Bahn Mi Bowl

Bahn Mi Bowl with Spicy Mango Sauce

First off—What’s a Bahn Mi?

Banh Mi sandwiches, pronounced “buhn-mee,” are a delicious and popular Vietnamese street food known for their unique blend of flavors and textures. These sandwiches are a testament to the fusion of Vietnamese and French culinary influences, a result of Vietnam’s colonial history with France.

Key Characteristics of Banh Mi Sandwiches:

• Bread: Banh Mi sandwiches are typically made using a French baguette.
• Protein: Banh Mi sandwiches can contain a variety of proteins. Some of the common options include grilled pork (Banh Mi Thit Nuong), Vietnamese meatballs (Banh Mi Xiu Mai), shredded chicken (Banh Mi Ga), grilled beef (Banh Mi Bo), or tofu (Banh Mi Chay).
• Vegetables: What sets Banh Mi apart is the generous use of fresh and pickled vegetables. A typical Banh Mi includes sliced cucumbers, cilantro, and jalapeño peppers for freshness and a hint of spice. The key to its unique flavor and tangy crunch is the use of pickled daikon radish and carrots.
• Sauces and Spreads: Banh Mi sandwiches often feature condiments which add creaminess and depth of flavor.
• Herbs and Spices: Fresh herbs like mint and Thai basil are commonly added to Banh Mi sandwiches, contributing to their vibrant and aromatic profile.
• Street Food Culture: Banh Mi sandwiches are a staple of Vietnamese street food culture. You can find them being sold by street vendors throughout Vietnam and in Vietnamese communities worldwide. They are often eaten as a quick, delicious, and affordable meal on the go.

The Banh Mi sandwich’s allure lies in its perfect balance of flavors—savory, sweet, spicy, and tangy—combined with contrasting textures—crispy baguette, tender meat, and crunchy pickled vegetables.

What is in a Bahn Mi Bowl?

• Choice of Microgreens and Fresh Herbs: Start with half a cup of your favorite microgreens and half a cup of fresh herbs: including a mix of Thai basil, mint, cilantro, and regular basil. This combination adds a burst of freshness to the bowl.
• Vietnamese Noodle-free Salad: This recipe debuted on the blog last week. It is a refreshing salad that combines cucumber, cabbage, carrots, red onions, and jalapenos with a delightful sauce composed of lime juice, maple syrup, rice vinegar, and fish sauce. It’s the perfect addition to this Bahn Mi Bowl.
• Steamed Rice: To make the bowl a little more hearty, steam some rice of your choice to add to the bowl. If you are wanting less carbs, just add a scoop; if you want more rice than veggies—start with the rice first!
• Bahn Mi Instant Pot Chicken: Flavorful chicken chunks seasoned with a blend of spices and cooked to perfection in the Instant Pot—30 minutes start-to-finish! All the other salad components can be prepared while it is cooking.
• Pickled Vegetables: A medley of pickled vegetables adds a tangy and crunchy element to the bowl. Prepare these just after you put the chicken in the Instant Pot and they will be crunchy and flavorful when the chicken is ready to serve.
• Homemade Baked Baguette Croutons: Crunchy, golden croutons made from baguette slices. Perfect for that Bahn Mi experience since the croutons are toasted, yet slightly soft.
• Spicy Mango Dressing: A zesty dressing with the tropical goodness of mango, a touch of heat from sriracha, and a hint of spice from five-spice.
• Sriracha: For those who like it extra spicy, don’t forget to have some sriracha on hand!

Ingredients of Note for the Bahn Mi Bowl:

• Coconut sugar: This sugar has a lower glycemic index than granulated sugar. You can substitute brown sugar for a similar flavor.
• Five-Spice: Sometimes known as Chinese Five-Spice. This spice blend contains cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, star anise, and Szechuan peppercorns. It is the secret ingredient for that “bahn mi” flavor.
• Soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos: For those who avoid gluten, tamari is the perfect alternative. It is gluten-free and tastes just like soy sauce. It is made from soy beans. Coconut aminos also tastes like soy sauce, but does not contain soy. Luckily there are three alternatives for this important Asian flavor!
• Fish sauce: An important ingredient in this recipe.
• Chili Garlic Paste: This is a common ingredient in Asian foods. It can be found at the grocery store in the Asian section. It has a little spice to it, but not too much. It can be substituted with siracha, or left out altogether if you want a mild flavor. In the Instant Pot chicken, it doesn’t add much spiciness. I would recommend including it.
• Pure maple syrup: This is the 100% pure maple syrup, with no sugar added. It’s an alternative to processed sugar and fake sugar. I like buying mine at Costco and storing it in the refrigerator for longevity.
• Mangoes: Fresh or frozen will work for this recipe.
• Lime juice: Fresh-squeezed is always preferred.
• Dijon mustard: Just a little bit!
• Fresh ginger: The flavor profile of fresh ginger is completely different than dry ground ginger. Fresh ginger is what you want here! You can purchase it as the root and peel it, in the ginger paste form at the grocery store produce section, or in a sealed bottle found in the Asian section of the grocery store.
• Rice vinegar: Rice vinegar gives a more authentic Asian flavor, but apple cider vinegar can be substituted.

