Sandwiches

Vegan Breakfast All Day Burger

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We have a popular burger chain here that we like to frequent because they offer a vegan burger.

Just one vegan burger with your run of the mill vegan toppings. I mean I guess I am thankful they have an option at all.

BUT, this doesn’t mean I don’t gaze at the menu longingly, wishing that I could order one of their other delicious sounding burgers and it be vegan too.

Especially their “breakfast all day burger.” I mean they had me at maple syrup and hash browns on a burger.

So, I finally decide there wasn’t any reason I couldn’t just make this masterpiece at home. And so I did.


For starters I was out of hash browns, but am never, NEVER, out of tater tots, and since tater tots are just little baby hash brown nuggets, they would work just fine.

Next I use JUST EGG. I you don’t have have this product where you live you could use tofu egg scramble but fry it, of just add it scrambled.

You can buy any store-bought cheese you like or try your hand at making you own. Trust me when I tell you homemade vegan cheese is actually pretty easy and cheaper than store-bought. But I also respect the convenience of just buying it already made. But if you are feeling extra and wanna try making your own, we have over 40 easy cheese recipes right here on the 86eats site!!


If you are weirded out by adding maple syrup to the burger, DON’T BE!! Seriously it is one of the best parts of the whole thing. Like, the more the better! Mixed with the ketchup, it is really just magical.

So yall, that is my vegan version of the breakfast all day burger. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. If you are one the fence about this burger, just try it, I promise it is amazing!! Maple dipped burger amazing!

And hats off to the genius that decide to make a breakfast burger to begin with. Whoever you are, I think I think I might love you.

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INGREDIENTS:

This recipe makes 4 burgers

  • 4 vegan burger patties. Homemade or We used Beyond Burgers for this recipe.

  • 4 slices vegan cheddar, Homemade or Store-bought

  • 4 vegan hamburger buns

  • 1/2 bottle of Just Egg, or you can use tofu scramble

  • 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced

  • 4 hash browns or 20 tater tots

  • 8 teaspoons maple syrup (or more If you extra like maple syrup)

  • ketchup

  • Kala Namak salt (this salt smells and taste like eggs)

  • 2 teaspoons vegan butter


INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Cook hash browns or tater tots in the oven or air fryer according to cooking instructions.

  2. Begin by heating a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and allow it to melt. Add the sliced onion and cook until the onion is soft and translucent. Remove onions from the pan and set aside.

  3. Spray the same pan generously with some cooking oil or add a little more vegan butter. Pour 4 puddles of the just egg in the pan, about 2-3 tablespoons each. Fry the Just Eggs a few minutes per side until cooke through. Sprinkle each fried egg LIGHTLY with a little Kala Namak salt. A little goes a long way. If you have not tried to fry Just Egg before, it helps to make sure the pan is nice and oiled, this helps the egg not stick and flip easier. I use a small, sharp edged spatula to help scrape the sides mine before flipping. Set eggs aside.

  4. Grill or pan fry the vegan burgers. I like to brush extra maple syrup on the burgers while they grill. I also like to put my buns to the grill right before the burgers are done. I add the cheese to the meat before it is done grilling to help melt it.

  5. Brush each bun with a few teaspoons for maple syrup. Add some ketchup, the hash browns or tater tots. ( if using tater tots just use a fork and gently press each one down into the bun to help flatten them out a bit, this is what I used) the burger patty, and top with the grilled onion to serve.

If you like this recipe, then try these:

Vegan Reuben Dip

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I think if I were forced to choose a favorite sandwich it might come down to a reuben.

It would for sure be in my top 3!

Our vegan conned beef recipe is quickly becoming my favorite deli meat on the site, and there is normally a batch in my fridge!

So recently I saw a recipe for reuben dip that was not vegan, and decided it need to be! I mean I already had the vegan corned beef, and I always have vegan cream cheese, sour cream, and sauerkraut in my fridge!

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I have included links to homemade cheese, and even a quick and easy sauerkraut for this dip, but you can just as easily use store-bought!

The corned beef does take a while. You have to prepare the seitan and then allow it to rest for around 8 hours. So if you are planning to make this dip, keep that in mind and get started on the vegan corned beef, STAT!

If you are a fan of a reuben sandwich or corned beef, you won’t regret having a batch ready in you fridge. You only need about a quarter of what you make for this recipe and that means you get to use the rest however you like!

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The vegan corned beef also freezes well, so you can freeze what you don’t use for later if you like. It will keep frozen for about 6 months.

This dip is delicious served with crackers, cut up veggies or even used in a sandwich. Currently I have been using up my leftovers as a sandwich spread! I like it on soft white bread, with thinly sliced cucumbers and sprouts! Even my daughter who claimed not to really care for the dip , loved it on a sandwich!

So if you love all things reuben and want a new twist on an old classic, try this vegan reuben dip! I think you will love it as much as I do!

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INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/4 loaf of 86eats Vegan Corned Beef, finely chopped (or around 8oz of any other recipe or store-bought)

  • 8 oz vegan cream cheese

  • 4 oz vegan sour cream

  • 1 cup vegan mozzarella, gouda, or Swiss shreds

  • 1 cup Sauerkraut, drained

  • salt and pepper to taste

  • 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds

  • 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

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INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Slice and finely dice the vegan corned beef.

  2. In a medium sized bowl mix the cream cheese and the sour cream. Add in the sauerkraut, cheese, vegan corned beef, and seasoning. Stir well.

  3. You can garnish the top with dried or fresh dill or parsley.

  4. Serve with crackers, or cut up veggies. This dip also makes a really delicious sandwich spread. I like to make a sandwich with the dip, and some thinly sliced cucumbers!

If you like this recipe, then try these:

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Vegan Corned Beef

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So I have been making vegan deli meats for a while now.

The one goal has always been making the best vegan sandwich I can get my hands on!

I could live off of sandwiches. They have everything! Bread ( bread is my love language) veggies, delicious vegan deli meat, and in my case, vegan mayo. Almost ever sandwich needs mayo or some mayo based spread, but that is just a matter opinion.

I also get asked regularly if I have a recipe for “fill in the blank.” So far I have covered turkey, ham, roast beef, brisket, pastrami, salami, and pepperoni. All the meats I missed after going vegan, and all the meats I wanted on a perfect vegan sandwich.

