Vegan Open Faced Sandwiches: My Three Favourite Combos

This post is a homage to the sandwich. As I explain in the video an open faced sandwich was just a sandwich to me until I moved to the UK and realised that to much of the rest of the world a sandwich has two slices of bread and something in the middle. Either way I always loved a good sandwich an these three combos I’m sharing below are my current go-tos. Not exactly the ham and cheese or butter and jam of my youth but I do dare to say that these are actually way better. Full of flavour and goodness! They are perfect for brunch or a light lunch or even breakfast if you like me enjoy something savoury in the morning now and again.

The first two sandwiches below are really easy every day kind of deals while the third one takes a little more effort to prepare. It’s a vegan carrot gravlax. The original gravlax is a Scandinavian classic and I thought I had to finally make some and share the recipe with you guys because this carrot version is awesome. I serve it in a more American way with cream cheese because that combo is a forever favourite of mine but you could totally check out this recipe for “hovmästarsås” which is a tangy mustard and dill sauce we would traditionally drizzle over the gravlax here in Sweden.

The most famous open faced sandwiches around the world are the probably the Danish’ smørrebrød. They are meticulous little pieces of art. I’d say mine are not quite as delicate as they are rustic but that’s how I like it. And I hope you will too! Scroll down to get the full details on each combo or press play on the video to completely immerse yourself in my sandwich heaven.

Malin x

GARLIC SAUTEED MUSHROOMS AND KALE ON HUMMUS

Serves 2.

INGREDIENTS:

For the saute:

1-2 tbsp rapeseed oil

2 medium sized portobello mushrooms or large chestnut mushrooms

4 large leaves of curly kale or cavolo nero

0,5 tsp garlic powder

Salt and black pepper, to taste

To serve:

2 slices of rustic bread like sourdough or a gluten free alternative if needed

0,5 cup hummus

0,25 lemon, juice only

Toasted seeds or umami seed mix, I used a mixture of pumpkin, sunflower and sesame

METHOD:

Take the kale leaves off the stem and tear the kale into bite size pieces. Chop the kale stem into small pieces. Slice the mushrooms into roughly 5 mm thick slices. Heat the oil in a skillet and then add the kale stems and mushrooms. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper and saute for 4-5 minutes or until the mushrooms have shrunk a little and have a nice golden colour. Add in the kale leaves and mix through. Place a lid on the pan and let steam for a couple of minutes or until the kale is lightly wilted and bright green. Adjust seasoning and take off the heat.

Slather your slices of bread with hummus and then pile the mushroom and kale saute on top. Finish with a drizzling of lemon juice and a sprinkling of toasted seeds.

KIMCHI ON CREAMY AVOCADO SMASH

Serves 2.

INGREDIENTS:

For the avocado smash:

1 large avocado or 2 small ones

0,25 lemon, juice (and zest if you like it zingy)

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

A pinch of chili flakes

Salt and pepper, to taste

To serve:

2 slices rustic bread like sourdough or a gluten free alternative if needed

0,5 cup red kimchi

A handful of sprouts or microgreens

VEGAN CARROT GRAVLAX ON CREAM CHEESE

Makes enough gravlax for 6-8 sandwiches.

INGREDIENTS:

For the brine:

0,65 cup water

3 tbsp spirit vinegar (12%)

2 tbsp sugar

10 white pepper corns, lightly crushed

3 bay leaves

1 tsp mustard seeds

0,5 tsp liquid smoke

A small piece of kombu seaweed, optional

To roast:

4 large carrots

1,25-1,5 cup chunky salt

To serve:

2 slices rustic bread such as sourdough or a gluten free alternative if needed

A generous amount of vegan cream cheese, I used oatly pamackan

A few sprigs of dill, the leafy bits only

METHOD:

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees celsius.

Peel your carrots and cut the ends off. Pour some of the salt crystals in a small oven dish, the carrots should fit in snug, to more or less cover the bottom. Place the carrots in the dish tightly and pour the rest of the salt over the top, trying to cover them as much as possible. Roast in the oven for 30-35 minutes. You should be able to pierce through the carrot but there should still be firmness to it. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few moments.

While the carrots are baking make the brine. Crush the white pepper lightly in a pestle and mortar, only to break open the corns. Combine all the ingredients in a small sauce pan and heat it up until the sugar dissolves, stirring it throughout. It does not need to come to a boil. Take of the heat and let cool completely.

Brush all the salt off the carrots and remove the piece of kombu/kelp from the brine. Place the carrots in a plastic bag and pour the brine into the bag with them. Try to get as much air as possible out of the bag and seal it tightly. Place the package on a plate and leave to soak in the fridge over night. Flip it over once or twice if you have the chance.

The next day remove the carrots from the bag and slice them lengthways into thin slithers. I find it easiest to lay them flat on a cutting board and running the knife at an angle to the side as to almost shave off slices. See the video for visual instruction. Place the carrot gravlax in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to a week.

Assemble the sandwich by spreading the vegan cream cheese over the bread slices. Place your carrot gravlax on top, in little curls if you want to be fancy. Sprinkle some dill fronds over the top and don’t skip this, it really makes this sandwich sing.

Vegan Open Faced Sandwiches: My Three Favourite Combos

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