All the flavors from our favorite Banh Mi sandwich turned into these Banh Mi Salad Bowls with Sriracha Lime Aioli. This recipe is the perfect way to enjoy all the flavors of the classic Vietnamese Banh Mi in a naturally gluten free and dairy free way. Plus it’s loaded with veggies making this a ‘one and done’ dinner!
Next to pizza, Banh Mi are my ultimate weakness (I’ve been know to eat 2-3 of these Vietnamese subs in a single day)! Specifically Sate Chicken Banh Mi, and my order is always the same – I’m all for branching out, but you just don’t mess with perfection!
There is a single sandwich of course that is the source of constant day dreams (if you’re in downtown Chinatown, Calgary check out Thi Thi Vietnamese Subs for the sandwich of your life)! It is the sandwich of all sandwiches in my opinion! And since I’m living over 5 hours away from said sandwich, it was time for an at home version.
Over the last few years, I’ve changed my eating habits to cope with inflammation issues due to a car accident (meaning sandwiches and pizza are an occasional treat these days). Fortunately or unfortunately depending on how you look at it, the diet changes are really helping – as it turns out veggies are still #1!
So, if you leave out the bread in a sandwich, what’s left? Double the amount of the flavorful filling in a typical Banh Mi sandwich, that’s what! Now… I’m not going to sit here and tell you that I don’t miss all things bread (because I do, oh I do) but this salad was everything I was hoping for in the flavor and textural department. It tastes just like my beloved sandwich, and my husband agrees, (it’s his favorite sandwich as well) in fact he ate it for dinner, then lunch, and then dinner again!
Check out the huge head of butterhead lettuce I picked up at Farmer’s Market!!! It weighed in at over a pound and was bigger than my cutting board! If you can’t find butterhead lettuce, you can always use romaine or leaf lettuce, it will just have a firmer texture.
For the cucumber, peel 4-5 strips lengthwise and cut off both ends. Cut it into quarters lengthwise, and then thinly slice the quarters crosswise to make triangles. I like to roughly chop the cilantro leaving some bigger pieces, it’s part of the flavor appeal for me.
We tried this salad 2 different ways, the first time was with a plain aioli, and the second was with a sriracha lime version. We both like the sriracha lime a bit better, but if you don’t care for heat, you can leave the sriracha out. I also tried the chicken marinated 1 hour at room temperature and another time with the marinade left overnight, and overnight wins out hands down!
Whatever you’re doing this weekend, I hope it now includes the most outrageously delicious salad I’ve ever tasted!
PrintBanh Mi Salad Bowls with Sriracha Lime Aioli
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
All the flavors from our favorite Banh Mi sandwich turned into a dinner salad loaded with fresh juicy veggies and topped with a Sriracha Aioli makes this one of our favorite dinners.
Ingredients
Sate Chicken:
1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos
2 Teaspoons sambal chili paste
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
Sriracha Lime Aioli:
1 egg, left at room temperature for 30 minutes
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 Teaspoon sea salt
2–4 Tablespoons sriracha chili sauce
3/4 cup avocado oil
Salad:
1 butterhead lettuce, weighing 1 pound 4 ounces
2 cucumbers, weighing 1 pound
1 pound carrots, peeled and grated
3 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
1 small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped – about 2 ounces
1 small bunch basil, roughly chopped – about 1 ounce
Soy Sauce or Coconut Aminos for serving
Instructions
Combine all the ingredients for the sate chicken and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
For the aioli, place the egg, fresh lime juice, sea salt, and minimum amount of sriracha (if you’re using it) into a blender. Start blending on low, increasing the speed to 3 or 4 on a Vitamix, slowly add the avocado oil in a thin stream.
Continue to blend until all the oil has been added, and the aioli has become thick. At this point, taste it and see if you might want to add more sriracha. Transfer the aioli to a container and refrigerate – I used a squeeze bottle to get the cool looking lines across the salad.
For the salad, cut the lettuce into bite sized pieces, wash, and spin it dry. Transfer it to a serving bowl.
