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The idea for a Brussels sprout banh mi sandwich is one that I’ve head in my head forever and a half, but just now got around to making. First I was using my Brussels sprouts for something else (namely, beer-battering and deep frying them); and then we signed up for a winter/spring CSA and had too many other veggies to use up, to justify buying sprouts at the grocer. This weekend, they finally came in the CSA, and we had company who would gladly help taste-test the recipe, so I was pretty quick to get all of the needed banh mi fixin’s.

I adore food that blends ideas and ingredients from multiple regions or cultures, and banh mi sandwiches have got to be one of the best examples of that! In my research, I learned that the term ‘banh mi’ actually just means bread, dating back to the French colonial period in Vietnam which introduced baguettes to the country. But it has come to be used to refer to the whole sandwich, a beautiful fusion of French bread with Vietnamese toppings. Technically this Brussels sprout banh mi is a ‘bánh mì chay‘, since it’s vegetarian. I’ve also swapped out the common topping of mayonnaise (also coming from the French side of the equation) for a simple spicy mango sauce made from fresh mango and sriracha.

As for why I went with Brussels sprouts? Their slightly chewy texture makes them a surprisingly excellent sandwich base, plus the contrast between the roasted sprouts with the fresh vegetable toppings is quite lovely. I’ve no problem eating an occasional light meal of bread + veggies but if you’re looking to round out the sandwich with something a little heartier, I recommend a generous helping of carrot ginger hummus!

Speaking of the CSA, I’m going to try getting into the habit of sharing my CSA contents on the blog again, and how I’m using them. Our winter/spring CSA consists of 6 items per week, and it’ll last until the end of April. Then we have the month of May to buy our own veggies at the market before the summer CSA starts. This Friday we received:

Brussels sprouts (used in these Brussels sprout banh mis!)

Yellow onions

Carrots

Spinach

Kale

Red potatoes

I won’t have any trouble with the carrots (I enjoy snacking on them), spinach (green smoothies), or onions (ubiquitous in recipes). But I’m not quite sure what I’ll do with the kale or potatoes yet (plus the leftover potatoes and celery from last week…). Probably depends on how ambitious we’re feeling in the kitchen this week. There are no leftover banh mi supplies – those got gobbled up pretty dang quickly! =]