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A reuben is by far my all time hands down favorite sandwich. And I don’t discriminate. Before I was vegan I had a favorite reuben variation from all my favorite restaurants. From an original corned beef reuben to a turkey reuben, and even the most untraditional BBQ brisket with slaw reuben. I even make reuben latkes every year for Hanukkah.

I mean you can make a reuben with lots of different meats, and I just kept making mine with my vegan pastrami recipe, but one would argue the correct, traditional way is to make one with corned beef. And recently someone asked if I had a corned beef recipe. And I did not. Even with my fierce love of a reuben, I had just not delved into the world of corned beef making.

So I decided it was high time! And that is just what I did.

Making homemade seitan, especially deli meat is much easier than most people think, and if you have made any of my other deli meats recipes, you were probably surprised just how quick and easy it actually is.

If I were going to rate the other deli meats on my site as “beginner level’ then I might would rate this corned beef “intermediate.” Not as quick and easy, but truly to get a corned beef you are going to have to take a few extra steps.

Regular corned beef needs to hang out in a pickling brine for a time, hence the whole “corned” part of the name. It is also suppose to be sort of fall apart tender. This gave me some challenge as most of my deli meats are super firm so you can slice them nice and thin.

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So for starters I needed a nice tender, and flavorful seitan, but I needed it to be able to slice thinly as well. So I opted to simmer the seitan in a pickling spice liquid and then wrap and bake it to steam. I really wanted all that flavor from the spice blend to sink in and simmering seemed like the answer. Baking it in the foil helped to firm it up and give it that nice outter coating.

This deli meat is not harder to make than the others on my site, but making the spice blend, and allowing it to simmer before the bake does take more time.

Outside of using this vegan corned beef to make the perfect reuben, it will also work great in you St Patty’s day corned beef and cabbage recipes. After you have allowed it to rest and firm up (NO, you may not skip this step) you can reheat it however you like. And now all the other vegans missing corned beef and cabbage will be green with envy….(bad St Patty’s day joke, I know)

Really, if you are on the fence with this recipe, it really is not too much harder than any of my other deli meats. It does take a little more time and effort, it may not end up on your weekly vegan meat making rotation, but I will be so worth it when you do make it! I promise.

And really yall, keep the seitan requests a comin’. I mean it only took me a year to get around to tackling this one but really, I do consider all the requests I get, and when I find the time and inspiration I am willing to try and tackle just about anything yall throw at me. Just don’t throw an actual deli meat at me, that would just be weird.

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INGREDIENTS:

  • 16 oz package of super firm tofu, the kind in a vacuum sealed package

  • 1 cup vital wheat gluten

  • 1/3 cup diced raw beet, peeled

  • 1 teaspoons No Beef Better than Bouillon

  • 1/4 cup corn starch or tapioca starch

  • 2 teaspoons dijon mustard

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos

  • 1 tablespoon oil ( I used grape seed)

  • 2 teaspoons liquid smoke

  • 2 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce

  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic

  • 2 teaspoons onion powder

  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander

  • 1 teaspoon paprika

  • 2 teaspoons powdered mustard

  • 1 teaspoon each salt and black pepper

Pickling Spice :

You will need to use a spice grinder, coffee grinder, or mortar and pestle for this

  • 2 star of anise

  • 2 teaspoons juniper berries

  • 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds

  • 2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds

  • 2-3 teaspoons black pepper

  • 2 teaspoons all spice

  • 1/4 teaspoons ground clove, or 3 whole cloves

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

  • 1 teaspoon cardamom

  • 2 teaspoons dried dill

  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1 teaspoon coriander

  • 2 whole bay leaves

Simmering Liquid:

  • 4 cups water

  • 1 heaping teaspoons No Beef Better Than Bouillon

  • 2 teaspoons dijon mustard

  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic

  • All of the pickling spice

  • 2 teaspoons corn starch or tapioca starch

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Add the peeled and cubed beet to the food processor. Let it run for a minute and get the beet good and broken down.

  2. Break up the tofu and place it into a food processor along with the beet. Run the processor for around a minute until the tofu is broken down.

  3. Add all of the remaining ingredients and let the food processor run for a couple of minutes. You want the mixture to form a dough. Letting the processor run will help knead the dough. We want this seitan to be firm so we need it to knead for a bit. If the dough seems too dry, you can add water, just a teaspoon at a time until the dough comes together. I added NO water to my dough. The other liquid ingredients and the beet added enough moisture to mine.

  4. Once you have a smooth but firm dough, remove it from the food processor and place on a clean counter. Knead the dough with your hands for about a minute, forming a kind of oval shaped loaf with the dough.

  5. Add all of the spices to a spice grinder, or clean coffee grinder. Grind into a powder. I even dump in my already ground spices just to help mix it all up together. If using a mortar and pestle then just grind up the whole spices and mix them with the ground. I tend to have a decent selection of ground spices in my pantry at all times. I only added whole spices that I coudln’t find already ground. Use ground if you have it already.

  6. In a large pot or dutch oven, add all of the simmering liquid ingredients EXCEPT for the starch. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat.

  7. Add the beef seitan to the liquid. Simmer with a lid for 25 minutes. Remove the lid for the remainder or the simmer, turning the seitan a few times as it cooks. After 45 minutes the liquid should be reduced by more than half.

  8. Take a piece of foil at least double the size of your seitan and spray it with some oil. Using tongs and a spatula, transfer the vegan corned beef to the foil.

  9. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

  10. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of starch into the boiling liquid and whisk well. Scrape any bits of stuck seitan off the bottom of the pot into the mixture. Once it has thickened to a gravy consistency, spoon a few nice spoonfuls over the seitan and brush it on with a pastry brush. Flip the seitan and do the same on the other side. You won’t use all of the gravy you made.

  11. Tightly wrap the foil around the vegan corned beef and repeat with another large piece of foil giving it a nice tight double wrap.

  12. Bake for 40 minutes. Carefully open up the foil and allow to bake for another 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool at room temperature for at least half an hour. Transfer to the fridge either wrapped back in the foil or you can drop it in a gallon freezer bag or some Tupperware. Allow the vegan corned beef to rest in the fridge over night or AT LEAST 6 HOURS. Seitan MUST REST to achieve the texture we are looking for. Trust me here. Let it rest.

  13. After the vegan corned beef has rested, you can slice it and store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a 10 days or freeze for up to 6 months. You can reheat the full roast by slicing it thick and heating in the oven at 350 covered in foil so it does not dry out or reheat it in a pan or even the crock pot if cooking in a broth with cabbage and other veggies.

