Banh Mi Inspired Tortellini Salad

Lovers of pasta and sandwiches, you’ll flip over this Banh Mi Inspired Tortellini Salad! The quick pickled veggies provide crunch and flavor, with tortellini and cilantro tossed in a perfect creamy dressing. Incredible make-ahead meal potential!

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Note from Danielle

Sandwiches are perhaps my favorite type of carb + topping meal combo. Ranking even higher than pizza. But listen. Pasta is up there too. Especially when it tastes like a sandwich. TRUST.

This tortellini salad will be confusing at first. Because it tastes like a banh mi sandwich. The only thing I really miss is that heavenly bread!! That’s the part I can’t replicate at home. So until my next banh mi, I’ll be over here with this salad.

The pickles are lightly vinegared, the salad is perfectly creamy, and it’s full of all the right textures, flavors, and components you could need. I give it a 10/10. And so will you!

👉 Here in the post, you’ll find detailed info and helpful tips based on my personal experience with this recipe.

🖨️ For the printable recipe card with ingredients list and concise instructions, keep scrolling or hit the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button at the top of the page. 

🙋‍♀️ Frequently asked questions about this recipe are located after the recipe card.

Authentic Banh Mi Sandwiches

Banh mi (or Bánh Mì) is a Vietnamese sandwich, usually consisting of a quality baguette, sweet and salty pickled vegetables, thin sliced meats (usually pork based), mayonnaise, and cilantro leaves. It’s often served by street vendors in Vietnam. 

Before you make this recipe, I recommend trying an authentic banh mi sandwich first. If you can, search for a local Vietnamese restaurant and order one there. Personally, I love the banh mi from Gõ Seattle Catering. If you’re around Seattle, you have to try it!

For more information about traditional Vietnamese banh mi, you should read All About Authentic Vietnamese Pork Banh Mi Sandwiches from Cooking With Lane.

Recipe Overview

Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Method: Stovetop
Prep: Make-Ahead Friendly

Ingredients in this Banh Mi Inspired Tortellini Salad:

There are two main components in this recipe: the quickled pickled veggies, and the creamy tortellini pasta. It doesn’t involve much work; the longer time requirement for this recipe is mostly from pickling time and chilling.

Ingredients in the pickled veggies:

Think the same critical crunch veggies that a banh mi sandwich has: radish, carrot and cucumber. Pickle those with some ginger, and this gives you a signature tang in the salad. Here are some extra details:

• fresh ginger – A simple way to add more flavor to this salad. Fresh ginger is quite cheap and easy to use. A spoon or vegetable peeler can peel the outsides.

• radishes, carrots & Persian cucumbers – This selection of veggies matches a banh mi, but if you want to skip anything, you could leave out the radish. Persian cucumbers are a must. I think they hold up better than classic.

• rice vinegar – The goal here is very lightly pickled veggies with a mild vinegar flavor. We don’t want the veggies to overpower the salad, but we do want to pickle them. I ended up with a mix of 3/4 cup rice vinegar and 1/2 cup water.

• granulated sugar – To balance the vinegar in the pickles, you need a hit of sugar! Just two tablespoons dissolved into the pickling liquid does the trick.

• salt – The main difference between kosher salt and sea salt is the harvesting method and size of the granules. If using sea salt, make sure it is fine ground.

Ingredients in the tortellini salad:

Along with those pickled veggies, the rest of the salad is dressing, fresh green stuff, and the tortellini. There are few places you can deviate here, and some options if you don’t have all these ingredients.

• ham or chicken tortellini – Either ham or chicken tortellini will work to mimic the flavors of the thin sliced protein in the sandwich. In a pinch, plain cheese tortellini would work too.

• Kewpie mayonnaise – You could technically swap this for regular mayo, but I think it’s worth keeping both on hand for different dishes. Kewpie provides a signature flavor, including MSG, and it may seem like you’re missing something if skipped. Recipe card has instructions for swapping.

• oyster sauce – One of those condiments that provides a signature flavor here. Don’t skip! Once open, the bottle can be used for other Asian style meals and should last a while.

• sweet chili sauce – While I love sweet chili sauce, I don’t usually keep it on hand because I also love chili garlic sauce. During testing, I tried a combo of 1 TB chili garlic sauce + 1 TB granulated sugar, and it worked out well.

• salt – To balance all the sweet, tangy and umami flavors, a bit of salt will bring everything together.

• cilantro – Required on a banh mi! I’m sorry if you don’t like cilantro. You’re seriously missing out on a fabulous sandwich/meal type.

• green onions – Small mild added flavor, I do like to add some green onions for a fresh onion taste.

What is Kewpie mayo?

There are quite a few different kinds of mayonnaise out there, but Kewpie mayo is arguably the best one. It’s a seasoned Japanese mayonnaise that’s made with egg yolks only, instead of the whole egg.

Kewpie mayonnaise was first introduced in 1925, so it’s been around for over 100 years! And it’s not going anywhere except into my stomach. Read more about it from Kewpie themselves.

For anyone who wants a challenge, you can try making Kewpie mayo at home! Lisa at Okonomi Kitchen has the perfect ratios in her recipe for Kewpie Japanese Mayonnaise. Homemade mayonnaise is actually incredible!

