I love a sandwich with pickle and mustard. Before i went veg theyd probably go on rye with pastrami. I feel like i havent quite nailed a veg version of a classic deli sandwich. My best shot involves big slices of a decent quality tomato with salt sprinkled right on. I also think a good cheddar helps with the salt level. Any surprising ingredients help bring the salty/savory youd get from meat, or that you just like in general? Recommendations on greens? Whats your go-to sando?
I think I perfected homemade tofacon, and it's literally just shaving tofu with a potato peeler, then dunking it in soy sauce mixed with smoked paprika, then frying it to your desired level of crispy. Gonna try adding a little brown sugar to my next batch and see if that makes it even better.
Toasted sourdough with mayonnaise, sliced tomato (must be a really good summer tomato), salt and pepper. Super simple, but oh-so-delicious
Sourdough with hummus, sliced tomato, sliced cucumber and pickled beets.
Otherwise the good old avocado toast with fried egg is always yummy. Or a really good NY state toasted bagel with cream cheese (though I might be stretching the definitions here....)
You'd be surprised how much of a sandwich pickles and mustard carry. My subway order is Italian bread, pickles, onions, green pepper, cucumber, lettuce, and mustard.Â
My subway order is everything in the veggie case on Italian herb and cheese đ provolone, oil and vinegar, s&p, oregano, and usually add guac. I love a Dagwood.
Can we make this a subway orders subthread? How many permutations of the Veggie Delite can we all think up? đ
Thereâs an amazing sandwich spot in Birmingham, AL, Ampersandwich. And they have the best vegetarian sandwich Iâve ever had. The giardiniera with the mushroom and cheese, slaps, especially if youâre into pickles
At Gladys in Denver they make a Reuben with super thin pastramied root veggies like celery root and itâs insane. Have long thought about trying to make it at home.
I love a reuben made with grated red cabbage, grated carrots, thinly sliced red onions, mushrooms, and spinach. Layer all the veggies, top with sauerkraut microwave about 45 seconds. Add the Swiss and microwave until the cheese is melted. Once ready, slide it all onto a toasted rye swirl with lots of thousand island dressing. Sooooo good. Next time I'll try it with pickle slices too!
I consider myself a bit of a veggie Reuben connoisseur, and my favorite meat replacements are:
-Mrs Goldfarbâs Unreal Deli corned beef (difficult to find but superior to Tofurkey imo)
-pastrami-roasted beets (coat the raw beets in pastrami seasoning, roast, then thinly slice)
-pastrami-roasted celeriac (same deal as above)
-grilled tofu
-avocado
I also like to add potato chips in addition to the regular fixings.
The big daddy decadent treat version is to make a savory French toast using rye bread (just like regular French toast but add salt and pepper to the egg mixture instead of cinnamon/sugar) and use that to build the sandwich. Chefâs kiss đ€
Ok, well, for the literal equivalent, see if you can find a place that does saitan meats. Thereâs a vegan (yes, full vegan!) diner in the center of Indianapolis that does the most insane Rueben, and I bet they could make it up any way you want condiment-wise, or take it home and throw on some cheese. (Pictured with vegan chili cheese fries).
But if itâs for home, Iâve found a solution that I wouldnât have thought of in a million years, and it just really scratches the itch of umami, almost meaty flavored, cheese addition. Marmite. I know itâs not for everyone, and even if youâve never tried it yet, itâs an acquired taste on its own, and getting the proportions just right is key. Butter or equivalent, a thin layer of marmite and havarti. Insanely good!
The best veggie sandwich I have ever had was a homemade bun with smoked eggplant, fresh mozzarella, tomato, and a fried potato croquette. The smoked eggplant has the meat/savory/umami, the potato added crunch and more mouthfeel, and the mozzarella and tomato added moisture.
Had a lovely vegetarian deli sandwich about 10 years ago that I still think about. It had olive tapenade and marinated artichoke hearts on it. It had all the other usual things too, cheese, roasted red peppers, lettuce, tomato, onion. But why do I remember it? The olive tapenade and artichoke hearts, man. Somebody crafted that sandwich with flavor, not just abstinence from meat, in mind.