TROUBLE SHOOTING THIS REICPE:

*I used high protein tofu in a vacuum sealed package and this what I strongly advise using. It is much firmer than regular firm tofu and has less moisture and a more chewy texture. If you opt to use regular firm tofu you will need to press it first and remove as much liquid as possible. You may need to adjust the amount of water in the recipet as well. Add the water last, adding just enough to accomplish a firm dough.

  • *If you find your turkey has A LOT OF LITTLE HOLES, and a more BREAD LIKE TEXTURE this can be caused from under kneading the dough, BUT more likely cooking the seitan at too high of a temperature, or for too long. Check your ovens temperature with an oven thermometer. Your oven may just be cooking hotter than it registers. Also gas and electric ovens tend to cook differently. If you do not have an oven thermometer you can reduce the heat in your oven by 25 degrees, and keep the seitan covered for 50 minutes and open for 10.



If you like this recipe, then try these:

vegan flank steak

vegan flank steak

Vegan Patty Melt

patty melt

In college I waited tables. I mean I guess that is pretty typical.

I worked a few places actually, and one of those places was Steak n Shake.

I took mostly night classes in college and I worked third shift at Steak n Shake and had plenty of idle time to get homework done and papers written. It worked out really well, actually.

I also got to eat half price and that is always a perk when you are a broke college student.

One of my favorite things ever at Steak n Shake was the Frisco melt. I was basically a patty melt with 1,000 island dressing.

Is it good for you? Well no. Is it delicious? Heck yes. Is it vegan? Absolutely not. Can you make it vegan. Well yes, you can!

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I used Beyond beef patties for this recipe. I am not here to debate Beyond vs Impossible meat. I am an equal fan of both. But Costco sells Beyond meat burgers, and now the meatballs as well, and the price is better than anywhere else I have found. I actually just buy the burgers at Costco and thaw them to use in place of the 1 lb ground because it is the most affordable option!

Also, I personally love Beyond meat! So its a win win.

You could use any vegan hamburger patty you like, store-bought or homemade. Grinding up failed seitan often makes a decent burger patty if that is something you are into.

Add any cheese you like. We are family divided, and with this sandwich are split between being fans of vegan American cheese, or Gouda! You any cheese you like, store bought or homemade. I have about 40 cheese recipes on the site, so check some of those out if you are feeling adventurous! They are all really really easy so don’t be afraid to give it a go!

The next step is caramelizing onions. This is not a hard task by any means, it just takes a little while. So be patient. They are worth it!!! If you are especially impatient and just want to sauté your onions and not caramelize them, I’ll forgive you, but trusts me when I say the sandwich won’t be as tasty.

Next slather that baby with a whole lot of 1,000 island dressing and you are on you way to sandwich heaven. Seriously my love for 1,000 island runs deep and wide. Its one of my favorite salad dressings and also dips for fires or tater tots. If you hate 1,000 island then I am not sure we can be friends, but you can use whatever less exciting condiment you like. Mayo, ketchup, whatever…I am out of suggestions because the only right answer is 1,000 island.

Ok, so go make yourself a vegan patty melt. A gooey, cheesy, greasy, 1,000 dripping vegan. patty melt, and be happy!!!


INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 vegan burger patties ( we used Beyond Meat Patties)

  • 8 pieces of any vegan sandwich bread you prefer

  • 4 slices of vegan American, Cheddar, Gouda, or Swiss cheese.

  • Vegan butter

  • 2 larger yellow onions

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

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Vegan 1000 Island Dressing:

  • 3/4 cups vegan mayo

  • 3 tablespoons ketchup

  • 2-3 tablespoons diced dill pickles

  • 1-2 teaspoons pickle juice

  • salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Thinly slice both onions. In a large iron skillet or other large skillet, add a few teaspoons of vegan butter over medium/low heat. Add the onion and sprinkle with the salt. Allow the onions to cook for about 10 minutes with out really moving them around. After 10 minutes give them a good stir and allow another 10 minutes not really messing with them too much. If they seem to be burning reduce the heat to low. Sprinkle with the sugar and stir again. Let the onions cook another 10-15 minutes or until they are browned and caramelized. Set aside.

  2. In a small bowl mix the mayo, pickles, ketchup, salt and pepper to taste. I add a few teaspoons of pickle juice just to thin it out a bit and add a vinegar kick.

  3. Fry the burger patties, trying to get them pretty flattened out while frying. You don’t want a big thick patty for a patty melt, but rather a nice thin patty. I like to get mine flattened out and a little crispy around the edges. Place finished burgers on a plate. I like to add the cheese slices to the burgers hot out of the pan. I then put a large skillet lid over the plate so the cheese can steam and melt some before I grill the sandwiches. Vegan cheese doesn’t always melt super well and this step helps.

  4. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Lay them butter side down in a large skillet over medium heat (I normally make 2 at a time.) Smear some 1000 island on the the bread, add the burgers, cheese, and 1/4 of the caramelized onions to each sandwich. Heat the sandwiches on each side long enough to get the bread toasty and the cheese good and melted.

  5. Serve as is or with a side of fries or chips.

If you like this recipe, then try these:

Vegan Big Beef and Cheddar

Vegan Big Beef and Cheddar

Vegan Buffalo Chicken Sandwich

Vegan Buffalo Chicken Sandwich

Vegan Fish Fillet Sandwich

Vegan Fish Fillet Sandwich

patty melt

Vegan Big Beef and Cheddar Sandwich (Vegan Roast Beef)

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What is an Arby’s big beef and cheddar you might ask? ( you would ask if you have no clue what Arby’s is or have never eaten there pre-vegan.) Well its a thinly sliced, warm roast beef sandwich, with cheddar cheese sauce, on an onion bun from Arby’s fast food restaurant ! And it my friends was DELICIOUS! The big beef and cheddar is more pricey than an original roast beef and most often did not fit into my high school, stolen change, budget.

When I was in high school, you could get 5 classic Arby’s roast beef sandwiches for $5. My friend Jessica and I would raid my step sisters giant jar of change for $5 so we could split 5 roast beef sandwiches between us. And let me tell you, we both could EASILY pound 2 and half classic roast beefs in one sitting, no problem. Not that I would advise anyone do that now that I am a grown up and realized nobody “needs” 2 and half sandwiches of any kind at one time.

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My kids have never had real roast beef let alone an Arby’s roast beef sandwich or Arby’s sauce. My southern family would say, “bless their little hearts!” So recently when someone made and posted the 86eats roast beef to mimic an Arby’s big beef and cheddar, I realized how crazy it was that I had not done that yet and shared it with my own kids.

