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This veggie sandwich is refreshing and light while also being filling. A fantastic option for lunch or a light dinner!
One of my biggest weaknesses has always been a nicely stacked sandwich and by being on a mostly plant-based diet, filling that craving can be a challenge! I’ve had to say goodbye to a lot of amazing ‘wiches–think Italian meats folded between focaccia bread, classic BLT clubs, gooey turkey melts–you name it. I mean, some days I see a fancy sandwich on Pinterest and I’m like, “Mmmmm, a prosciutto, arugula and provolone melt OH WAIT I CAN’T HAVE THAT.”
I can’t say I regret nixing the consumption of land animals though–this Gourmet Veggie Sandwich has been filling my stacked ‘wich cravings like a champ! Just look at the thing. LOOK AT IT.
A few weeks ago we hit up Beasley’s Chicken and Waffles in downtown Raleigh with my in-laws who were visiting from out of town and hankering for some good old fashioned Southern comfort. Now, I’m never one to complain about having limitations on menus due to my dietary restrictions; going pescetarian was my choice and no one else should have to suffer for it. I was, however, a little worried that I wouldn’t be able to find anything to eat at a chicken and waffles joint. But hey, worst-case scenario, I could just drink my lunch, right? Their beer list is quite nice after all :)
Although slightly relieved to see a veggie sandwich on their menu, I must admit, it sounded like a snore. I mean, how exciting could a veggie sandwich be, right? Again, especially in an establishment that caters to a crowd that is eager to leave clean bones behind…
But sweet Jesus! You couldn’t get a word out of me during lunch because I was too busy having a love affair with my ‘wich. It was perfection, and I mean that. Between two slices of toasted bread were tomatoes, sliced avocado, aged cheddar, mayo, and sprouts. And it was dee-lish. Well done, Beasley’s. Thanks for looking’ out for us nonmnivores.
Because I kept thinking about that sandwich well after lunch (and probably during dinner), I knew I had to come up with my own version and share it with the masses. I made a few alterations and I really, really like how it turned out. I used less cheese (not because I dislike a lot of cheese, but because I’ll be on a beach for a week in just over a month so, there’s that); I added some red onions, and I jazzed up the mayo by adding fresh lemon juice and a generous amount of cracked black pepper.
Anyway, I’ve said enough.
Without further adieu, here it is: my Gourmet Veggie Sandwich with Lemon and Cracked Black Pepper Mayo. UNF.
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Gourmet Veggie Sandwich
Ingredients
- 2 slices of your choice of bread, toasted to your liking
- 1.5-2 oz of aged cheddar, sliced
- 2 to mato slices
- 4 rings of sliced red onion
- 1/2 of an avocado, sliced
- 1/4 cup of clover sprouts or pea shoots
- 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise
- 1/2 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix the mayo, lemon juice, and a generous amount of cracked black pepper until well blended.
- After preparing and slicing your veggies and cheese, toast your slices of bread.
- Once toasted, spread half of the mayo on one slice of toast.
- Add the cheese as the bottom layer, then add the tomatoes. Add the avocado and spread it out over the tomatoes--almost like a fan as seen in the photos. Then, add the red onion.
- Spread the remaining half of the mayo on the other slice of toast.
- Sprinkle the sprouts over the mayo (this helps them stick and keeps them from tumbling all over the place).
- Top the sandwich off with that last piece of bread, cut if you wish (slowly and carefully to avoid squeezing all of the contents of the sandwich out from the sides), and enjoy that bad boy!
Yum! Now THAT is a sandwich after my own heart. I absolutely love veggie sandwiches (well… veggie anything) but it’s been so long since I’ve had a large and in charge veggie sandwich! Pinning now, then going to hunt down some delicious grainy bread. Thanks for the inspiration, Dana!
Thanks, Justine! Haha, the saying “large and in charge” always ALWAYS makes me giggle. I hope you love this when you make it! :)
Oh man. That Avocado. Those layers. THAT is a sandwich. I’ve always had a special fondness for loaded veggie sandwiches and I don’t know why you don’t see them more often. I mean, sure meats are nice and all that, but something about veggies and cheese all together, fresh and crisp and creamy and yummy… it’s just the perfect sandwich. My personal twist is bagels – throw all that on a poppy seed bagel and I’ll gladly take it over anything else.
Thanks, Sean! I totally agree. Even when I was an omnivore, it wasn’t unusual for me to opt for a veggie sub over one piled with meat. They are so clean tasting, yet still so flavorful!
LOVE BAGELS. Though with bagels, my perfect treat is a lox. Because smoked salmon. My stars.
Woohoo for not-boring veggie sandwiches! I looove sandwiches and I get so disappointed when I’m at a cafe and all the interesting sandwiches have meat on them. This veggie sandwich looks amaaaazing! Love that there’s avocado on it :)
Thanks, Mel! I feel you. It’s especially frustrating when a lot of the sandwiches are sort of complex, so asking for alterations is probably a big deal. Not to mention that a lot of places will slap a “Caprese panini” or something similar on their menu for their one vegetarian item and it’s like… what if I wanted something more than tomatoes, basil, and pounds of mozza? I mean don’t get me wrong, I love a good caprese sandwich–but when it’s often the only veg option? Grumble grumble…
Okay, how did you get those avocado slices so f’ing PERFECT!? LOVE. I actually had a very similar experience at a diner with a veggie sandwich when I was young and I still remember that sandwich to this day. It actually looks alot like yours!! Pinning!
Haha, thanks so much, Katy! I cut them with great precision and I carefully placed them onto the tomatoes and fanned it out very slowly. I was afraid that I’d mess it up and was nervous about the sandwich being photogenic. Sometimes these things just don’t work out. The sandwich gods were on my side that day, though!
It is such a struggle to get a good veggie sandwich! Every time I go to the diner up here in the Northeast with my husband, they look at me like I’m speaking a foreign language (and not theirs) when I try to get some kind of customized BLT sans bacon. NOTHING. But now I can just stay home and make this! Looks awesome!
I totally agree, Tessa! I feel like a lot of places don’t give their veggie sandwiches any love; they just have one on the menu for the sake of any vegetarian who might drop by. Often times they are bland.
Haha, your diner experience reminds me of anytime I got into a BBQ joint here in the South. My husband loves BBQ so we still go, I’ll just order the mac and cheese or okra or something like that. They always look at me waiting for me to say what kind of meat I want.
I hope you do get around to making this one, and I hope you love it!