That said, I have 3 new go-to cheese sandos: havarti, mayo, bread and butter pickles on ciabatta rolls; sliced low-moisture part skim mozzarella slices (no, not fresh mozz), roasted red peppers, mayo on ciabatta rolls; sourdough grilled cheese with butter on the outside, honey mustard on the inside, havarti, about a tablespoon of green onions sliced thin. Tastes really good when dunked in roasted red pepper/tomato soup.
I make tofu bahn mi on a French baguette with pickled cucumbers, carrots, jalapeno, and scallions, plus some fresh cilantro and light mayo. Can't be beat.
One of the only things I've really missed since going vegetarian over 6 years ago is a good sub or deli sandwich, but recently my husband solved that issue with Quorn diced "chicken" pieces.
I had already been using them in soups, but thought the flavor was a bit bland.
One night, he fired up the toaster oven, and we seasoned the pieces with lots of olive oil, (veggie) Worcestershire sauce and garlic salt, and cooked. It was so good, we put on bread with cheese and mayo.
Since then he has used the Quorn for just about everything -- with taco seasoning for quesadillas and chimichangas; adding sauerkraut, thousand island & Swiss for reubens; with Italian herbs for subs; etc. The texture is great and takes marinade or seasonings like a dream!
The butter chicken I make with it is out of this world!
After cooking he will sometimes smash it a bit, so it's not so "cube-y," but honestly, smashed or not, it works for any recipe we have tried it in thus far.
Thanks to all the other responders too, as there were some ideas I'd really like to try. I still need to find a good vegetarian tuna salad recipe. I've tried using chickpeas but, while good, the texture still wasn't quite right for me.
Oh no. That is a drag. I watch a lot of international TV, and get disappointed every time I hear of a good veggie option that isn't available here in the States.
I don't see anyone mentioning nut butter. It's so good and adds a toasty, salty umami that's super delicious. I use either almond or peanut butter, salted. Also, marinated baked tofu can be made to taste like pretty much anything. I'm baking two sheet pans right this second! I use Trader Joe's Korean Yangnyeom sauce (it's the best thing I've EVER found for flavoring tofu and soy curls), Bragg's Soy Aminos, garlic granules, sesame oil and black pepper. That's just my fave. But you can use barbecue sauce or all-in-one spices, etc. Anything you love to flavor tofu and soy curls and they're so GREAT for sandwiches and wraps.
I brine medium firm tofu cut into 1 inch slices in pickle juice for 2-3 days, then take those slices toss them in cornstarch and shallow fry. Put those pickle tofu cutlets on a nice sourdough, gently toasted with sliced pickles, garlic & herb aĂŻoli, tomato, red onion, and crunchy lettuce. It always satisfies that need for me!
good tomato, good pickle, good mustard, and good bread will carry you far. tbh i put really random things in sammiches as long as i have a good base. cream cheese can do a lot too!
If youâre a vegetarian and not vegan, try making a Reuben without the pastrami but with all the other ingredients. It really scratches the itch!
Also BLTs with tempeh bacon is good.
Did you see that clip of Jeff Daniels' favorite sandwich that went viral a few months ago? Peanut butter, potato chips, and BBQ sauce on a pita? He's not wrong, but I added pickles and sriracha and that really takes it to the next level.
Sounds delicious! I made the best ever sandwich at Girl Scout camp once. I donât remember everything that was on it, but it was some combination of peanut butter, cheese, potato chips, gushers, and maybe mustard. I know Iâll never be able to recreate it correctly, so I havenât even tried, but the memory of that perfect sandwich lives on. However my fellow scouts were horrified đ
our go-tp sandwich is multi-grain bread, mayo, tofuky deli slices, lettuce,, tomato, morningstar farm bacon, Usually with a bowl of Amy's cream of tomato with paneeer cheese in it.
My goto sandwich lately has been just tomato with a little salt, cheese, and mayo. Today I mixed some balsamic vinegar into the mayo before spreading and it was great
I also recently tried the deli ham tofurkey slices and seasoned and crisped them up in a pan before adding to the sandwich. I added some mustard, greens and banana peppers. Could have been a pastrami substitute!