So, I already had a solid vegan roast beef recipe, and my good friend Mike has just loaned me a deli slicer, and I also have a solid vegan cheddar cheese sauce recipe, so all I need was to veganize the Arby’s sauce and an onion roll! Easy enough, y’all.

For the sauce, I just googled all the other copy cat Arby’s sauces, married a few together and used vegan ingredients. For the bun, I used our no rise hamburger bun recipe and changed up a few things to get a super tasty onion roll!

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These buns are the quickest yeast buns ever, so easy to make and pretty much fail proof. I loved onion rolls as as kid, and often made my turkey sandwiches on one, so now that I have an easy vegan version, and the best vegan deli turkey lunch meat recipe, I am making these vegan onion rolls ALL THE TIME!

Heads up if you need to have the famous fries with your vegan big beef and cheddar, most chain grocery stores sell them in the freezer section! The actual Arby’s brand curly fries!! And they crisp up great in my air fryer!

Oh and if you were a fan of the famous Jamocha shake, I added my recipe at the bottom of this page. Quick, easy and worthy or dipping your fries right in there!

So without further ado, I present to you the 86eats vegan version of an Arby’s Big Beef and Cheddar!

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INGREDIENTS:

Vegan Cheddar Cheese Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup cashews or sunflower seeds, covered in water and microwave 3 minutes

  • 1 and 1/4 cup water (in addition to the water used to microwave the nuts)

  • 2 tablespoons tapioca starch

  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

  • 1 teaspoons turmeric

  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika

  • 2 tablespoons sauerkraut without the juice (you can sub with 2 teaspoons light miso and a dash or apple cider vinegar)

  • 1 teaspoon salt

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INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Prepare the vegan deli roast beef according to instructions. You will need to make it either in the morning if you wish to slice it in the evening or the day before. It requires at least a 6 hour rest in the fridge in order for it to firm up enough to slice thinly. You can slice the vegan roast beef with a super sharp knife or with an electric deli slicer for extra thin, Arby’s worthy slices.

  2. Prepare the onion rolls according to the instructions. These onion rolls are a quick yeast roll, meaning they do not require a rise time. So start to finish they are done in about an hour. Or use any vegan store-bought bun you prefer.

  3. You can make homemade Arby’s sauce or if you have some sauce packets laying around, use them, they are vegan.

  4. Prepare the cheese sauce by adding the microwaved and drained nuts or seeds to high speed blende or food processor, along with the remaining ingredients. Blend until COMPLETELY SMOOTH! You don’t want any bits of nuts or seeds left.

  5. Pour the cheese mixture into a medium size sauce pan and cook over medium heat stirring continuously until the cheese has thickens to a thin pudding consistency. If the sauce gets too thick you whisk in some extra water and thin it back out! You can easily reheat this sauce in a pan, agin adding a little water to help thin it back out. I normally have a batch of this in my fridge for nachos, tacos, sandwiches or dip for fries.

  6. I like to slice and microwave the vegan roast beef wrapped in some wax paper to warm it through for about 30 seconds. I also like to heat the bun, not toast it, steam it to warm through.

  7. Add heated vegan roast beef, along with cheese sauce, and Arby’s sauce to the buns to serve.

  8. Serve with Arby’s brand curly fries and a homemade vegan Jamocha shake to complete your veganized Arby’s experience! Y’all have to know I did not go to all this trouble without making that shake and sharing the recipe!! Cause I love you all that much ;)

BONUS REICPE (VEGAN JAMOCAH SHAKE)

  • Blend 3 cups vegan chocolate ice cream with 1 cup cold, strong coffee, and 1 cup plant milk! It’s that easy and sooooo good!!!

If you like this recipe, then try these:

Vegan Beer Battered Crispy Fish Sandwich

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When I was in college I ate a lot of McDonald’s fish filet sandwiches.

I am not proud of this but, I was young, and broke, and loved that dang sandwich.

Once I was older and had more money, fish and chips, or a fried fish fillet sandwich was one of my go to orders on any menu that had it.

Then we went vegan and I missed fried fish, plain and simple.

And then one day I learned the magic a can of BANANA BLOSSOMS can yield, it was a game changer.

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I probably had not had a fish sandwich or fried fish in over 5 years when I discovered this vegan secret.

The first step was finding the banana blossoms. Easy enough if you have an Asian market near by, but can also be easily ordered online, as well. (that said they are WAY cheaper at the Asian market than they are online)

I paid less than $2.50 a can for these blossoms. So between the “fish” fillets, buns, and toppings, you can feed 4-6 people for maybe around $10. You really can’t beat that!

For this recipe I also made a quick batch of vegan no rise hamburger buns. They are cheap and easy to make and are done start to finish in less than an hour!!

I used a beer batter for my fried vegan fish fillets, but you can use seltzer water if beer isn’t your thing. If it is your thing, then you are gonna extra love this sandwich!

These banana blossoms fry up fast and get extra crispy, perfect for this vegan fish sandwich, vegan fish and chips, or even vegan fish tacos.

The blossoms flake and full apart like fish, and with the help of some seaweed flakes and Old Bay for flavor, they make for the most convincing mock vegan fish!

So if you have yet to jump on the banana blossom bandwagon and have been missing some crispy fried fish or a crispy fish sandwich, this is your answer!


INGREDIENTS:

The Fish Filets:

  • 2 cans banana blossoms in brine

  • 2 tablespoons dulse flakes

  • 1 and 1/2 cup all purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon old bay seasoning (optional)

  • 3 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1 can (12 oz) cold beer, any beer is fine as long as it is not a dark thick beer

  • oil for frying

Sandwich Makings:

Vegan Tartar Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup vegan mayo

  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice

  • 2 - 3 tablespoons diced dill pickles

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard

  • salt and pepper to taste

  • 2 teaspoons fresh dill

  • optional: 1 - 2 teaspoons capers

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INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. If making homemade no rise hamburger buns for this recipes, do that first. They are pretty easy, and start to finish take less than an hour.

  2. Drain cans of banana blossoms and carefully remove the blossoms, laying them out on a paper towel to remove some liquid. They can easily fall apart so be careful. I found that only a few blossoms in each can were fully in tact. I simply took all of the loose leaves from each can and stacked them back together to resemble full blossoms. I have only been able to find one brand of blossoms on Amazon. I am uncertain if this is an issue with all canned banana blossoms, but stacking the leaves back together worked just fine for me.

