Roasted Vegetable Sandwich with Sun-Dried Tomato Spread

This ultimate vegan roasted vegetable sandwich is packed with delicious charred veggies and features a quick homemade sun-dried tomato basil spread! This easy veggie sandwich bursts with goodness at every layer.  Make it for lunch or bring to a picnic. Nutfree and Soyfree!

Get ready for the ultimate Roasted Vegetable Sandwich – one that rivals anything you can get at the deli counter. Smoky, sweet, and tender grilled veggies with the perfect amount of charr sandwiched in toasted slices of bread with a little sun-dried tomato pesto spread! Everything is made from scratch here! YES, we take this grilled vegetable sandwich to the next level, by adding a homemade sundried tomato spread that comes together in the food processor in minutes.

There’s plenty of room for experimentation in this vegan roasted vegetable sandwich recipe. I used grilled eggplant, zucchini, red onion, and bell peppers. If you want, add fennel, endive, or mushrooms. All of those would make fine vegetable substitutes. Hummus,  cashew cream, green vegan pesto, or white-bean puree can replace the sun-dried tomato spread.

You can skip the spread altogether and top the veggie sandwich with vegan cheese or just add a bunch of fresh basil or mint leaves. However, I do love the spread in this and I think so will you.

MORE SANDWICHES TO TRY

Ingredients:

• bread – multigrain, wheat, focaccia, ciabatta whatever you like.
• vegetables: red onion, bell pepper, zucchini and eggplant – the typical summer veggie mix. Feel free to swap out one veg for the other
• salt and pepper provide enough seasoning for the grilled veggies – we want the vegetable flavor to shine here
• the base of the spread is made using sun-dried tomatoes. You can use dried ones or the ones that are already marinated in oil.
• lots of fresh basil gives the tomato spread this wonderful Mediterranean pesto flavor we love so much
• lemon juice adds freshness to the spread. You could also add some zest, for a more lemony spread
• red pepper flakes add a bit of heat to the spread – feel free to add less or more to taste. Don’t worry, with the amount listed, it won’t be too spicy

Tips:

• If you don’t have a grilling pan, you can toss the veggies in olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast them in the oven. Finish them under the broiler to get that charr.
• You can add some more protein to this sandwich by adding some vegan chicken as well or some grilled or crisped tofu. Press the tofu before using and then grill it on the grill pan with salt and pepper add layer in the sandwich. And add white beans to the sun dried tomato spread
• If using marinated sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, you can use the oil from the glass instead of the olive oil for the sun-dried tomato spread.
• Slice your zucchini and eggplant lengthwise if grilling outdoors, so that you won’t have to put up with all those little rounds falling through the grate.

How to make a Vegan Roasted Vegetable Sandwich

Prep your grill pan or the outdoor grill. Once the pan is hot, brush it with oil then place the sliced vegetables on the pan. Brush some oil onto the veggies, then sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper and grill.

Press the veggies occasionally while grilling. Tip: You can use a spatula to press these vegetables down or use heavy grill weight. You can use skewers or toothpicks to keep the onion together.

Cook until the vegetables have good golden brown char marks on them. Flip and continue to cook the other side.

Meanwhile, make the sun-dried tomato spread: Add all ingredients to the blender and a 1/4 cup of water and blend until smooth.

Let the mixture sit for 2-3 minutes then blend again and then add the rest of the water, 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture is a spreadable consistency. Taste and adjust salt and flavor.

Toast your bread slices. Apply the spread on both of the slices. Then top with the grilled vegetables on one slice, then place another slice on top and serve.

Make-ahead instructions:

The spread can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for a week in an airtight container.

You can even grill the vegetables ahead of time. Here are a few storage tips: They should fine at room temperature for a few hours. To keep the veggies for a couple of days, refrigerate them in layers in shallow covered containers for upto 2 days