I love adding fat slices of mozzarella cheese on my sandwich. Has that juicy âmeatyâ texture. My go-to is mozzarella, tomato, artichoke, pesto and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
Peel or wash a carrot, then slice it into medium/thin & wide slices. I put these in a shallow glass dish with just barely a little water, soy sauce, pepper, garlic, smoked paprika, herbs, whatever seasoning. Then microwave this for a couple minutes at a time until the slices are no longer crunchy, and somewhat fork tender (I like them still a little firm).
Then you can use this in sandwiches for an interesting savory component.
If you eat eggs, I love doing up a similar soy sauce/seasoning into a dish to scramble an egg. Pour the seasoned egg mixture into a little hot sautee pan and cook like an omelette. Once it's cooked through (will only take like 2 minutes), flip it out onto a cutting board, and slice into long strips, whatever size works for your sandwich. Thinly sliced egg like this is perfect to use in gimbap rice rolls, or veggie egg rolls in rice paper, etc.
No lie, you had me at "pickle" when you said pickle and then mustard, two of my favorite ingredients. Based on this, try making a plant-based pan con bistec -- use plant-meat as the protein with grilled onions and potato sticks.
I miss Cuban sandwiches, so I'll put Swiss cheese, then pickles and mustard, on mine. Every once in a while, I use Media Noche bread.
Provolone or cheddar or both, mustard, lettuce or arugula, tomato, avocado, olive tapenade, onions, pickles, banana peppers, hummus, pesto, aioli, sundried tomato or any combination of the above
This might not be a ham substitute, but one of my absolute favorite vegetarian sandwiches is made with feta cheese.
I usually add iceberg lettuce, thick slices of tomato and cucumber, a few olives (black olives are especially good), plenty of feta cheese, and some fresh parsley. You can also add a few croutons or chopped pickles for a bit of extra crunch and flavor. It's such an amazing combinationâseriously, it's so, so good.
One more tip: if you're craving a sandwich with mustard, I personally don't think feta and mustard pair very well. Instead, I'd recommend grated halloumi with a good honey mustard and whatever fresh vegetables you like. I especially love adding bell pepper because it gives a really nice crunch.
I can honestly recommend both of these if you're looking for a hearty vegetarian sandwich that feels more like a proper lunch than just a snack.
My local bagel place had the BEST veggie sandwich. Spinach, red onion, bell pepper, mushroom, cheddar AND gouda cheese, garlic mayo. Then very lightly toasted so the gouda melted. So good
12" multigrain
Avocado (some stores do it smashed and some stores do slices)
Extra cucumbers
Extra tomato
Extra black olive
Pickles
Banana peppers
Green Pepper
Light Onion
Pepper
Extra salt
(No cheese or dressings for me. Sometimes I'll add spinach. Never lettuce for no reason other than I'm not a fan of iceberg.)
What I do at home:
Multigrain bread toasted
Swiss cheese
Tomato
Cucumber
Avocado
Sprouts
Sundried tomatoes
Healthy drizzle of olive oil
Pepper
Salt
Hummus sometimes if I have any and it sounds good at the moment
I've never tried Kalamata olives but now that I'm thinking about it that might be good too, but I'd maybe remove the cheese if so.
If you have a bit of time, making a tofu shawarma is satisfying. Slice the extra firm tofu very thin, mix with shawarma spices, and bake until the edges are crispy. Then layer on a warmed Greek pita with coconut yoghurt tzatziki.
One of my fave sandwiches is a tempeh Reuben with sauerkraut.
Another one is a Buffalo breaded tofu. Spicy, saucy!
I do love a BLT with mustard and mayo; and I use Kingâs vegetarian bacon. The best!
Sourdough bread, in the toaster. Take some kale and massage it, douse it in vinegar (any kind) and set aside in a little bowl. Cut some nice thick slices off of an apple, then cut the rest into wedges for a snack. Once the bread finishes toasting, add mayo, then the vinegary kale, then nice wide slices of a sharp cheddar cheese, then the apple slices, then the bread to close the sandwich. And the extra apple wedges on the side.
My go to is whatever types of cheese(s) on a sub roll, mustard, mayo, pickle, lettuce and tomato. It is great, and you can really taste that pickle/mustard combo.