Equipment you’ll need to make this Banh Mi Inspired Tortellini Salad:

Besides some common kitchen tools, there’s no super specific equipment needed to make this recipe, but I do have some recommendations on brands to look for:

• sharp chef’s knife – If I had to pick one thing in my kitchen to use forever, it would be my Misen Chef’s Knife (affiliate link!). This knife is super high quality while being affordable. I’ve had mine for years (and there’s a lifetime guarantee!).
• wooden cutting board – For cutting everything except raw meat, I recommend this Greener Chef XL Bamboo Cutting Board (affiliate link!). The XL size is affordable and perfect but not too huge. I use it for everything except cutting raw meat. Hand wash only!
• mixing bowls – I prefer mixing bowls with lids for recipes like this; that way I can mix it up, then put the lid directly on without switching vessels. This 8-Piece Pyrex Mixing Bowl Set (affiliate link!) is solid and I use mine almost daily, but the sets are getting pricey these days. A single large bowl with lid will also do well.

How to make this Banh Mi Inspired Tortellini Salad:

Pickling the veggies is where it starts, and what takes the longest for this salad. But time does not equal difficulty. Veggies, sauce, and some pasta is all it takes for this incredible sandwich-like-but-not creation!

Here’s a breakdown of each cooking step, plus some extra tips you might find helpful:

Make the pickles:

Peel then slice the ginger into sushi ginger-style ribbons. Place in a medium glass bowl with the cut veggies. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Stir until dissolved.

Pour over the vegetables and press them down into the liquid as much as you can. Leave the bowl on the counter to pickle for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes until the vegetables fit under the level of the pickling liquid.

Cook the tortellini:

Cook the tortellini in a pot of boiling salted water following the packet instructions. Gently drain and run under cool water. Set aside in a strainer to drain as much as possible until the veggies are ready.

Salting pasta water:

Don’t be shy when adding salt to pasta water! Most of it will drain away with the water.

For a pot with 4 quarts of water, I generally add about 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Here’s more from Gimme Some Oven on How to Properly Salt Your Pasta Water.

Make the dressing:

In the bottom of a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, oyster sauce, sweet chilli sauce (or alternate chili garlic sauce + sugar) and a generous pinch of salt until smooth.

Sweet Chili Sauce SWAP:

I love sweet chili sauce but I don’t usually keep it in my fridge, so I tested out this swap. Replace 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce with:

Combine everything:

Add half the cooked tortellini to the bowl, gently folding to coat, then repeat with the rest. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the veggies to the bowl. Add the cilantro, green onions and salt. Fold again until everything is just combined.

Chill and serve:

Chill for at least an hour so the pickled veggies flavors meld with the sauce and pasta, then stir once again and top with more chopped cilantro before serving.

If you like this…

If you like this recipe, you’ll love my you’ll love my Banh Mi Inspired Meal Prep Bowls; complete with chicken meatballs, pickled veggies, rice, and sriracha mayo sauce!

Best tips for making this tortellini salad:

Here are my best tips for making this salad successfully in your own kitchen:

• Don’t overcook the tortellini. It’ll fall apart and get mushy after time in the fridge. Most tortellini cooks quickly (it’s par-boiled), so stay near the stove and be ready with the strainer.

• Try not to add too much liquid. Do your best to let the pasta drip dry, pat down the produce after washing, and use a slotted spoon to transfer the pickled vegetables.

What to serve with this very delicious salad:

This pasta salad makes a delightful meal all by itself, as it includes crunchy veggies, protein and pasta. However, I’ve got a couple more ideas on what you could serve with it, if needed:

• Serve with warm crusty banh mi style bread. MORE BREAD PLEASE.

• Add some cooked diced chicken breast, shrimp, or cubed ham

• For an appetizer, I would enjoy some air fryer egg rolls while this is melding in the fridge.

More Pasta Salads:

Ways to customize this recipe:

Here are some ideas on ways to customize this pasta salad to your own tastes:

• Pick your tortellini – During testing, we tried three different kinds of tortellini, and they were all delicious! We enjoyed both the chicken and ham tortellini, but loved the chicken mozzarella tortelloni (cross between ravioli and tortellini 😂)

• Veggie preference – Don’t like radishes? Skip them and add another cucumber. Or any variation of this! You could even skip the pickling if you really wanted.

• Add more things to the salad – Add more things you might find on a banh mi sandwich, like avocado, thin sliced chicken or cubed ham, etc. I bet even some chunks of soft baguette would be good!

Ways to meal prep this recipe:

There are a couple ways to save time by preparing all or part of this recipe ahead of time. Here are two options:

• Ingredient prep: The quick pickles can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time. Make the recipe through Step 1, and then store the pickles in their juice in the refrigerator until you continue with the recipe.

• Complete prep: Make the recipe start to finish and then store in the fridge for up to 3 days. This salad is actually better the day after being made, once all the flavors from the pickles have had some time to meld with the saucy tortellini.

Is this recipe freezer-friendly?

I do not recommend freezing this recipe, due to the fresh veggies and cooked pasta. It won’t defrost well.

How to store Banh Mi Inspired Tortellini Salad:

Store this pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 3 days.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can you use regular mayonnaise instead of Kewpie?

You can, but I do prefer Kewpie for the added flavor and creaminess. If you do swap for regular mayo, you should also add a dash of MSG and a splash of the pickling liquid for some added vinegar.

Recipe developed by Rachel Phipps.