Peel 4-5 strips from each cucumber and cut off both ends. Cut the cucumber into quarters lengthwise, and then thinly slice the quarters crosswise to make triangles – add the cucumbers to the serving bowl.
Toss the grated carrots with the rice wine vinegar and maple syrup in a separate bowl and let them ‘pickle’ while you finish the recipe.
Preheat the grill over high heat.
Add the roughly chopped herbs to the serving bowl with the lettuce and cucumbers.
Place the chicken on the grill and immediately lower the heat to medium. Cook the chicken 6-8 minutes per side (the timing will depend on the size of your chicken thighs). A good way to tell if they’re ready to flip is when they’re no longer sticking to the grill, and they have nice grill marks.
When the chicken has cooled enough to handle, chop it into bite sized pieces or into strips like the photos.
Toss the carrot mixture in with the rest of the salad and serve it with the chicken.
Top each individual salad with sriracha aioli and soy sauce or coconut aminos to taste. The juices from the chicken combine with the pickled carrots, aioli and soy sauce to form a dressing.
Notes
The sriracha lime aioli makes enough for 2 recipes, but it can’t be downsized. If you’re looking for less quantity, try mixing together a good quality mayonnaise with sriracha and fresh lime juice to taste.
- Prep Time: 45 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Asian
I LOVE THI THI SUBS!!!! My work friends and I have been going there for the last 20 odd years! There is nothing like them, and I love the awesome couple that own the shop!
My only problem is that when I have one for lunch, I desperately need a nap by 3, due to the wonderful baguette…totally worth it though I must say 🙂
Your recipe is fantastic…we just made it for supper. Really great, and will definitely be making extra for lunches next time if there’s any leftovers! Thanks for the aioli recipe as well… I can think of lots of uses for that stuff!
It’s so nice to hear from a fellow Thi Thi fan!!! I’ve never had another Banh Mi as good as their incredible shop, although like you I always need a nap after so much deliciousness! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, that aioli is so good on so many things, I especially love it as a veggie dip. I’d love to hear what you did with your leftover aioli. Also, if you’re a fan of Vietnamese food you might like Basil, it’s a Vietnamese restaurant in the NE end of Calgary (it’s off of 32nd street, not too far from the Deerfoot exit). We love their sate chicken Bun noodle bowls, their curry, and the pho as well! Just talking about this has me missing Calgary so much – I’ll have to plan a weekend trip soon just for eating! 🙂
i have to recreate this recipe! looks delicious and that aioli i could probably devour by the bowlful!
Or 2 bowlfuls even! I didn’t mind eating it several days in a row – still so good!
Well, I love this salad because it’s totally a different salad experience than anything I’ve ever seen before! Like you, I love pizza and breads but after 2 kids (and being in my mid 30’s) my metabolism is so slow that I just can’t eat like I was in college anymore, so my dietary habits have changed, almost overnight in the last few years. Sad but true!! And salads can get so so boring, that’s why this recipe is pure gold– it’s different! Chicken and a dressing totally out of my league =)
I find we get creative with salads the more time goes on, and I think it’s probably to prevent that boredom you mentioned!
Wow, Kari, this looks really good! I love Vietnamese food, too, so this will be fun to try sometime!
I’ve been working making Vietnamese food at home because there really isn’t anywhere close to go out, and I miss the flavors!
So I’ve made aioli, Sriracha mayo, and Sriracha ketchup but never Sriracha aioli…well I know what I’m going to try tonight. Thanks for the inspiration Kari! 🙂
I think if we’re getting technical – this might constitute a mayo – it’s somewhere in the middle and I just went with aioli in the title! 🙂
I’m totally with you on pizza as a major weakness, but I don’t think I’ve ever had a banh mi sandwich. I guess I’ve been missing out, because this salad bowl looks delicious!
We love Vietnamese cuisine, and Banh Mi are at the top of the list (obviously)! I think you’ll have the full flavor experience though if you make this salad – let me know how it goes! 🙂