a hot sauce.
Elyse @myveganp says
I LOVE banh mi. In pizza form?! Omgosh! I can’t wait to try this!
Drew says
WOW just what I was looking for. Came here by searching for mickey mouse waffle iron ebay
Sarah says
That’s hilarious. It’s amazing where the internet will take us. I’m glad you found me.
Jon says
Sarah, I am all about this pizza!! I want it soon, it looks and sounds so awesome. Next time we make pizza, we will make this (however, we have been enjoying nice meals made for us for the last week since William was born so we’re having a nice holiday from cooking).
Thank you 🙂
-Jon
Sarah says
I saw that on Facebook. Many congrats! Im glad your family is enjoying the time together and the free meals! Tell A many congrats too!
Emily says
I just made this! It is incredible!!! Thank you so much 🙂
Sarah says
Thanks Emily! I’m glad you tried it and liked it!
Emma says
So pleased you’ve got your cooking mojo back! There’s nothing like a new cookbook to get you excited to be in the kitchen.
This pizza looks insane! Yum yum.
Sarah says
Thanks and thanks, Emma!
Caitlin says
hooray for cooking more! i have been feeling a lot better about cooking more and, more specifically, trying new/different recipes. i’m glad we’re both getting our shit together!
Sarah says
It’s about time, right? Certainly helps with new cookbook inspiration.
Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen says
I’m happy you restocked your pantry and are in the process of making an awesome meal plan! I know how easy it is to succumb to cereal dinners – I sometimes feel like I could eat oatmeal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and be quite content 😀
I might add, this pizza looks like summer! It is gorgeous!!! Pinned!
Harriet Congdon says
Ooh, that does look good! I’ll have to try this (minus some of the hot stuff :).