Après-omnivore
March 20, 2014 11:10 AM Subscribe
I'm going snowboarding and want to bring sandwiches with me on the slopes! Typical. Caveat: must be vegan, and must appeal to non-vegans. I'm also not a fan of sweet sandwiches, like PB&J. Suggestions?
I used to bring things like ham and cheese w/mustard on rye or chicken and pesto on sourdough, but now I don't eat meat or cheese. I'm looking for hearty, comfort food sandwich ideas that won't get soggy in a backpack. Any cuisine is acceptable.
I used to bring things like ham and cheese w/mustard on rye or chicken and pesto on sourdough, but now I don't eat meat or cheese. I'm looking for hearty, comfort food sandwich ideas that won't get soggy in a backpack. Any cuisine is acceptable.
Best answer: i like making sandwiches with homemade hummus (also can be made out of other beans like limas or cannellini beans for variety), siracha, and misc veg on sprouted grain bread. In the summer I'll put things like cucumber, tomato, sprouts, lettuce, etc on them, but in the winter I also like to put roasted and/or pickled veg on them. They're very savory and hearty!
posted by anthropophagous at 11:17 AM on March 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by anthropophagous at 11:17 AM on March 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Hearty - veggie sunflower seed paté with mustard, sprouts and whole grain bread yummy.
Or just buy the paté here.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 11:17 AM on March 20, 2014 [1 favorite]
Or just buy the paté here.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 11:17 AM on March 20, 2014 [1 favorite]
The only vegan sandwich non-vegans like is PB&J.
Tofu, tempeh, tofurky and soy cheese it just gross to the omnivore palate.
I suppose you could do something with leafy greens and roasted veggies, but they may sweat and make the bread soggy. Although I suppose a roasted zucchini and eggplant sandwich with pesto wouldn't gross me out too much.
Falafels fit the bill, but they strike me as kind of messy for the slopes.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 11:18 AM on March 20, 2014 [4 favorites]
Tofu, tempeh, tofurky and soy cheese it just gross to the omnivore palate.
I suppose you could do something with leafy greens and roasted veggies, but they may sweat and make the bread soggy. Although I suppose a roasted zucchini and eggplant sandwich with pesto wouldn't gross me out too much.
Falafels fit the bill, but they strike me as kind of messy for the slopes.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 11:18 AM on March 20, 2014 [4 favorites]
Response by poster: Haha, tofurkey and soy cheese are even gross to me. Blechhh. Really, nothing worse than a soy cheese and imitation meat sandwich. I was actually thinking of a falafel something or other, and the specific issues involved provoked the question. :) To clarify: I'm asking for suggestions that don't include PB&J and are from people who make vegan food regularly or enjoy it or have knowledge of it. Thank you for the non-vegan perspective, though.
posted by semaphore at 11:23 AM on March 20, 2014
posted by semaphore at 11:23 AM on March 20, 2014
Tofu, tempeh, tofurky and soy cheese it just gross to the omnivore palate.
This omnivore who really likes meat totally disagrees with this! A good firm-type tofu that's been marinated and fried can be really delicious. Soy cheeses are kind of meh to me but I've had some kind of umami spread made from cashews that brings a kind of cheesiness to things and it's tasty.
posted by rtha at 11:24 AM on March 20, 2014 [5 favorites]
This omnivore who really likes meat totally disagrees with this! A good firm-type tofu that's been marinated and fried can be really delicious. Soy cheeses are kind of meh to me but I've had some kind of umami spread made from cashews that brings a kind of cheesiness to things and it's tasty.
posted by rtha at 11:24 AM on March 20, 2014 [5 favorites]
This friend of mine makes a delicious vegan pate made from nuts that would be fantastic on sandwiches - this looks about right, though I'm pretty sure she adds more than just salt and pepper.
posted by rtha at 11:29 AM on March 20, 2014
posted by rtha at 11:29 AM on March 20, 2014
Best answer: How much 'extra' work are you willing to do? Keep the bread and roast veggies separate until it's sandwich-eating time, then boom! Yummy and not soggy!
posted by netsirk at 11:29 AM on March 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by netsirk at 11:29 AM on March 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
I'm not a vegan but anything with avocados and roasted veggies would win my love.
posted by scody at 11:30 AM on March 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by scody at 11:30 AM on March 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I ski a lot and hate the unhealthy and pricey lodge food, so I cook myself burritos, freeze them, and then thaw at the lodge microwave. They hold up really well if I fall on them hucking off a cornice, and it is really nice to have something hotter than a bread sandwich!