  3. Transfer the blossoms to a shallow baking dish and sprinkle with the 2 teaspoons of dulce flakes and a dash of salt.

  4. For the batter, whisk together the flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, old bay, and the entire can of cold beer in a medium sized bowl. The batter will be thick.

  5. To make the tartar sauce, whisk all of the ingredients together in a medium sized bowl and set aside.

  6. Heat a deep skillet with a few inches of oil over medium/ high heat.

  7. While the oil is heating, begin carefully dipping the blossoms into the batter. For any blossoms that you had to reassemble, place them into the batter, and using a spoon, cover the top in batter. This will help keep the blossom in tact vs attempting to dip them. Carefully transfer the blossoms to the hot oil. TIP: if you are not sure if the oil is hot enough, place a chopstick into the oil, if tiny bubbles form around the chopstick, the oil is ready!

  8. Fry each blossom for a minute or two on each side, or until they are golden brown. If they seem to be browning too quickly, reduce your heat a bit. Transfer the finished blossoms to a wire cooling rack that has been placed on top of a paper towel lined cookie sheet.

  9. Build the sandwiches by spreading the vegan tarter sauce on both sides of the buns. Add a vegan fish fillet to each bun, along with some sliced pickles, a slice of cheese and some lettuce to serve.

If you like this recipe, then try these:

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Vegan Chicken Philly Cheesesteak

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I used to work at Chili’s. Yeah the baby back rib place with the song.

This was back in college and I was extra broke and one of the perks was being able to eat after my shift for half price.

At the time Chili’s had a sandwich which I ate almost every day before it was taken of the menu. It was a chicken tejas sandwich and it was basically a chicken philly. I honestly could not tell you today what was in it. It has been 20 years ago…but I remember how much I loved it.

I remember the heartbreak I felt when they announced it was coming off the menu and eating the very last one our location had because one of the cooks and I were friends and they saved it for me.

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Clearly I have a real attachment to that sandwich, enough so to retell my pretty uninteresting story. But, I told it because that is why I decided to make this sandwich. I was thinking about the Tejas sandwich the other day and how a local food truck here has a vegan philly that I like but the “meat” is more of a mock beef. And at the end of the day, I really just wanted a vegan chicken philly. So I made one!!

Our easy vegan baked chicken is well, actually really easy to make, and since it makes 8 breasts, you can can really get a few meals out of it. The seitan freezes really well, so I normally cook up a batch on the weekend and pop it into the freezer or fridge to use throughout the week.

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And lets talk about he cheese!!! The easy vegan cheese sauce that you will want to eat on EVERYTHING!! I say to use half a batch and that means you can easily just make half a batch OR make a whole batch, use half, and save the other half for alllllllll kinds of things. Pizza cheese, lasagna , dipping chips, making quesadillas or enchiladas, dip your fries in it, put it on a burger, on some nachos, in a casserole. So many ways to use it up!

So in conclusion, if you love a chicken philly too, and want a solid vegan chicken philly, this might just be the recipe for you! Pretty easy, super delicious, gooey, cheesy, chicken-y, sandwich magic!

And if you ever had the joy of eating a Chilis Tejas sandwich (that would require you being over 25 years old, sooooooooo yeah, now I feel extra old) let me know!! Because if you ever did get to eat one then you know exactly what Im talking about!

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INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/2 batch Easy Vegan Baked Chicken

  • 1/2 batch Vegan All Purpose Cheese Sauce

  • 1-2 bell peppers (any color you like0

  • 1 small yellow onion

  • 8 oz button mushrooms, sliced

  • 1-2 teaspoons minced garlic

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce or liquid aminos

  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1/2-1 teaspoon smoked paprika

  • 4-6 hoagie sandwich rolls

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INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Prepare vegan chicken breast as instructed. You will need to allow the chicken to rest. So prepare it in the morning or the day before. You willl use half a batch and can freeze refrigerate the other half for another quick meal, later!

  2. Once chicken has rested thinly cut 4 breast length wise.

  3. Thinly slice the onion and pepper. I used 2 peppers but I like peppers. One would work fine as well.

  4. Prepare the cheese sauce as instructed but wait to cook it until the sandwiches are made.

  5. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a few teaspoons of vegan butter or oil. Add the onions, garlic, and peppers and cook until the onions are translucent. Add the mushrooms, chicken strips, spices, and soy sauce. Cook until the mushrooms are nice and soft.

  6. You can slice and heat the buns in the oven or slice and toast them up, open side down, in a buttered skillet. Or leave the bread not toasted, if you prefer.

  7. Evenly divide the vegan chicken Philly mixture between the buns. I was able to make 6 sandwiches with my filling.

  8. Add the cheese sauce to a pan and heat over medium heat, whisking continuously until the sauce has thickened to the consistency of queso. Drizzle cheese sauce over the sandwiches to serve. You can also add some diced green onions if you like.

If you like this recipe, then try these:

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Vegan Buffalo Chicken Sandwich with Celery Slaw

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Way back when I was not vegan, a buffalo chicken sandwich was my go-to take out order.

I like spicy food and my husband is not really a fan. So when it was just the two of us, I never cooked anything with buffalo sauce because he wasn’t going to eat it.

But eventually we had kids, and a few of those kids have grown up to love buffalo everything just like me! Glory glory hallelujah!! Now I can finally justify a buffalo sauce themed dinner!!

My all time favorite buffalo chicken sandwich was at a place in Jax called, Chomp Chomp. If you live in Jax or have visited and ever eaten there, then you know! They sadly closed last year and broke many a locals heart.

Their buffalo sandwich was a perfectly crispy chicken sandwich, extra hot, extra drippy, slathered in celery slaw and blue cheese. CELERY SLAW, Y’ALL. Blue cheese celery slaw!!!!

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I mean its been a long time ago that I ate that sandwich, and went back to a vegetarian diet pretty soon after I did eat it (they did offer a vegetarian version.) I had a bit of a slippery relationship with being vegetarian for some years due to being pregnant and at the time and being made to feel like I needed to eat meat and was not getting enough protein.

Ahh the age old “but how are you getting enough protein?” question. Did you know that the super firm tofu I use to make this vegan chicken is actually high protein! 14 grams per serving, actually. Cleary I now see that was all a load of garbage. Live and learn. The more you know and all that jazz…..moving on.

