Vegan Vietnamese Hoagie (Bánh Mì Chay) & Sweet Potato Fries


Being married to a Vietnamese-American means that I get the low down on all of the restaurants that have authentically made Vietnamese dishes. My husband is a hard critic of Vietnamese food and rightly so. I’ve had a few Vietnamese hoagies (the good, the bad, and the ugly). Yeah, I called them “hoagies.” I’m originally from New Jersey. Got a problem?

I was inspired after having a Vietnamese hoagie for lunch one day at a fine vegan dining establishment in Philadelphia called Milah Vegetarian. I whipped up my own recipe inspired by their creation and have made it countless times since. I’m not sure that it’s quite “authentic” but this white girl likes it.

The key to a good bánh mì chay is the roll itself. When we are in Philadelphia we’ll pick up a pack of rolls from Ba Le Bakery. Feel free to pick up your favorite hoagie rolls to use.

Here is my version:

Vegan Vietnamese Hoagie
1 good hoagie roll
1 block of extra firm tofu
1/2 carrot sliced thinly or shredded
1/2 cucumber sliced thinly
1 jalapeno sliced thinly
several sprigs of fresh cilantro
Vegenaise

Marinade
1/2 cup soy sauce, tamari, or Braggs Liquid Aminos (I prefer the latter)
1/4 cup olive oil
2-4 TB Sriracha (more or less depending on how much heat you can take)
salt & pepper (to taste)

Mix the ingredients together for the marinade. Slice the tofu into 1/2 inch slabs. Place tofu in a shallow bowl or rectangular glass or plastic container and pour the marinade on top. Let the tofu marinate for at least 1 hour (flipping the tofu at the halfway point). When finished marinating, remove tofu from mixture and fry in a skillet, slightly browning both sides. Either save the marinade for another batch or feel free to pour the rest of it over the tofu while it’s frying in the skillet.

Prepare your veggies and toast your hoagie roll. Spread Vegenaise on the inside of the sliced hoagie roll. Lay down your finished tofu pieces. Top with cukes, carrots, jalapenos, and cilantro.

In this particular meal, I served the hoagie with sweet potato fries. Just slice up some sweet potatoes into thin wedges, put on a slightly oiled cookie sheet, bake at 400 degrees until browned. Sprinkle with cajun seasoning, Old Bay seasoning, or salt and pepper and serve!

Vietnamese Hoagie & Sweet Potato Fries

5 responses to “Vegan Vietnamese Hoagie (Bánh Mì Chay) & Sweet Potato Fries”

  1. That looks so good. But honestly, you had me hooked when you called it a hoagie, before I even saw pictures. I hail from southeastern PA originally and ah, how I miss the sandwiches of my homeland.

    • Glad to hear this nik! I used to live in Philadelphia as well and hoagies were the default name for a lot of sandwiches. I certainly understand your fondness for the term.

  2. This is awesome, I just had this from Milah vegetarian which is what prompted me to look up a recipe and I saw Philadelphia in your search and was hoping this had something to do with this delicious hoagie!! Will be trying this out asap. It was sooooo good I want to go downtown and get one now LOL but rather than go broke, wanted a version I can make myself at home.

    • Question, how is the veganese as it compares to what’s used in the restaurant? I’m always a little scared to tried substitute foods but I liked what the restaurant used so if this is pretty much it I know I can buy it vs trying to come up with a recipe that I know I’ll like.

      • Thanks for checking out my blog Donna! It’s been awhile since I’ve had the Milah version but Vegenaise is pretty tasty and probably the most popular of the vegan mayos, so I think it should be no problem. Enjoy!