I use big flour tortillas and fill them them with refried beans because they really hold it all together, and roasted veg like sweet potatoes, beets, corn, and onions, and then i dress with a cilantro vinegrette. I'm a carnivore so I put chunks of chicken but i think tofu would be really nice, especially if you blended up it so it was like crema, or scrambled like an egg.
I know a burrito is only a sandwich on a technicallity, but I have found them to hold up together much better for outdoor activities, and you can fill them with more nutritious and filling ingredients due to the increased structural integrity (and once frozen solid those things are indestructible to the point where one gave me a bruise when i fell on it haha).
posted by cakebatter at 11:31 AM on March 20, 2014 [7 favorites]
I use big flour tortillas and fill them them with refried beans because they really hold it all together, and roasted veg like sweet potatoes, beets, corn, and onions, and then i dress with a cilantro vinegrette. I'm a carnivore so I put chunks of chicken but i think tofu would be really nice, especially if you blended up it so it was like crema, or scrambled like an egg.
I know a burrito is only a sandwich on a technicallity, but I have found them to hold up together much better for outdoor activities, and you can fill them with more nutritious and filling ingredients due to the increased structural integrity (and once frozen solid those things are indestructible to the point where one gave me a bruise when i fell on it haha).
posted by cakebatter at 11:31 AM on March 20, 2014 [7 favorites]
Best answer: Homemade hummus + grilled vegatables = win.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 11:31 AM on March 20, 2014
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 11:31 AM on March 20, 2014
Best answer: sliced avocado
olive pate
huge portobello mushroom -- this is a great meaty texture when roasted
Toasting the bread should minimize sogging.
posted by Bentobox Humperdinck at 11:33 AM on March 20, 2014
olive pate
huge portobello mushroom -- this is a great meaty texture when roasted
Toasting the bread should minimize sogging.
posted by Bentobox Humperdinck at 11:33 AM on March 20, 2014
Best answer: The sandwich shop near me serves the following. It's called the Magnolia and it's my favorite sandwich in the world even though I love deli meat:
Big crusty bread
Hummus
Avocado
Apple
Carrots
Tomato
Sprouts
Honey mustard.
Oh my God it's so good. And it's filling as hell. The apple and honey mustard don't really make it as sweet as it sounds, but you could always swap out for regular mustard (and leave out the apple) if you wanted. I've eaten the leftovers the day after, and the bread got a little softer but it was still delicious.
posted by pretentious illiterate at 11:35 AM on March 20, 2014 [9 favorites]
Big crusty bread
Hummus
Avocado
Apple
Carrots
Tomato
Sprouts
Honey mustard.
Oh my God it's so good. And it's filling as hell. The apple and honey mustard don't really make it as sweet as it sounds, but you could always swap out for regular mustard (and leave out the apple) if you wanted. I've eaten the leftovers the day after, and the bread got a little softer but it was still delicious.
posted by pretentious illiterate at 11:35 AM on March 20, 2014 [9 favorites]
Best answer: Hummus, apple, onion, spinach on really thick hearty wheat bread. Trust me on this.
posted by Grandysaur at 11:40 AM on March 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Grandysaur at 11:40 AM on March 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Falafel and houmous wrap wouldn't be messy. Houmous and grated carrot would be pretty nice too. Or today I bought a pre-packed onion bhaji sandwich (with cucumber, mint, yoghurt and salad, you could leave out the yoghurt or use a substitute) which sounds weird but was great. I mention that it was shop-bought because clearly enough people like it to sustain a market - I just bought it in a hospital coffee shop, and it's a fairly mainstream brand.
