I couldn’t imagine a life without bread. Although so versatile, with many flavors, textures, and ways to prepare and eat it, I often forget how incredibly satisfying a sandwich can be. It’s a perfect vessel for creativity – play around with it using bread as your blank slate and have fun building a wide assortment of different meals!

Sandwich building becomes especially exciting during the summer months when there’s an abundance of produce in all different colors. Think peppers, onions, eggplant, zucchini, different lettuces and herbs, tomatoes and cucumbers, radishes and many other delicious vegetables are containers for a fantastic bread-based meal.

I read somewhere that roughly 50% of Americans eat a sandwich every day. In my native country of Norway, I think that number is much higher- Norwegians love their bread and often eat it three times a day.

Of course, the type of bread you eat makes a difference, and my preference is for whole grain bread I make myself so I can add lots of good nutrients and also be in charge of what my bread contains.

How to build the perfect sandwich

1. This is number one for a reason: Use great quality bread! The bread should be delicious enough to eat on its own, so don’t skimp on this step! Bread that is crispy on the outside but still has a nice soft center that can withstand any toppings is the best.

The type of bread is also important to consider, depending on what kind of sandwich you are making. For example: Challah and brioche with their sweet, fluffiness work great with salty, umami-packed fillings, contrasting the flavors. If you’re making a heartier sandwich with pulled jackfruit or vegan sausages, make sure you pick a bread that can support that, like a roll or a bun.

Olive breads are great for salty and savory condiments such as pickles, capers, feta cheese and sun-dried tomatoes

The Norwegian-style whole-grain bread I’ve used in today’s recipe is perfect for pretty much anything you want to eat or make. It’s dense yet light with a great texture, including a variety of many seeds and whole grains that impart a wonderful depth of flavor.

You can learn to make seven different kinds of Norwegian bread in my self-study Norwegian Bread Baking Course if you want to do a deep dive (or love bread as much as I do!)

2. Make your own condiments. Yes, I know that sounds like a lot of work, but imagine a homemade pesto (such as the minted scallion-pea pesto in today’s recipe) that you’ve made yourself with seasonal ingredients you picked up at the farmer’s market. You could almost just slather that on a piece of bread and call it a day. And when you use condiments, don’t skimp on them! They add a tremendous amount of flavor and satisfaction to your sandwich. Plus, they help insulate the bread from wetter ingredients such as a sliced tomato or grilled squash.
   
   
3. Take time to prepare and season your vegetables! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve bit into a sandwich and it has bland tomatoes, cucumbers or squash that don’t taste like anything. In today’s recipe, I’ve roasted the red peppers and marinated them in a little olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, chopped parsley, salt and pepper before I added them to my sandwich. I did the same with the squash before putting them on the grill. Needless to say, don’t use fresh tomatoes in December (if you live in the northern Hemisphere like I do), because they won’t taste like anything – so make sure to only use seasonal ingredients.
   
   
4. Combine different textures and flavors. Nobody wants a mushy sandwich, so include things like crunchy pickles or vegetables to offset any soft ingredients like tomatoes and spreads. Tangy, sweet, salty and spicy are always great flavors to combine to get a balanced and exciting bite. The way you slice your vegetables play a big part in texture, so pay attention here as well.
   
   
5. If adding protein like tofu, tempeh or seitan to your sandwich make sure that part is served warm, as the flavors come out so much more when it’s heated up.
   
   
6. Think of the sequence when you layer the sandwich. Alternate hot with cold for the best eating experience, as well as different textures and colors to make it as satisfying to eat as it is to look at. As they say, we also eat without our eyes!
   
   
7. And finally – keep the ratio between bread and filling correctly. Too much bread while skimping on toppings or other ingredients is perhaps my biggest pet peeve, but the opposite can also produce a less desirable result.
   

I hope you found these tips helpful!

As for today’s sandwich, I filled it with grilled zucchini, roasted peppers, sliced tomato and lettuce and slathered the bread with homemade beet hummus and a minted pea pesto with additions of scallions and fresh dill.

I countered the sweetness of both spread by marinating my zucchini and peppers in a tangy marinade with red wine marinade, and seasoned them generously with sea salt. The crunchiness of the bread and the romaine lettuce offset the soft textures of the vegetables.

A few tips

Zucchini benefits from being browned, or grilled, as it contains a 95% water and needs to brown to gain flavor. Also, remember to season it well!

