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Vegetarian sandwiches can often fall short, particularly when they come from a place focused on meat-based dishes. All too frequently, the standard option is a greasy portobello mushroom cap, accompanied by a few raw, sliced veggies, and occasionally a slice of cheese. Sprouts are a common addition as well.
If you're aiming to eliminate meat from your diet or simply incorporate more veggies, assembling a satisfying vegetarian sandwich can be tricky, especially if you’ve never encountered any truly great and well-crafted veggie sandwiches before. Fortunately, sandwich enthusiasts at Eater reached out to sandwich specialists—chef Peter Lemos of Wax Paper Company in Los Angeles and chef Andrew Magee of Martha Kensington in Philadelphia—to get their expert advice on creating mouthwatering vegetarian sandwiches.
Both chefs shared a wealth of useful sandwich-building tips and offered numerous ideas for spreads, pickles, and seasonings. But what really stood out to me was the straightforward sandwich-making formula that appeared later in the article.
If you're feeling low on inspiration, Magee has a straightforward formula for crafting the ideal vegetarian sandwich. It’s easy to recall: Include something bold, such as vinaigrette or pickles, something roasted, like charred carrots or sweet potato, and something fresh, like crunchy radishes or zucchini. By following this sandwich blueprint, you can transform almost any ingredients into an amazing veggie sandwich.
Combining bold, roasted, and fresh components creates a dynamic, well-rounded sandwich, and it opens up the possibility of using ingredients that might not traditionally be thought of as sandwich staples. Roasted vegetables from last night’s dinner are an obvious choice, but even something like a hearty sweet potato might surprise you as a great addition.
I have just one modification to this formula, and that's adding something rich, particularly if your roasted element is light and leafy. A slice of avocado, a spread of veganaise, a dollop of hummus, or a drizzle of olive oil can give your sandwich extra depth and satisfaction. (And yes, if you absolutely must, a little cheese is fine. Just don't rely on it as a crutch.)