My husband puts leftover curry in a baguette (kind of like an Indian banh mi). An actual banh mi would be great as well. He also puts leftover noodles in a baguette, but YMMV on that one. He claims it's nice. Some sort of tofu scramble would work in a wrap, or how about a tofu breakfast burrito (or just a veggie burrito, come to think of it). I would LOVE a burrito halfway through snowboarding, it would be the best. Anyone who complains about getting a burrito is just being needlessly picky, and you should just eat theirs for them.
posted by tinkletown at 11:41 AM on March 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
My husband puts leftover curry in a baguette (kind of like an Indian banh mi). An actual banh mi would be great as well. He also puts leftover noodles in a baguette, but YMMV on that one. He claims it's nice. Some sort of tofu scramble would work in a wrap, or how about a tofu breakfast burrito (or just a veggie burrito, come to think of it). I would LOVE a burrito halfway through snowboarding, it would be the best. Anyone who complains about getting a burrito is just being needlessly picky, and you should just eat theirs for them.
posted by tinkletown at 11:41 AM on March 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
Best answer: My new favorite:
Carmelize some onions and roast some sliced roma tomatoes. Mash a can of chickpeas, then add the onions and tomatoes. Spread this, along with some mashed avocado + lemon on good bread.
Really tasty and hearty, as vegetarian sandwiches go.
posted by mudpuppie at 11:46 AM on March 20, 2014 [3 favorites]
Carmelize some onions and roast some sliced roma tomatoes. Mash a can of chickpeas, then add the onions and tomatoes. Spread this, along with some mashed avocado + lemon on good bread.
Really tasty and hearty, as vegetarian sandwiches go.
posted by mudpuppie at 11:46 AM on March 20, 2014 [3 favorites]
Best answer: If you're feeding one or more vegans, please be aware that some of us have grown weary with pretty much always having to eat hummus. For as many omnivores who have invited me to dinner parties swearing up and down that they're going to have awesome food for me only to proudly present me with a plate of hummus and raw vegetables, I swear it needs to start being sold with a label that just reads Vegan Chow.
Falafel + hummus = yay. Hummus alone = zzz.
Just my $0.02!
I have never met anyone who has readily turned their nose up at Field Roast Deli Slices. So dang good! And most omnis won't be able to tell if you use vegan cream cheese, so start swiping it on everything you can.
Vegan Sandwiches Save The Day might give you some ideas.
Crispy black bean burgers.
Baked lemongrass tofu bahn mi or fried tofu with ginger-peanut sauce. (Mock duck bahn mi is, of course, the absolute best but not particularly omni-friendly.)
Edamame pate.
Chickpea cutlet sandwich with arugula, sliced tomatoes, and avocado.
Roasted sweet potato with cilantro-cashew cream.
posted by divined by radio at 11:48 AM on March 20, 2014 [6 favorites]
Falafel + hummus = yay. Hummus alone = zzz.
Just my $0.02!
I have never met anyone who has readily turned their nose up at Field Roast Deli Slices. So dang good! And most omnis won't be able to tell if you use vegan cream cheese, so start swiping it on everything you can.
Vegan Sandwiches Save The Day might give you some ideas.
Crispy black bean burgers.
Baked lemongrass tofu bahn mi or fried tofu with ginger-peanut sauce. (Mock duck bahn mi is, of course, the absolute best but not particularly omni-friendly.)
Edamame pate.
Chickpea cutlet sandwich with arugula, sliced tomatoes, and avocado.
Roasted sweet potato with cilantro-cashew cream.
posted by divined by radio at 11:48 AM on March 20, 2014 [6 favorites]
A great bar around the corner from my house makes a sandwich with lettuce, tomato, avocado, arugula, red onion, sprouts (and cheese, but it's not necessary) on toasted multigrain. It's really good.
posted by General Malaise at 12:01 PM on March 20, 2014
posted by General Malaise at 12:01 PM on March 20, 2014
Black beans and rice make a fantastic burrito. Get some 4 oz travel bottles and fill them with Sriracha &c for spicing everything up a bit.
...aaaaaand now I'm hungry.
posted by jquinby at 12:01 PM on March 20, 2014
...aaaaaand now I'm hungry.
posted by jquinby at 12:01 PM on March 20, 2014
Best answer: Pesto and tomatoes and cucumbers. (+sauteed squash or eggplant or mushroom if desired.)