Fast forward to being vegetarian then vegan, and my order eventually changed, but even their vegan eats were delicious. But, I never got over missing that perfect buffalo chicken sandwich.

So, in honor of the closing of one Jacksonville’s best down town eateries, I have decided to recreate the Chomp Chomp Buffalo sandwich and make it VEGAN, full of protein for all the haters, extra spicy, and dripping with a pile of homemade vegan blue cheese slaw, and extra vegan blue cheese.

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Don’t be intimidated by making your own vegan fried chicken. It is actually really easy. I have linked the recipe to our southern fried chicken for this sandwich. I am always preaching how easy seitan making is, and really y’all, its so easy. It mixes up in minutes, bakes in a little over half an hour, and fries up extra fast.

The catch its seitan has to rest to get it to meaty texture we all want. If you try and eat it right away it can be spongy and not great. Just let it rest! LET THE BREAST REST!

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Seitan also freezes really well so if you are making a sandwich for one, two, four, six, whatever, you get 8 vegan chicken pieces from this recipe. They will actually freeze beautifully for up to 6 months. You can make all kinds of things out of one batch of vegan chicken breast. You don’t have fry them. You can thaw leftovers and use them in stir fry, make vegan chicken salad from them, use them in any dish you would need a vegan chicken for!!

The point I am trying to make is that the effort and time involved in making a batch of this seitan is 100% worth it! And once you make it, you can make one of the most delicious vegan buffalo chickens sandwiches ever!

Thanks again for the inspiration Chomp Chomp, you are missed. Please, please, make a come back..and if you do, give me call, I’ll be happy to help with some vegan offerings ;)

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*This recipe will yield up to 8 chicken sandwiches. If you do not need 8, you can freeze any leftover chicken breast for later use, for up to 6 months. You can store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 10 days in an airtight container.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 batch vegan southern fried chicken (you do not need to add the rice paper skin)

  • 1 batch vegan blue cheese dressing

  • Vegan hamburger buns (we used Dave’s new Killer Hamburger Buns)

  • 6-7 stalks of celery

  • 2/3 cups matchstick carrots

  • salt and pepper to taste

  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

  • 1/2-1 cup Franks Buffalo Sauce (depending on how many sandwiches you are making)

  • 1-2 teaspoons vegan buttter

  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt

  • extra hot sauce if you want the sandwich EXTRA spicy

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INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Prepare the chicken according to the recipe. The chicken is made from seitan and needs to rest in the fridge before frying. It will need to be made the day before or at least 6 hours before frying. For this recipe I did not add the rice paper skin. Just form the “chicken” breast and bake. Then LET THEM REST!!

  2. Prepare the vegan blue cheese according to the directions. You could also use store bought.

  3. To prepare the slaw, cut the celery stalks length wise and as thinly as you can get them. Like thin matchsticks. Then cut them into quarters the other way. Toss the celery and the carrot match sticks into a blender or food processor and pulse a few times to chop it all up. If you do not have a blender or food processor you can try to finely chop the slaw by hand. You just want a slaw consistency. If you are making only a few sandwiches, you can easily half this recipe.

  4. Add the celery and carrots to a bowl and mix with the vinegar, 2-3 tablespoons of vegan blue cheese dressing, and salt and pepper to taste.

  5. In a medium size microwave safe bowl, heat the Franks hot sauce and butter for 1 and half to 2 minutes. You just need the Franks heated through and the butter melted. Mix in the garlic salt and dip each vegan fried chicken breast into the sauce to coat fully.

  6. Smear some vegan blue cheese dressing on the top and bottom bun, add a coated piece of vegan fried chicken, and top with a generous portion of celery slaw to serve. (also is suggest a pile of napkins!)

If you like this recipe, then try these:

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Vegan Hawaiian Rolls

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Before we went vegetarian, never mind vegan, I could put down some Hawaiian rolls.

Every single Thanksgiving my family would buy a Honey Baked Ham and I would look most forward to the leftover ham sandwiches with mayo on a Hawaiian roll. It was my favorite sandwich that I only got to eat once a year.

For years and years my husband and I have talked about missing that sandwich. So I decided enough was enough and it was high time I make a convincing vegan ham.

Well, I did. But I still needed a vegan Hawaiian roll, so set my 14 year old to task with coming up a with a vegan version of the best roll on the planet (just my opinion but seriously, it is the best)

I have talked more than once about how amazing our 14 year old is (all of our kids are really rad, actually) but P can bake ANYTHING and make it vegan.

It took her just one attempt at veganizing a Hawaiian roll recipe to develop the most perfect Hawaiian roll I maybe ever have had.

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Sweet, soft, and just waiting for a big pile of vegan ham and some mayo.

And just like that. all the stars aligned and there was finally nostalgic food joy in our house year around. Glory glory!!

These vegan Hawaiian rolls are gonna take you some time. They are after all a yeast roll and those just take time to rise. It is what it is. So make sure if want these for dinner to start them in them several hours before you are wanting to eat.

And let me just mention before you ask or comment, these rolls are suppose to be sweet. Sweet and a little savoy. In case you have never had one. The pineapple juice is key ingredient so no, you can not swap it out. If you do, it will not be a Hawaiian roll. It will be some other kind of roll and thats ok, but it won’t be a traditional Hawaiian roll.

They are best warm, right out of the oven, but they keep well for a few days and are still delicious at room temp.

And if you are also a fan of ham on Hawaiian, try our vegan ham recipe. It is so easy to make, and really affordable. I am talking $4 for about a pound and a half of vegan deli meat. Y’all, you will never have to pay too much for vegan lunch meat ever again!! And if you don’t like ham, I have turkey, brisket, and pastrami recipes as well!!

If you are not in it for the sandwiches, then these rolls make a perfect bread side for just about any meal. They are great for BBQs, pot lucks, or just Sunday night dinner.

Thanks again to our brilliant P for all of her veganizing genius and these rolls.

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INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour

  • 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar

  • 2 starch eggs ( 2 tablespoons tapioca or corn starch+ 6 tablespoons water, mixed)

  • 1/4 cup melted vegan butter

  • 1/2 cup warm oat milk (100-110 degrees, if it’s too hot it will kill the yeast, it should be about the temp of hot water from the tap as a gauge if you don’t have a kitchen thermometer)

  • 1/2 cup pineapple juice, room temp

GLAZE:

  • 3 tablespoons oat milk

  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or large bowl if mixing by hand, add the pineapple juice, warm milk, melted butter, starch eggs, sugar, salt, and yeast.

