This post is sponsored by Sweet Earth Foods, however all content, editorial comments and enthusiasm remain my own. Thank you for considering products that support The Fit Fork.

Soup or a sandwich, it’s so hard to decide! Bánh Mì, a traditional Vietnamese sandwich, is one of my favorite lunches – all those sweet crunchy vegetables and distinctive herbs packed into a baguette, so scrumptious. But, as cold-natured as I can be, a piping-hot soup seems a more practical cold-weather meal. So, to enjoy the best of both, I created a Bánh Mì Soup – it’s just as vibrant and lively as it’s namesake sammie, but ready to chase away the chill! 

Today’s Bánh Mì Soup is bread-free thanks to a swap of the crusty baguette for crowd-pleasing rice noodles. Just a trivia FYI, the bread is a holdover from when French had colonial control of Vietnam in the late 1880s. Notably, Bánh Mì Soup is suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets thanks to Mindful Chik’n. Read on to learn more about this new plant-based protein from Sweet Earth Foods and get the Banh Mi Soup recipe.

Just like an American submarine sandwich or hoagie, a bánh mì can be filled with any type of meat – chicken, pork, meat balls, etc. However, my vegan soup relies beautifully on plant-based protein – Mindful Chik’n from Sweet Earth Foods. Found in the fresh meat section in select grocery stores (store locator), this newly-launched meat alternative looks like little chunks of chicken breast and has fabulous taste and texture. It’s made with non-GMO, plant-based ingredients including soy protein and provides excellent nutrition with 19g plant-based protein and 6g fiber per serving. It’s recipe ready and ideal for stir-frys, pasta, salads, soups and more.

My husband is pretty suspicious of plant-based meat alternatives, put he gave it a big thumbs up and asked me to make the bánh mì noodle soup again ASAP!

One of the hallmarks of a bánh mì are the sweet-spicy, lightly pickled veggies that add over-the-top flavor to the sandwich filling!

My soup riff features “quick pickled” carrots, radishes, red onions and jalapenos. So easy to make, simply soak veggies in a hot mixture of rice vinegar, water, dried red pepper flakes, and stevia (for a sugar-free recipe). Then drain and add to soup before serving. Leftover pickled veggies super yummy on a salad too! Add the details in recipe card below.

Check out Sweet Earth Foods for more info on this new Mindful Chik’n product at to see the amazing array of other foods they make – I am really a super-fan of their Truffle Lover’s Pizza!

5 from 1 vote

Print

Banh Mi Soup - Vegan

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

25 mins

 

Banh Mi Soup makes a delicious, nourishing lunch or dinner that is suitable for vegans and vegetarians. Broth, rice noodles, spinach and herbs are topped with sweet-spicy, lightly pickled radishes, carrots, cucumbers, onion and jalapenos! So yummy and a warm-you-up tribute to the namesake Vietnamese sandwich.

Course: entree soup, Soup

Cuisine: vietnamese, vegetarian, vegan

Keyword: chicken alternative, plant-based, rice noodles, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian

Servings: 2 servings

Ingredients

For Pickled Vegetables:

• 3/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• ¾ cup water
• ½ cup matchstick cut carrots
• ½ cup thinly sliced small radishes
• ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumber
• 1 jalapeno pepper sliced thinly
• 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• 2 little packets granulated stevia

For Soup:

• water
• 4 ounces dry rice noodle
• 32 ounces vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon vegan fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce
• 1 8- ouce package refrigerated Mindful Chik'n from Sweet Earth Foods
• 2 cups packed baby spinach leaves
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves
• ¼ cup chopped mint leaves

Instructions

1. Place water and rice vinegar in microwave safe bowl, bring to a boil in the microwave (2 to 3 minutes on high). Remove and add carrots, radishes, red onion, cucumber, and jalapeno. Stir in stevia and red pepper flakes. Set in fridge for at least 15 minutes.
2. Boil pot of water and add dry rice noodles, cooking according to manufacturer’s directions. Drain water and set aside in a bowl.
3. Add vegetable broth, lime juice, soy sauce, vegan fish sauce, and sriracha to pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and add package of Mindful Chik’n from Sweet Earth Foods, continue to simmer for 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Remove from burner and add spinach, cilantro and mint to soup mixture. Add cooked rice noodles that have been set aside.
5. Divide soup among two larger soup bowls. Remove pickled vegetables prepared earlier from refrigerator. Using a fork or slotted spoon, remove vegetables from pickling juice and add to top of soup. Enjoy.