Chickpea puree, lightly sauteed kale, caramelized onion, thin slices of roasted sweet potato.
posted by amaire at 12:08 PM on March 20, 2014
Chickpea puree, lightly sauteed kale, caramelized onion, thin slices of roasted sweet potato.
posted by amaire at 12:08 PM on March 20, 2014
Best answer: I once brought sandwiches on a hike based around this recipe for BBQ vegan ribs and my omni friends loved them.
posted by ltisz at 12:27 PM on March 20, 2014
posted by ltisz at 12:27 PM on March 20, 2014
For me, the secret to a good sandwich is fresh ingredients and balance - don't try to replicate a meat sandwich, but feature the freshness and crunch of good (basic) veggies balanced with a little something fatty and savory.
I use a thick layer of ripe, wonderful tomatoes, with lettuce, and some nice dijon mustard (just a little) and some fake mayo or olive oil and vinegar. I also include a thin slice or two of tofurkey or other fake deli meat, or some soy bacon, just for _flavor_ (not texture -- the texture will be overwhelmed by the lettuce and tomato). This isn't a fake meat sandwich, but a sandwich that has some as a contributor.
The whole thing must be served on some really good sourdough bread -- usually this kind of bread will stand up to the moisture from the tomatoes, so the whole thing will hold together instead of falling apart. The tomato and lettuce makes the thing lumpy, not flat, so less coherent bread will be done in by a tomato ridge.
(I also put the lettuce on top and fake meat on bottom, so the bread is protected from the juicy tomato.)
So, you've got the salty flavor from the tofurkey or soy bacon (and the bread), the acidic flavor from the vinegar (and maybe tomato - balance tomato and vinegar flavor depending on the varieties of each), sweet from the veggies and bread, crunchines from the lettuce, chewiness from the bread -- the whole thing can wind up being very nice.
posted by amtho at 12:30 PM on March 20, 2014 [1 favorite]
I use a thick layer of ripe, wonderful tomatoes, with lettuce, and some nice dijon mustard (just a little) and some fake mayo or olive oil and vinegar. I also include a thin slice or two of tofurkey or other fake deli meat, or some soy bacon, just for _flavor_ (not texture -- the texture will be overwhelmed by the lettuce and tomato). This isn't a fake meat sandwich, but a sandwich that has some as a contributor.
The whole thing must be served on some really good sourdough bread -- usually this kind of bread will stand up to the moisture from the tomatoes, so the whole thing will hold together instead of falling apart. The tomato and lettuce makes the thing lumpy, not flat, so less coherent bread will be done in by a tomato ridge.
(I also put the lettuce on top and fake meat on bottom, so the bread is protected from the juicy tomato.)
So, you've got the salty flavor from the tofurkey or soy bacon (and the bread), the acidic flavor from the vinegar (and maybe tomato - balance tomato and vinegar flavor depending on the varieties of each), sweet from the veggies and bread, crunchines from the lettuce, chewiness from the bread -- the whole thing can wind up being very nice.
posted by amtho at 12:30 PM on March 20, 2014 [1 favorite]
In Britain when I've been there in past decades a popular easy-to-make sandwich was "pickle & cheese", made with a particular sort of chutney (which is often available in U.S. supermarkets near me, in recent years) and shredded cheddar cheese. Maybe the cheddar could be replaced with something like avocado or even a good soy cheese as the flavor of the pickle is dominant.
In the mien of chickpea cutlets (though those look like falafel, which is more involved to produce) I just recently right here on MeFi found out about socca/farinata, which was ridiculously easy to make because I'd already bought the gram flour/besan/chickpea flour for another recipe. I didn't make sandwiches from it but I think some of the recipes I ran across said that leftovers are often used for that.
posted by XMLicious at 12:31 PM on March 20, 2014
In the mien of chickpea cutlets (though those look like falafel, which is more involved to produce) I just recently right here on MeFi found out about socca/farinata, which was ridiculously easy to make because I'd already bought the gram flour/besan/chickpea flour for another recipe. I didn't make sandwiches from it but I think some of the recipes I ran across said that leftovers are often used for that.
