Open-Faced Vegetable Sandwiches
By the Gracious Vegan
Whether you’re making high tea, lunch, a light dinner, or an afternoon snack, open-faced sandwiches are a great choice. They’re light, not too bread-heavy, and you can see the lovely slices of vegetables on top as you eat.
Sometimes simple is best. For example, you can’t beat an open-faced tomato sandwich if you have access to real, fresh tomatoes. A thick slice of a juicy red tomato on a slice of good bread or toast smeared with some hummus or ricotta is nothing short of ambrosia.
The keys to making a great open-faced vegetable sandwich include, first, slicing them the right thickness. Tomatoes should be thick, but radishes should be paper-thin. A mandoline works best for radishes, but you can use a knife and do your best if need be. The second element is texture. Tomatoes’ texture takes care of itself if the fruit is ripe. But radishes need to be crisp. Soak them in ice water in the fridge for 30-60 minutes if needed. The third key is seasoning. Tomatoes and radishes go well with a salty flavor. If you’re avoiding salt, consider green salt or a bit of miso.
If regular radishes don’t inspire you, consider some of the more exotic varieties. I love watermelon radishes with their pink center, white rim, and green skin. Also lovely are purple daikon radishes. Tomatoes come in so many varieties, of course. Heirloom varieties are wonderful, and all the color of the rainbow are available.
Cut the bread as thick or thin as you like, but thin slices generally work best with vegetable toppings. Choose from:
German-style “full-kernel” (Vollkorn) bread
Pumpernickel
Whole wheat or whole grain bread
Sprouted grain bread
Gluten-free bread
Top the bread with a plant-based spread—one of the following:
Smashed avocado
Hummus (plain or flavored)
Mayonnaise (plain or flavored) (Tofu-Cashew Mayonnaise, No Oil)
Optional to stir fresh chopped herbs or lemon zest into the mayonnaise, hummus, or ricotta cheese.
Layer on the vegetable.
Thinly sliced radishes
Thinly sliced zucchini
Thick slice of tomato
Lightly steamed asparagus, sliced vertically
Garnish with one or more of the following:
Parsley or dill, finely chopped
Microgreens
Flaky sea salt, coarse kosher salt, green salt, or miso
Freshly ground black pepper
