One of my favorite flavor themes is Asian. I love Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese. If I ever go to a restaurant and find banh mi on the menu, you would be wise to bet on me ordering it. The flavors with the sour pickled radish and carrots, spicy sriracha, crispy bun and creamy mayo is perfect. This summer I had a banh mi burger. I’ve also made my own in traditional banh mi style as well as a hot dog version.
I was getting creative the other night with tofu burgers for The Kid and I couldn’t resist adding mi style to it. (Snort, pun intended there.)
Asian Tofu Burgers 
- 14 – 15 oz block extra firm tofu
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 cup (50g) yellow onion, sliced
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp worchestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
- 1/2 tsp EACH of cumin, paprika, coriander, ginger, basil
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried lemongrass, optional but nice
- 3/4 cup (60g) old fashioned oats, divided
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
- Hamburger buns
- Radish and carrot pickles for garnish
- Sriracha sauce and mayo, optional
Drain the tofu and press it for about 30 minutes to remove the excess water. Heat a pan over medium heat and add the sesame oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until the onions are softened and translucent. Remove from heat.
Measure the soy sauce, worchestershire, liquid smoke and spices into a food processor. Add the onion mixture, 1/4 cup (20g) of oats, and the tofu. Pulse until smooth. Try to break up any chunks so that your patties form and stick together well. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup (40g) of oats and the sesame seeds.
Form the mixture into 4 burger shaped patties. Depending on how much water you pressed out of your tofu, the mixture will be sticky but should hold together well. If it’s way too gooey, you can add a little more oats but only enough so they form patties.
Heat a grill pan over medium heat and spray with non-stick spray. Add the patties to the hot pan and cook like burgers, flipping when the first side has turned golden brown with grill marks. Remove from heat.
Makes 4 patties at approximately 180 calories each – 13g protein, 14g carbs, and 8g fat.
I made a quick batch of radish and carrot pickles to go on top of these burgers to complete the banh mi style. I simply sliced a carrot and several radishes and packed them into a mason jar. I added 1 tsp sugar, filled the jar half way with white vinegar, and the rest with water. Shake them up and let them sit an hour or so before dinner.
I spread a hamburger bun with mayo, drizzled on sriracha, and added a patty. A quick garnish with the pickles and fresh cilantro and the banh mi burger was complete. Now the pressing question, to banh mi or not to banh mi? 🙂
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