posted by XMLicious at 12:31 PM on March 20, 2014
I'm making this lentil wrap with tahini sauce tonight (substituting in storebought ajvar for the red pepper paste.) You could add falafel to bulk it up more.
posted by punchtothehead at 12:41 PM on March 20, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by punchtothehead at 12:41 PM on March 20, 2014 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Oh, also - a workplace cafeteria in my past used to serve marinated portobello mushroom sandwiches as one of their occasional specials and they were fanTASTIC. They were along the lines of this.
posted by jquinby at 12:50 PM on March 20, 2014
posted by jquinby at 12:50 PM on March 20, 2014
I'd recommend a caprese sandwich but with avocado slices replacing the mozzarella. On a baguette, with a bit of olive oil, some salt and pepper. Yum!
posted by destructive cactus at 1:37 PM on March 20, 2014
posted by destructive cactus at 1:37 PM on March 20, 2014
The muffaletta sandwich from Veganomicon is the best sandwich ever. I can't post links at the moment but if you google it you won't be disappointed!
posted by hazyjane at 1:41 PM on March 20, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by hazyjane at 1:41 PM on March 20, 2014 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I make a delicious white bean spread with white cannellini beans, olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice (makes a nice change from hummus which I get very sick of). This would be really good with some arugula and sliced red bell peppers. Also pack some potato chips. I love sandwiches with potato chips!
posted by Blitz at 2:23 PM on March 20, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Blitz at 2:23 PM on March 20, 2014 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Wow. A lot of terrific answers. Thanks so much....I'm going with
1) Cannellini bean hummus made with artichoke hearts, roasted cherry tomatoes, and onions to seal the bread, and marinated portabello in the middle. Crusty bread.
2) Taking the burrito suggestion, but making and freezing calzone instead. (Hope this works...lol). For the sauce, I combined more cannellini beans with diced tomatoes and kalamata olives, cooked down to resemble refried beans in consistency...and then roasted sweet potatoes...so it's like a combo of the burrito recipe plus italian. NEVER would have thought of just keeping the frozen buddy in the backpack. If the resort doesn't have a microwave, I'll just defrost these in the fridge the 2nd night.
Y'all are the greatest. These suggestions gave me a lot of ideas to go on that I hadn't thought of. I marked the 'best answer' ones because they were closest in line with the whole slopes plus vegan thing, but every answer was fantastic. <3
posted by semaphore at 4:59 PM on March 20, 2014 [1 favorite]
1) Cannellini bean hummus made with artichoke hearts, roasted cherry tomatoes, and onions to seal the bread, and marinated portabello in the middle. Crusty bread.
2) Taking the burrito suggestion, but making and freezing calzone instead. (Hope this works...lol). For the sauce, I combined more cannellini beans with diced tomatoes and kalamata olives, cooked down to resemble refried beans in consistency...and then roasted sweet potatoes...so it's like a combo of the burrito recipe plus italian. NEVER would have thought of just keeping the frozen buddy in the backpack. If the resort doesn't have a microwave, I'll just defrost these in the fridge the 2nd night.
Y'all are the greatest. These suggestions gave me a lot of ideas to go on that I hadn't thought of. I marked the 'best answer' ones because they were closest in line with the whole slopes plus vegan thing, but every answer was fantastic. <3
posted by semaphore at 4:59 PM on March 20, 2014 [1 favorite]
Okay, here's a late addition: Smashed Chickpea Salad from Smitten Kitchen. Her pics show it on toasted wheat, but I bet if you put it in crusty baguettes and weighted them down (like a Cubano or a panini), they'd be awesome and pretty durable.
posted by mon-ma-tron at 2:06 PM on March 21, 2014
posted by mon-ma-tron at 2:06 PM on March 21, 2014
One more very, very late addition - Serious Eats recently posted a "shooter"-style vegetable sandwich, which looks unbeatable for portability and could be turned vegan by dropping the feta cheese. The shooter technique could be adapted to many of the sandwiches in the thread, too.
posted by pocams at 8:34 AM on March 25, 2014
posted by pocams at 8:34 AM on March 25, 2014
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posted by Neekee at 11:17 AM on March 20, 2014 [1 favorite]