Instead, you probably picture two slices of bread, some deli meat, and a piece of cheese. Maybe you’re creative and add lettuce, tomatoes, and a few condiments, but that’s probably about it. Most people don’t go all out when it comes to their sandwiches. Instead, they consider them a “quick, convenient” option when they don’t want to cook. I think that’s a shame because there’s nothing like a good, thick, well-constructed sandwich overflowing with goodies. These 20 vegetarian sandwich recipes are proof of that. So whether you’re looking for something savory and hearty (BBQ jackfruit sandwiches) or sweet and comforting (peanut butter and banana sandwiches), this list should have something for you.
20 Tasty Vegetarian Sandwiches Everyone Will Love
1. Chickpea Salad Sandwich
It takes about 10 minutes to whip up a smashed chickpea salad sandwich, and there’s no cooking involved. You’ll simply mash the chickpeas and add mayo, apple cider vinegar, dill pickles, onions, and plenty of herbs and seasonings. (It’s like a chicken salad sandwich, only with chickpeas instead of chicken.) Spread it on your favorite bread, add more pickles, tomatoes, and whatever else you like. It’s naturally vegan-friendly, but if you need a gluten-free option, use gluten-free bread.
2. Potato Sandwich
Grilled or toasted, potato sandwiches are the stuff. They remind me of Thanksgiving Day in a sandwich. It may sound a little weird, but herby, buttery, and fluffy mashed potatoes taste great with anything. That’s especially true when they’re stuffed inside two pieces of grilled or toasted bread. The crispy bread is the perfect complement to the soft, pillowy potatoes, and thanks to the additional spices and chili powders, there’s a little bite of heat to them, as well.
3. TLT (Tempeh Bacon, Lettuce Tomato)
Ahhh… the classic BLT – the ultimate in vegetarian sandwiches. Wait… What? Just kidding! Instead, this is a TLT. the first ‘T’ stands for tempeh bacon, which is made from soybeans. It’s thick, salty, and has crispy edges and a nice, chewy center. It doesn’t taste precisely like authentic bacon, but it’s very tasty. And once you put it between two pieces of rye bread with the lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, garlic, and cashew mayo, you’ll have a real treat.
4. BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches
If you’ve never had it, jackfruit is a very interesting food. When fully ripe, it tastes sweet and a little tart, like most fruits. If you pick it before it’s ready and eat it green, however, it’s bland, takes on the taste of whatever you cook with it. It’s the ideal meat substitute, particularly for pulled pork and BBQ dishes. Mix this shredded jackfruit up with your favorite BBQ sauce and seasonings, add a handful of roasted cashews and a bit of avocado slaw, and pile it all high on a vegan bun. Unlike the TLT, it’ll be hard for anyone to guess there’s no actual meat in their BBQ sandwiches.
5. Vegetarian Tofu Banh Mi
Banh mi sandwiches are a staple of Vietnamese cuisine. They use an airy, soft baguette with crispy edges as a bun and look a lot like something you’d order at Subway. Traditionally, chefs stuff them with various meats and pickled veggies, but for this banh mi, you’ll use marinated tofu and pickled veggies instead. The sandwich takes a little time to make, but it has a bright, zesty, garden-fresh flavor and is full of things that are good for you.
6. Rainbow Vegetable Sandwich
This nutritious sandwich is as gorgeous as it is tasty, and the most challenging part of making it is spreading the cream cheese on the bread. After that, just stack on your veggies: purple cabbages, red radishes, orange carrots, yellow and red bell peppers, green cucumbers, and more. Aside from maybe blue, this veggie sandwich really does contain every color of the rainbow. Give it a try the next time you’re craving something fresh and lovely.
7. Lentil Sloppy Joes
These lentil sloppy joes may not look or taste as much like the real thing as the jackfruit BBQ sandwiches, but they’re still outstanding and insanely easy to make. They have a robust, smoky flavor and plenty of onions and peppers to spice them up some. The trick to getting these just right is in all the seasonings. Luckily, it’s easy, and the whole process only takes 30 minutes from beginning to end.
8. Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich
Elvis may have been the King of Rock-n-Roll, but he was no slouch when it came to dreaming up delicious but not always so nutritious meals, either. We’ll call this one the PB&B – peanut butter and banana – and it was one of his favorites. A mashed banana, smooth peanut butter, and a pat of butter on bread, grilled to golden-brown perfection: What could be sweeter or more decadent than that? My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
9. Avocado Club Sandwich
Think of the avocado club like a turkey club, with the avocado standing in for the turkey and coconut bacon taking the place of the real deal. The taste is slightly different, of course, but it’s still wonderful, and thanks to the avocado, coconut bacon, two types of cheese, it’s surprisingly filling! It takes only 10 minutes to whip up, making it a quick and convenient lunch option that’ll hold you over till dinner. *Pro tip: If coconut bacon has too much sweetness to suit your tastes, use the tempeh bacon mentioned above or pick up some frozen “fakon,” which is what I like to call Morningstar’s soybean bacon.
10. Falafel Pita Sandwich
These marvelous Middle Eastern sandwiches take nearly an hour to make. However, once you take that first bite of crunchy, well-seasoned falafel, fresh veggies, and creamy sauce, you’ll understand why they were worth your time. Seriously, this hearty pita sandwich is a masterpiece, and it’s perfect for both lunch or dinner. Honestly, I’ve even been known to have them for breakfast if I have leftover falafel.
