This Banh Mi Bowl is like your favorite banh mi sandwich, but healthier! The base is made with cauliflower rice, then it’s topped with veggies, a sticky-sweet pork and a simple sriracha mayo.
Remember when I named a banh mi restaurant one of my favorites in Pittsburgh? Yeah well the other day I found myself craving banh mi but I didn’t want to leave my house. Enter: this homemade (and healthy!) banh mi bowl.
The best part about banh mi is the variety of flavors. Since this isn’t a typical banh mi sandwich and it is on the healthier side, I wanted to make sure the meat was marinaded perfectly, aka that it had tons of flavor. Let me tell you–this recipe is pure perfection and it comes together in less than 15 minutes! I always say that 30 minute meals are my favorite, but 15 minute meals are even better.
WHY THIS BANH MI BOWL IS THE BEST
- It’s made with healthy ingredients, like cauliflower, cucumber and carrots
- The marinade for the pork is insanely flavorful
- Anything with sriracha mayo is a winner in my opinion, including this bowl!
- It’s ready in just 15 minutes
HOW TO MAKE A BANH MI BOWL
This bowl comes together from start to finish in less than 15 minutes, so when I’m really not joking when I say it’s EASY.
Start by cooking the pork in a skillet over the stove. While the pork is cooking, prep the veggies–cucumber, carrots, and jalapeño–by slicing them. For this recipe, I bought shredded carrots, but you can also buy carrot sticks and slice them yourself if you prefer.
Once the veggies are sliced, make the cauliflower rice. Pro tip: buy pre-made cauliflower rice! Seriously, it makes life a lot easier. I like the frozen bags that you can microwave, but you can also buy the refrigerated kind that cooks over the stove.
The final step is to make the marinade by whisking coconut aminos, arrowroot and ginger together in a bowl. At this point, the pork should be fully cooked. Add the garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until the garlic is fragrant, then reduce the heat to low, then pour the marinade over top and stir everything together for about 1 minute until the pork is fully coated the sauce gets kind of sticky.
INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS
Want to make a few changes? No problem. Here are a few that I think would work well:
Vegan: If you want to keep this vegan-friendly, simply use your favorite vegan “meat” substitution. Personally, I’d use either fried tofu or seitan.
Traditional: Use white rice! Traditional banh mi bowls are made with white rice instead of cauliflower rice, so if you want to go that route, I think it’ll taste delicious.
ISN’T TRADITIONAL BANH MI MADE WITH PICKLED VEGETABLES?
Yes! Pickling vegetables is absolutely an option when making this bowl; however, it requires a little more prep work, and I wanted this bowl to be as quick as possible, so I opted to use raw veggies. Feel free to pickle the carrots ahead of time if you want it to taste truly authentic.
OTHER WHOLE30 RECIPES
Banh Mi Bowl (Paleo, Whole30)
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground pork
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp arrowroot
- 1 tsp fresh ginger grated
- 12 oz. cauliflower rice*
- 1/2 cup cucumber sliced
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1 jalapeño sliced and seeds removed
- cilantro for garnish
for the sriracha mayo:
- 1/4 cup mayo**
- 1 tsp sriracha***
Instructions
- Start by cooking the pork in a skillet over the stove.
- While the pork is cooking, slice the cucumber and jalapeño, and measure out the carrot sticks. Next, make the marinade by whisking the coconut aminos, arrowroot and ginger together in a bowl.
- Make the cauliflower rice according to the package instructions.
- At this point, the pork should be cooked. Add the garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to low, then pour the marinade overtop and stir together for 1 minute or until the pork is completely coated and the sauce is slightly sticky.
- Divide the cauliflower rice into 2 bowls then top it with the pork and veggies. The final step is to make the sriracha mayo: simply whisk the mayo and sriracha together, then drizzle it over the bowls. Enjoy!
Notes
I make something similar all the time with tofu, and I make faux pickled carrots by using a peeler to make thin strips, then submerging them in apple cider vinegar and a little salt or soy sauce. If you make the carrots as your first step, they’ll have taken on enough flavor by the time you’re ready to assemble the whole bowl. Thanks for sharing your recipe and tips!
Love that idea!