  2. Add 2 cups of flour and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to incorporate the wet ingredients with the dry. The dough will be shaggy, loose, and sticky.

  3. If using a stand mixer, attach the dough hook. On medium/low speed begin adding remaining flour until the dough comes together. If the dough seems a little too dry, add a tablespoon of water. If it seems too wet, you can add a few extra tablespoons of four. Let the dough knead in the mixer for 5 minutes unit a smooth, soft dough forms.

  4. If mixing by hand, add a little flour at a time mixing by hand unit the dough forms. Turn dough out onto a clean floured surface and knead by hand for 5 minutes. (it will be a good workout, to work off all those carbs you are about to cram in your face)

  5. Lightly coat a large mixing bowl with some oil. Place dough in bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen bowl. Place the bowl in a warm place and allow it to rise until doubled in size. This should take about an hour but will depend on how warm it is in your house. It could take a bit longer. I let my dough rise in my oven with it turned off.

  6. Lightly coat or spray a 9x13 pan with oil.

  7. Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and divide it into 15 equal pieces. You can eyeball it, or if you are the kind of person that needs them to be EXACTLY the same size, use a kitchen scale. Roll each piece of dough into a ball place them in the 9x13 pan.

  8. In a small bowl mix 3 tablespoons oat milk and 3 tablespoons maple syrup. Brush the tops of the rolls and cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen bowl. Let rise again for 30 minutes. You can use any plant milk you have but oat milk browns better than the rest.

  9. While the rolls are rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees.

  10. Uncover and bake rolls on the middle oven rack for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

  11. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temp.

If you like this recipe, then try these:

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Vegan Glazed Deli Ham

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I make a lot of seitan based vegan meats. So bare with me while I talk turkey for a minute. The ham talk will follow.

I have recipes for a holiday roast, holiday turkey style breast with crispy skin, chicken breast, pastrami, brisket, and even pepperoni. But until our turkey recipe, I had never added tofu to the mix.

If there was ever a sandwich I missed since going vegan it is a regular old turkey sandwich. I used to love a good deli carved turkey sandwich more than almost anything. So I decided I would try to add tofu to my regular turkey style breast recipe to see if I could get it to a more deli sliced texture.

Y’all, the answer is YES! I have seen other people adding tofu to seitan recipes, and obviously Tofurkey lunch slices are a mix of tofu and vital wheat gluten so I decided to give it a go. It only took one experiment and it came out pretty perfect the first time. I was elated.

So once I realized how easy the turkey was, I went on to make a vegan roast beef using the same method!

Ham was my next stop on the vegan lunch meat deli tour, and I knew if I made it the same way as the turkey but changed a few wet ingredients and spices, I would get the same successful results I got with the turkey and roast beef.

Oh and a glaze. Whats a ham without a glaze?!?!

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Growing up I LOVED when my parents bought a Honey Baked Ham for the holidays. I was never a fan of packaged deli ham but I lived for leftover Honey Baked Ham sandwiches on a Hawaiian roll with mayo. So that was the kind of ham I was looking to recreate.

You can slice this ham extra thin if that is your preferred texture, or leave it a little on the thick side to mimic more of a holiday ham. And because I loved a glazed ham the most, I gave this one a nice sweet brown sugar glaze with a hint of soy for the salt and to add a little color to the top.

My kids love our easy vegan deli turkey recipe so when I offered them this ham (2 of my kids have only ever had ham once at a friends how when they were really young, the other two, never) they announced “I don’t think I liked ham that one time I ate it.” But since we were out of turkey and they wanted and sandwich, they gave in and made a vegan ham sandwich for lunch.

We were out and about and my 14 year old daughter was super reluctant to eat said sandwich, but y’all, if I could have videoed her face when she took that first bite…priceless. Lets just say she is now a big fan of vegan ham non white bread with mayo and vegan American cheese.

So if you have made any of other vegan deli meat recipe and looking to switch it up, try the ham. Its just as good as the turkey, roast beef, or brisket, just more, well, ham like!

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INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 block super firm tofu, 14-16 oz

  • 1 cup vital wheat gluten

  • 1/4 cup ketchup or tomato sauce

  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

  • 2 tablespoons neutral flavored oil ( you can replace with water if you are oil free)

  • 2 tablespoons tapioca starch or corn starch

  • 1 tablespoon white sugar

  • 2 teaspoons onion powder

  • 1 teaspoons garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon coriander

  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

  • 1/8 teaspoon allspice

  • 1 teaspoon salt is you think it needs more (the bouillon and soy add a bit of salt as is)

  • 1 tablespoon Garlic or Vegetable Better Than Bouillon (I used garlic)

  • 2 teaspoons liquid smoke

  • 1 tablespoon coconut aminos or soy sauce

  • 2 tablespoons water if need (add last)

Glaze Coating:

  • 2 tablespoon brown sugar

  • 2 teaspoons dry mustard

  • 1/2 teaspoons salt

  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce or coconut aminos

TROUBLE SHOOTING THIS REICPE:

*I used high protein tofu in a vacuum sealed package and this what I strongly advise using. It is much firmer than regular firm tofu and has less moisture and a more chewy texture. If you opt to use regular firm tofu you will need to press it first and remove as much liquid as possible. You may need to adjust the amount of water in the recipet as well. Add the water last, adding just enough to accomplish a firm dough.

  • *If you find your turkey has A LOT OF LITTLE HOLES, and a more BREAD LIKE TEXTURE this can be caused from under kneading the dough, BUT more likely cooking the seitan at too high of a temperature, or for too long. Check your ovens temperature with an oven thermometer. Your oven may just be cooking hotter than it registers. Also gas and electric ovens tend to cook differently. If you do not have an oven thermometer you can reduce the heat in your oven by 25 degrees, and keep the seitan covered for 50 minutes and open for 10.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

  1. Break up the tofu and place it into a food processor with the regular metal blade. Run the processor for around a minute until the tofu is broken down.

  2. Add all of the remaining ingredients and let the food processor run for a couple of minutes. You want the mixture to form a dough. Letting the processor run will help knead the dough. We want this seitan to be firm so we need it to knead for a bit. If you dough seems a bit too dry, you can add another few tablespoons of water, just don’t add too much more! This dough came out stickier than the turkey because of the consistency of the ketchup and I did not have to add ANY water to mine. If your dough seems too sticky, then add 2 more tablespoons of starch.

