In verdant fields, ripe with pickled carrots and green-onion stalks, rainbow-feathered chickens gallivant about until they rest their little chicken heads on pillowy loaves of French bread bathed in sweet-salty soy and lime sauce. This wild, fresh, and crunchy dream came to life in my kitchen just last night, and a picture of the sandwich that resulted, is my only proof, but trust me, the entire experience was amazeballs. This hearty, stick-to-the-ribs sandwich is banh mi-inspired, and oh-so versatile. It’ll have you and your loved ones celebrating March, April, and May in the most traditional way possible: by whacking each other over the head with loaves of French bread and singing, “Spring is Coming! Watch out!” to the tune of “I Like to Move It Move It.”
The recipe follows below. You can also plan a family “spring-break bucket list” to enjoy with your sandwich. Ours includes riding a mechanical bull. (I have not cleared this with Nate yet. Alex would be cool with it.)
Ingredients:
½ cup of carrots cut into thin strips
½ of a cucumber sliced thin (I like to scrape the seeds out.)
¼ cup of vinegar (I used apple cider, but you can also use rice or white vinegar)
1 tablespoon of maple syrup (I’ve used honey or sugar before—either one is fine)
5-6 tenderloins of chicken (boneless, skinless)
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
3 tablespoons of lime juice
1 teaspoon of minced, fresh ginger
1 teaspoon of minced jalapeño (optional—if you want spicier, use a full tablespoon of sriracha sauce instead)
1 clove of garlic minced
1 tablespoon of maple syrup (or honey or sugar)
½ cup of green or red cabbage chopped
2-3 stalks of green onion, cut into long strips
¼ cup of cilantro roughly chopped
1 teaspoon of chopped fresh mint
2-3 large basil leaves cut into long strips
1 loaf of French bread
Method:
Prepare the carrot and cucumber marinade:
–Mix the carrots and cucumber into a bowl with the vinegar and one tablespoon of maple syrup. This mixture does not have to marinate overnight—it’s fine as is, but for deeper flavors, you can let it sit longer.
–Whisk the soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, jalapeño or sriracha sauce (if using), garlic, and tablespoon of maple syrup in a separate bowl. Remove about 3 tablespoons to another small bowl. Distribute that separate portion of three tablespoons onto the chicken—pour the sauce directly on, but evenly. (You might even choose to put the chicken strips into a plastic bag and pour the three tablespoons of the sauce into the bag and mix everything together that way.)
With the remaining, larger soy sauce portion left in the bowl, you can place the minced cabbage to marinate.
–Heat the oven to 425 and bake the French bread for about 6-8 minutes (if it’s a take and bake loaf. If it is completely baked, you probably only need about 3-5 minutes to warm it up). Then, wrap the bread in foil to keep it warm.
–Heat the oven to 450 and heat the chicken tenderloins for about 10 minutes—or until the inside is cooked through and the juices run clear. Cut into one-inch slices on a diagonal.
–Then, assemble the sandwiches: Slice the French bread on the diagonal into 3-4 pieces and slice down the middle, but not all the way through. Put the cabbage mixture down first. Then, add the chicken pieces. You can add the pickled carrots/cucumbers next and then top with the green onions, mint, basil, and cilantro. You can also top the entire thing with chopped peanuts.
Results: This. Is. The. Best. Sandwich. Ever. The experience was surreal. At one point, I think the cat hopped onto the dining room chair next to Alex and sniffed the sandwich with that look of creepy ecstasy that only cats can manage, and then the cat just stared at me. There was no way I was giving him any bite—not with his history of vomiting fresh flowers all over the house. But if a sandwich has that kind of an emotional pull on the family cat, I know it’s a recipe I can keep forever. I know we can charge full steam ahead into spring with a French bread loaf in one hand and a mechanical bull somewhere in sight, where pickled carrots and chickens run free.
Your Turn: What is your favorite sandwich?
Fixin' Leaks and Leeks 
I enjoy an easy sandwich filling made with mashed garbanzo beans, vegan mayo, and diced dill pickles. Have fun on the mechanical bull!
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Yum! I love humus-based sandwiches–so good!
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Looks delicious. I recently made a croque monsieur. Basically it’s a grilled ham and cheese, but you coat the insides of the bread with a bechamel sauce first. Also, you just brown the outsides of the bread in a pan, then cook it in the oven.
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I love croque monsieur sandwiches–they are amazing!
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Grilled cheese! 🙂
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Delicious!
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That sounds (and looks) so delicious! Croque Madame – love it. 🙂
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Those are great!
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I guess it would be your sandwich (sounds great!) or one banh mi I made for the blog after I discovered them (there are a bunch of variations of banh mi, all named slightly differently). I love the mix of european and asian influences, the sweet/sour/salty/hot, the vegetable/meat/liver/and sauces. Not boring at all 🙂
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Thanks! The flavors are amazing!
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To be perfectly, honest, it’s been so long since I’ve had a good sandwich that I can’t remember what my favorite sandwich is–something prepared in a restaurant.
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Yes–it’s always nice when someone else makes the sandwich:)
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😀
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I believe you! That sounds fantastic. And it looks wonderful, too. I’d ditch the cilantro, otherwise it just sounds perfect, I’d take it even if every cat in the neighborhood was handing around staring at me.
Very poetic opening to this post, too, I can tell this was a religious experience!
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Creepy cat staring comes with the territory–but it’s worth it!
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This looks like a fantastic sandwich.
My favourite sandwich is a fish and coleslaw sandwich. Firm white fish like barramundi, battered with a beer batter. Homemade coleslaw with a good dressing. White thick-cut sandwich bread and real butter.
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That sounds great! Beer batter is the best!
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that looks tasty. We know the cat was intrigued by the sandwich, but what did your guys think? My favorite sandwich? Some of that depends on my mood! Can’t beat a good grilled cheese especially with homemade tomato soup. But then a really good chicken salad on a croissant is tasty too. Or… how about an Italian sub on a great sub roll? Ok now I’m hungry
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This was definitely our favorite sandwich! Grilled cheese is awesome as well, and I also love Italian subs. I think I have enough sandwich ideas to last the week:)
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My favourite sandwich is this one. I’m going to make it and taste. Thank you 🙂
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You’re welcome! Hope you enjoy it!
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I don’t really have a favourite sandwich–maybe grilled cheese with real cheddar on GF bread– but this one looks amazing!
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You can’t go wrong with grilled cheese:)
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I love banh-mi sandwiches. This looks and sounds so delicious I’m tempted to try making it, and I rarely try to make anything that has more than three ingredients of multiple steps.
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So happy to hear that! If you do make it, let me know how it goes!
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I will! Of course, having read my blog, you probably realize my enthusiasm and ambition, unfortunately, have the lifespan of a Mayfly.
(That’s better. My replies are much more effective and less disconcerting when I put them into the correct post).
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