For the pea pesto:

This time of year when fresh peas are in abundance, I prefer using fresh but you can also substitute frozen. If using fresh, shell them and blanch them in boiling, salted water for 3-4 minutes before shocking them in ice water (this preserves their vibrant green color).

If using frozen, make sure to thaw before adding to the food processor.

For the beet hummus:

Beets are also in season in the summer and they are incredibly sweet. Use smaller beets (always more flavorful) – pack them in foil with a drizzle of olive oil and a generous sprinkle of kosher salt, and bake in the oven for 45 minutes-1 hour at 400℉ (200℃), depending on the size of your beet. Wait until the beets cool a little before peeling and dicing.

I love heirloom tomatoes and although it’s a tad early for tomatoes still where I live, I found a nice, juicy red tomato that was full of flavor. Tomatoes are also wonderful and natural partners to pesto, which is often made with parmesan and garlic.

Wine Pairing Recommendation

Anytime grilled summer vegetables are served, I almost always pair them with a rosé. There’s just something so seasonally appropriate and delicious with this partnership, it’s hard to think of something better.

The 2022 Thibaud Boudignon Rosé de Loire is made from 90% Cabernet Franc and 10% Grolleau, using the direct press method. It’s a great combination of juicy red fruits and great saline minerality, playing to both the sweetness of the pea pesto and grilled vegetables, earthiness of the beets and the tanginess of the pickled onions/radishes.

This producer continues to make one of my favorite rosés every year. I love that the wine is organic (as well as biodynamic) and from one of my favorite wine regions in the world: The Loire Valley in France.

If you are in the mood for a red wine, try a Cabernet Franc-based wine from the same region, which always make for fantastic summer reds. Olga Riffault and Charles Joguet are two producers I highly recommend.

Conversely, if white wine is more your speed, an elegant Chardonnay with some oak would do well here. Go to Bourgogne, France for some fantastic examples. While there are a myriad of incredible wines here, I recently had the Pouilly-Fuissé “La Croix” from Robert-Denogent, Domaine de la Denante’s Mâcon La Roche-Vineuese and Les Tourelles de la Crée Montagny Premier Cru– none of which cost a fortune but are all solid and provide lots of pleasure on the palate!

Now that we have our wine pairing sorted – on to the recipe!

The Ultimate Grilled Vegetable Sandwich

Makes 2 sandwiches

4 slices whole-grain bread (preferably homemade)
Minted Pea Pesto (recipe below)
Beet Hummus (recipe below)
1 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into ¼ inch strips
2 red and/or yellow bell peppers, whole
1 medium tomato, sliced
Romaine lettuce
Pickled red onions or radishes* (link to best ever pickling liquid)

Start by slathering the bottom slice of bread with a generous amount of pea pesto, add a romaine lettuce leaf, top with half a roasted red pepper, then a couple of slices of grilled zucchini, then a slice of tomato. Slather the second slice of bread with beet hummus, add some pickled red onions or radishes, another romaine lettuce leaf and place the piece of bread top. You could also add some sliced avocado here too if you wish.

Serve with your favorite glass of rosé!

Minted Pea Pesto with Scallions and Dill

1 heaping cup (170 grams) peas, fresh or frozen
½ cup (60 grams) raw cashew pieces
⅓ cup (30 grams) vegan parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast)
Juice of ½ large lemon
3-4 scallions, white and light green parts only, chopped
½ cup (15 grams) fresh mint leaves
½ cup (15 grams) fresh dill
⅓ cup (80 ml) good quality extra-virgin olive oil
Salt, pepper

Add all ingredients except the olive oil to the bowl of a food processor and puree until mixture comes together. With the engine running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and any additional lemon juice if needed. Keeps in airtight container in the fridge for about 5 days.

Best Ever Beet Hummus

1 medium beet, roasted, peeled and diced
1 large garlic clove, peeled
Juice from 1 large lemon
1 x 15 oz (425 grams ) can organic chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
¼ cup (60 ml) aquafaba (liquid from can of chickpeas)
⅓ cup (80 grams) tahini
Salt, pepper

Add the garlic and lemon juice to a food processor and process until garlic is finely minced. Add the aquafaba and process until foamy, then add the tahini and continue to process until you have a nice paste.

Add the chickpeas and the roasted beet with a good 2-3 pinches of kosher salt and process until smooth. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.

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