11. Cauliflower Sandwich
If you’ve been following a vegan or vegetarian (or low-carb or keto) diet for a while, then you probably already know about all the fantastic things you can do with cauliflower. It’s a wildly versatile food, and you can use it to recreate lots of your favorite meat- and carb-heavy dishes. In this case, you’ll use it to make a vegetarian version of a steak sandwich. While cauliflower will never replace steak, this sandwich is almost crispy and salty enough to do the trick. Honestly, after only a single bite of it, it’ll be hard for you to believe it’s 100% plant-based. I could eat cauliflower cooked this way by itself, but adding the ciabatta roll, spinach, and phenomenal romesco sauce makes this one of my all-time favorite sandwiches. Just give it a try. You won’t be able to comprehend how amazing it is until you do.
12. Eggplant Sandwich
It’s hard to guess what you’ll love more about this sandwich – the toasted panini bread, the slightly crunchy and insanely juicy eggplant, or the additional raw veggies. Whichever part is your favorite, there’s no denying that, as a whole, it’s spectacular. It’s almost like a BLT on steroids (and made entirely without meat).
13. PB & J Sushi
Don’t worry; I didn’t put PB&J on fish. Even I’m not that adventurous (yet). These are tightly rolled peanut butter and jelly sandwich bites. Start with your favorite bread. The recipe calls for white, but you can use whatever you like as long as it is soft and rolls easily. Cut off the crusts, add the PB&J, and roll them up! Cut them in sushi-sized bites and enjoy. (For the ultimate sushi experience, use chopsticks to eat them.)
14. Veggie Pesto Sandwich
If you’re looking for a quick and easy lunch on the go, try this veggie pesto sandwich. All the vegetables are raw, so you won’t have to do any cooking. Making it is just a matter of spreading pesto on the bread and assembling all the other ingredients. It’s a cool, fresh sandwich that tastes best in the summer when garden veggies are abundant, but you can make it any time you like. Feel free to follow the recipe as written or pile it high with your favorite vegetables (or even fruits). The real star of the show is the pesto. If you’ve ever had it, you know how flavorful and aromatic it is. Biting into it is like having a full-flavor taste explosion on your tongue.
15. Carrot Hot Dogs
Many people may argue with me about this, but I’m a firm believer that anything that puts ingredients between or inside bread is a sandwich. Since there’s one side of a bun on either side of a hot dog wiener, I believe that counts! You’ll make these particular hot dogs with carrots instead of wieners, though. As is often the case with cooking and as Sipsey from Fried Green Tomatoes would tell you, the “secret’s in the sauce” when it comes to these puppies. You’ll make your marinade from apple cider and rice vinegar, water, roasted sesame seed oil, soy sauce, cayenne and black peppers, and garlic, onion, and ginger powders. It won’t make them taste identical to hot dogs made with meat wieners, but it will make them unbelievably delicious.
16. Veggie Burgers
I spent a large chunk of my formative years as a vegetarian because I couldn’t bear the thought of eating animals. However, even now, as a meat-eating adult, I prefer a fresh, less greasy veggie burger to a hamburger any day of the week. And these thick, juicy burgers are truly a sight to behold. They’re remarkably similar to hamburger patties in both appearance and texture, and while the taste is different, to me, it’s even better. It takes 30 minutes to make five burgers, and they’re vegan-friendly and gluten-free (assuming you pick the right bun). Don’t forget the vegan BBQ sauce either. It really sets them off.
17. Egg Salad
It doesn’t matter if you’re a vegan, vegetarian, or die-hard meat lover; egg salad sandwiches are something on which just about all of us can agree. And this recipe is one of the best. I know people who don’t even like eggs who enjoy egg salad made using this recipe. It’s simple, flavorful, and requires only six ingredients. The eggs, mayo, and yellow mustard create a light, fluffy, somewhat zesty base. The onions and celery add a bit of rich earthiness, and the unique taste of the dill knocks it out of the park. Spread it on your favorite bread with some spinach or lettuce, or eat it by itself with a spoon. We won’t judge you for it.
18. Apple Peanut Butter Sandwich
This recipe may not be what you’re expecting unless, of course, you’re expecting apple slices in lieu of bread and a creamy peanut butter filling. I love these “sandwiches” because they’re healthy, delicious, and take 3 minutes to make. Plus, you can add whatever additional fillings you like – coconut, banana slices, raisins, and more.
19. Avocado Tomato Sandwich with Baby Spinach
Here’s another easy-to-make sandwich that takes practically no time to pull together. Simply smash half your avocado and add cilantro, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Then spread it and some mayo on your favorite bread and add spinach, tomatoes, avocado slices, and chat masala. It’s a simple sandwich with a complex taste that’s somehow spicy, savory, salty, and just a tiny bit sour all at once.
20. Grilled Chocolate Sandwich
If you can’t tell by how I described some of the recipes on this list, I love sandwiches, and I had a lot of fun pulling this list together. So, to top off a super enjoyable list, I decided to end on a sweet note with this grilled chocolate sandwich. You’ll make it like you’d make a grilled cheese, only you’ll use two ounces of delicious chocolate instead of cheese. You’ll also toss in a bit of sugar and ground cinnamon for extra sweetness. Finally, a pinch of sea salt adds some salty contrast to this otherwise super sweet snack. I’m not going to lie; I probably eat this not-entirely-healthy sandwich way more often than I should. Click on a star to rate it!
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