Loaded banh mi bowls with ginger miso soba noodles or ginger miso steamed rice

Our family are big fans of Banh Mi. We have the bowl version at least every other week. For a family of 5 it’s the versatility, taste, slow cooker capability and sheer deliciousness that make this a winner for us. I was introduced to this recipe in her book, Skinny Taste by Gina Hmolka.

Banh Mi, pronounce Bun- Mee, means bread in Vietnamese. Gina is dead on in her decision to ditch the bread in place of rice by making it into a bowl serving. I find the authentic sandwich version to be too bready. The bread overpowers the flavors of the fresh ingredients. We tried this last week during our June heat wave using cold soba noodles and found a completely new way to enjoy this meal in the heat of summer.

Adaption: For the colder months, use steamed rice in place of cold soba for summer. Follow the directions on the package, use ginger miso butter in place of plain butter or oil.

 

For the pork:

1 pound pork tenderloin

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

3 cloves crushed garlic

1 jalapeno, sliced

1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce*

1 tablespoon brown sugar

For the pickled carrot:

6 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup shredded carrots

2 radishes, cut into matchsticks

 

For the bowls:

3 cups cooked brown rice or cooked, refrigerated soba noodles

½ of one Fireworks Ginger Miso Butter burst

1 cup shredded red cabbage

1 cup thinly sliced English cucumbers, about ½ small

1 small jalapeno, thinly sliced

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

 

INSTRUCTIONS

Season the pork with salt and pepper and place into the slow cooker. Combine the garlic, jalapeno, soy sauce and brown sugar and stir to dissolve, pour over the pork.(NOTE: If your slow cooker runs hot, add 1/4 cup water). Cover and cook on low for 6 hours until the pork is very tender, turning once half way through if desired. When the pork is ready, shred the meat. Reserve the sauce.

Meanwhile, while the pork is cooking, make the pickled carrots and radish: In a medium glass bowl, combine the vinegar, sugar and salt and stir until dissolved. Add the carrots and radish and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Drain well and refrigerate until ready to use.

Make the noodles or steam the rice according to package instructions. If using  rice, substitute oil or ghee for the Ginger Miso butter during the steaming stage. Stir well to incorporate the butter. If using the noodles, boil and strain and then add the noodles and butter together back in the hot pan. Stir well to incorporate.

To assemble the bowls, place 3/4 cup rice or noodles in each bowl, top each with about 2 1/2 oz pork, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the reserved sauce then top with the 1/4 cup shredded cabbage, 1/4 cup pickled carrots, 1/4 cup cucumber, sliced jalapenos and cilantro.