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.
Servings: 4 servings
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)
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)