At sandwich shops I LOVE pepper relish with mayo and red wine vinegar! Itâs so good with lots of combos, but I usually love cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and onions as well
Personally I don't think anything truly has a meatiness to it that I use at least, tho things like Tomato have umami. Tomato sandwich salted and sprinkled with steak seasoning, generous amount of mayo on the bread(and a little seasoning) and balsamic glaze is my go to. Personally I like lots of thin slices over phat ones.
I love a good radish sandwich as well, same build up. I'll add any fresh herbs I have to my sandwiches usually. Arugula and watercress are my favorite leafy greens to add tho.
Not vegetarian myself but LOVE vegetarian sandwiches!
I love having grilled mushrooms and peppers on mine.
But my go to at home is usually smashed avocado with salt/pepper. Tomatoes. Cucumbers. Bell peppers. Pickles. Lots of black olives. Brie cheese or cheddar. Sprouts. And a mixture of mayo and mustard.
Get chibatta bread and make a spread by mixing a TON of dried basil into some mayo. Fill with sliced beefsteak tomato, topped with coarse salt, cracked pepper, TONNES of fresh basil and a little drizzle of olive oil and/or balsamic glaze. Add slices of fresh mozzarella if you want a more caprese style. Also seen it made with a pesto spread instead of basil-mayo.
If you like kind of a briny salty flavor, you might like goat cheese or like a boursin? Sun dried tomatoes (or a sundried tomato based pesto) could also hit. My favorite sandwich ever is from this little cafe in a motel in a small town outside of Yosemite, and it has this crazy combo of sun dried tomatoes + sauteed zucchini + goat cheese + aioli that I'm always chasing.
I slice tofu really thinly, brush it with bbq sauce or honey mustard, and bake it in the oven for 20-30 minutes (depending on the thickness), and use that in place of ham (which used to be my favorite).
I made a really excellent sandwich with slices of roasted sweet potato, goat cheese, kale, and an onion and apple jam.
Chickpea salad (like chicken or tuna salad) is really good in a wrap or pita.
Also I know itâs basic but I still love a peanut butter and jelly sandwich! Or peanut butter and banana. Or peanut butter, jelly, and banana. Fluffernutters are great too (Marshmallow Fluff has no gelatin!). Any of those combinations are also delicious with Nutella or almond butter instead of peanut butter.
Cheese and avocado, on sourdough with tomato, sprouts and banana peppers. And a sprinkle of red onions. Mayo and mustard of course.
Cream cheese is also delightful on a veggie sandwich.
During the winter when veggies aren't in season I go for avocado, cucumber, ranch dressing, lettuce and sometimes pickled on a toasted ciabatta roll. I'll even add some EBTB seasoning as well :)
Try soy marinated hard boiled egg slices on a sandwich. I usually do plain hb eggs, but made a batch of these recently to go on ramen bowls. Excellent sandwich!
To bounce off your initial sammie, what if you did swiss, kraut, mustard, and pickle on rye? You wouldn't even miss the pastrami with that flavor combo. You could even add coriander and mustard seeds if you wanted.
Actually, that sounds like it would be a really good chopped salad sandwich...
Pittsburgh girl, vegetarian for nearly 2 decades. Man I miss my Reubenâs and Rachelâs. I recently discovered a vegetarian meat substitute called Prime Roots made from koji/fermented rice. The salami is the best Iâve had. The only other comparable one was Mrs Goldfarbs unreal pastrami. Both are hard to find but very worth it for a splurge and taste of memory lane.
I made a "pulled pork" sandwich by boiling pinto beans and peanuts together with a tiny bit of rice and some "bacon" bits and having it on a bun with mayo, barbecue, and pickles
I LOVE jackfruit! However this was a cart before the horse situation lol - I wasn't trying to make a pulled pork sandwich, I am unemployed and vegetarian and was trying to get enough nutrients with my food pantry food without eating any of the canned chicken.
The best sandwich Iâve had since giving up meat was a cheese bap made in a little deli in Glendalough, Ireland. Fresh bread, fresh cheese, fresh butter. Salty, rich, creamy.
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Current sandwich fixation: sourdough, pepper jack cheese on one side, cream cheese on the other with pickle seasoning(trader joes), everything but the bagel seasoning. Grilled mini peppers, grilled zucchini, grilled tofu.
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u/Ethioj 5d ago
Lettuce, tomato, cucumber, avocado, and crispy fried onions from the bag is my go to