We are lucky to live in a very diverse part of California. Seriously, San Jose has to have some of the best cuisines out there. From Mexican, to Indian, German, and Asian; it’s everywhere, and it’s all amazing! As great as all these restaurants are, it can get expensive to go out all the time to get this kind of food. Especially when you have a bazillion* mouths to feed. (*exaggeration) The easy way to solve that is to just make it at home and I’ve been craving Vietnamese lately, so I created this Banh Mi Inspired Chopped Salad.
Traditionally Banh Mi is a sandwich stuffed with chicken, pickled veggies, cucumber, sriracha etc. The flavor combination is out of this world good. As much as I want a big ol’ sando filled with all the goods, bread and I aren’t really friends right now. That’s why this recipe is a spin off of the traditional Banh Mi. All the same flavors, minus the bready bread bread.
I have a spectacular Banh Mi Sandwich (that uses plantains and is Whole30) in my first e-book ALMOST AUTHENTIC if you are looking for something that is more like the traditional ones you see in restaurants. Both the recipe in the book and this salad are delicious!
You can make your own sriracha or buy store bought. Just note, that if you are on a Whole30, you will need to make it yourself. Michelle Tam from NomNom Paleo has a sriracha recipe which you can get HERE It’s very easy to make.
You can also make your own pickled veggies, buy some, or use Kimchi. To make your own pickled veggies simply pack a mason jar with veggies of your choice. Pour vinegar 3/4 of the way and fill the additional 1/4 with water. Close and place in fridge. They will be ready in an hour.
My children really enjoy this, even with the sriracha in it. If your kids (or you) don’t like spice, you can omit!
TIP: I like to buy the pre-made chopped salad kits from the store. I just toss out the packets that it comes with.
Whole30: yes
Paleo: yes