How to Make the Bahn Mi Bowl:

Bahn Mi Instant Pot Chicken:

1. Mix spices in gallon-sized resealable bag. Add chunked chicken pieces, seal bag, shake until chicken is coated. Set aside while gathering Instant Pot ingredients.
2. In Instant Pot, add other ingredients and mix together. Add chicken pieces and stir to coat.
3. Set instant pot to manual high for 8 minutes. Slow release for 10 minutes. Then quick release, shred chicken and mix with at least half of the sauce left in instant pot, until chicken is juicy.
4. Can make ahead and store in refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.

Pickled Vegetables:

1. Prepare vegetables by shredding thin or slicing thin and cutting vegetables into matchsticks. In a pint jar, mix vinegar, maple syrup, hot water and salt. Stir to mix. Add prepared vegetables and place lid on jar. Let sit at least 30 minutes, or longer. Can store in refrigerator for up to a week.

Baked Baguette Croutons:

1. Slice baguettes crosswise into 1-inch slices. Cut in half, then in thirds for crouton-sized pieces. Place on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 400°F for 12-15 minutes, or until golden and toasted.

Spicy Mango Sauce:

1. Add all ingredients, but olive oil, to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
2. With blender running on medium speed, slowly drizzle in olive oil. After the olive oil has combined, blend on high for another 10 seconds. Taste for seasoning and adjust.

With all these components in harmony, your Bahn Mi Bowl is just one step away—fill your bowl and enjoy the explosion of flavors and textures in each mouthful!

Get ready for a flavor explosion like no other – the Bahn Mi Bowl delivers on all fronts, from the balance of flavors to the tantalizing textures. Enjoy the fusion of Vietnamese and French cuisine in this delectable and convenient bowl format. Happy eating!

–Kim

Print Recipe

Bahn Mi Bowl with Spicy Mango Sauce

The Bahn Mi Bowl—a healthy twist on the classic Vietnamese sandwich: fresh vegetables, crunchy pickled carrots, Bahn Mi Instant Pot Chicken, baguette croutons, and a spicy mango sauce that combines into a delightful bowl—well-loved for its harmonious blend of sweet, savory, spicy, and tangy elements.

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Healthy, Vietnamese

Keyword: Asian, bowl, healthy, salad

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Kim Melanson

Equipment

• Instant Pot

Ingredients

For the Bowl:

• ½ cup Choice of Microgreens toss in any left-over fresh herbs from the Vietnamese Noodle-free Salad
• Vietnamese Noodle-free Salad (see recipe on blog: Vietnamese-noodle-free-salad)
• Steamed Rice
• Bahn Mi Instant Pot Chicken (see recipe below)
• Pickled Vegetables: carrots and/or cucumbers (see recipe below)
• Homemade Baked Baguette Croutons (see recipe below) or store-bought croutons
• Spicy Mango Sauce (see recipe below)
• Siracha

Bahn Mi Instant Pot Chicken:

Seasoning:

• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 Tablespoon coconut sugar or brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon five-spice seasoning
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks

Add in Instant Pot:

• ½ small onion minced
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic
• ¼ cup soy sauce or tamari, coconut aminos
• ¼ cup chicken broth
• 2 Tablespoons fish sauce
• 3 teaspoons chili garlic paste
• 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup

Pickled Vegetables:

• 2 carrots julienned
• Or 1 carrot, julienned, and ½ English cucumber, sliced thin
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
• ½ cup hot water
• Scant 1 teaspoon sea salt

Spicy Mango Sauce:

• 1 cup mango peeled and chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 4 teaspoons lime juice
• ½ Tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
• ½ Tablespoon pure maple syrup or honey
• ½ teaspoon five-spice seasoning
• ½ teaspoon fish sauce optional
• ½ teaspoon soy sauce or tamari, coconut aminos
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 Tablespoon chili garlic sauce or siracha leave out for mild sauce
• ½ Tablespoon rice vinegar
• ¼ cup olive oil

Instructions

Bahn Mi Instant Pot Chicken:

• Mix spices in gallon-sized resealable bag. Add chunked chicken pieces, seal bag, shake until chicken is coated. Set aside while gathering Instant Pot ingredients.
• In Instant Pot, add other ingredients and mix together. Add chicken pieces and stir to coat.
• Set instant pot to manual high for 8 minutes. Slow release for 10 minutes. Then quick release, shred chicken and mix with at least half of the sauce left in instant pot, until chicken is juicy.
• Can make ahead and store in refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.

Pickled Vegetables:

• Prepare vegetables by shredding thin or slicing thin and cutting vegetables into matchsticks. In a pint jar, mix vinegar, maple syrup, hot water and salt. Stir to mix. Add prepared vegetables and place lid on jar. Let sit at least 30 minutes, or longer. Can store in refrigerator for up to a week.

Baked Baguette Croutons:

• Slice baguettes crosswise into 1-inch slices. Cut in half, then in thirds for crouton-sized pieces. Place on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 400°F for 12-15 minutes, or until golden and toasted.

Spicy Mango Sauce:

• Add all ingredients, but olive oil, to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
• With blender running on medium speed, slowly drizzle in olive oil. After the olive oil has combined, blend on high for another 10 seconds. Taste for seasoning and adjust.

Notes

Make Your Own Five-Spice Seasoning:
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon fennel seed, toasted and ground
½ teaspoon ground star anise
½ teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns, toasted and ground (or sub regular peppercorns)