  3. Once you have a smooth but firm dough, remove it from the food processor and place on a clean counter. Knead the dough with your hands for about a minute, forming a kind of oval shaped loaf with the dough. Using a very sharp knife, score crisscross marks across the top of the loaf about an eighth of an inch deep.

  4. Take a piece of aluminum for about 3x bigger than the loaf of dough, and lay it out flat. Coat the foil in spray oil or wipe it down with any oil you have. Sprinkle the brown sugar, mustard, and salt in the middle of the foil and give a little mix. Place the loaf on the seasoning and roll it around. The goal is to fully coat the loaf in the seasoning!

  5. Place the loaf back in the center of the foil and fold up the sides, pinching at the top to seal it up, then twist the ends to fully seal the foil.

  6. Place on a baking sheet and put in the oven on the middle rack. Bake sealed for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes carefully open up the foil and brush the top with a teaspoon or two of soy sauce, and continue baking for another 30 minutes.

  7. Remove finished “ham” and let cool at room temp. Seal the foil back up and place the “ham” in the fridge over night to rest. This step is important to get the texture we are trying achieve. If you try and serve it before it rests it will not be nearly as firm.

  8. Once the “ham” has been in the fridge over night, you can remove it and slice it to serve. It should at this point be firm enough to slice using a mandolin or a sharp knife. Store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 10 days.

If you like this recipe, then try these:

Vegan Dry Rubbed Brisket

Vegan Dry Rubbed Brisket

Vegan Deli Sliced Turkey

Vegan Deli Sliced Turkey

Vegan Deli Sliced Roast Beef

Vegan Deli Sliced Roast Beef

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Vegan Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches

I know I have mentioned my love for all things covered in marinara and cheese sauce, and vegan chicken parmesan is no exception.

This recipes takes a little extra time because you have to make the vegan chicken breast, but it is really not hard! It just needs some time to rest, so you can make the vegan chicken breast in the morning or the night before you would like to make these vegan chicken parmesans sandwiches.

Vegan Dill Chicken Salad (seitan)

Vegan dill chicken salad

Vegan dill chicken salad

If you have made or regularly make the 86eats vegan deli sliced turkey or Easy vegan chicken breast , then you have to try this easy vegan dill chicken salad with your next batch.

I call this vegan chicken salad even though you can also use the turkey breast. But that is because I actually use vegan chicken seasoning in the deli turkey, so I think the name is acceptable…and who makes turkey salad anyways. (and now I wait for all the comments of people who do in fact make turkey salad.)

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A lot of people ask me if the turkey breast or chicken can be frozen because they can not eat the entire turkey breast or 8 pieces of chicken them selves in a reasonable amount of time …..and it in fact can be frozen! But, now if you don’t want to only eat turkey sandwiches, you can mince it up for some delicious vegan chicken salad and add it to salads, wraps, stuffed tomatoes, or on a cracker for a late night snack. More uses for that turkey breast may mean you don’t have to freeze it after all.

The vegan deli sliced turkey recipe and chicken are really easy and yield about a pound and a half or turkey or chicken breast. Both slices super thin making it perfect serving cold on a sandwich or even warmed with gravy and mashed potatoes.

vegan deli sliced turkey breast

vegan deli sliced turkey breast

So if you are feeling adventurous and want to make the most versatile and convincing turkey/chicken seitan breast, trust me when I say you will love these, and can use it so many ways. But, this easy vegan chicken salad is one of my personal favorite ways to use it!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/2 batch Vegan Deli Sliced Turkey Breast , or 4 Easy Vegan Chicken Breast

  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup vegan mayo

  • 2 celery stalks, finely diced

  • 1/4 cup white onion, finely diced

  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1/2 teaspoon greek seasoning, like Cavender’s brand

  • Optional: 1/2 teaspoon of chickenless seasoning, like Trader Joe’s brand

  • tablespoon of fresh dill, minced

vegan dill chicken salad

vegan dill chicken salad

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Cut the deli turkey breast into 1 to 2 inch cubes. Pop them in the food processor and pulse until the deli meat is minced up. If you do not want to use a food processor, you can mince up the turkey breast using a very sharp knife.

  2. Add the minced turkey breast and remaining ingredients into a medium sized bowl and mix. You can use more or less mayo and seasoning depending on taste. I like a lot of dill some tend to be heavy handed with it.

  3. Serve on a sandwich, with crackers, or on a salad.

  4. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

If you like this recipe, then try these:

vegan dill chicken salad

vegan dill chicken salad

Vegan Deli Sliced Roast Beef

I want to give credit where credit is due, and this recipe idea gets all it’s credit from a person named J Sweeney! J left me a comment recently about taking our vegan deli sliced turkey recipe and adapting it to make a roast beef.

It maybe took me 2 minutes from the time I read the comment until I was standing over my food processor making this recipe happen.

J had asked for suggestions on turning the turkey to vegan roast beef and I had ideas but needed to test them out. I knew it need a beet for color and a change of spices and seasoning. I have brisket and pastrami recipes where I use jackfruit instead or tofu and that works very well to accomplish the textures I am trying to accomplish there. But tofu would be better suited for deli sliced vegan roast beef. So I that’s what I did, and thanks to J for sparking me to even try to make this recipe, it worked and is delicious.

Vegan deli meats are actually really easy to make at home and way cheaper than buying per made versions. You can control the seasoning, and you know every single ingredient that is going into you vegan deli meats.I love knowing what my family is eating and I love saving a ton of money because with a house full of kids and few teenagers, we go through a LOT of sandwiches!

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Now, when I say let this recipe rest, I mean it! If you bake this roast beef and decide to slice it right away, DO NOT COME SASSING ME WHEN THE TEXUTE SEEMS OFF!! It needs to rest. That is what will help the “roast beef” to firm up and slice deli thin. Sorry, I didn’t make the rules about seitan, and I don’t really love rules, but this is one I always follow. It’s for the good of the vegan roast beef, y’all!

If you are not a fan, or never have been a fan of roast beef, try one of our other deli meats, they are linked at the bottom of this recipe. I would go as far as to say you would be hard pressed to find a better vegan turkey recipe anywhere. That’s a bold statement, but seriously, for as easy as it is to make, and for how convincing and delicious it is, you will probably never look for another vegan turkey lunch meat recipe, again. And maybe the same will be true for this vegan roast beef, as well.

So thanks J Sweeney for the inspiration, and I hope y’all are happy with this vegan roast beef effort. I know I was, and am so glad you reached out and that this was the result!

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*This recipe calls of super firm tofu, the kind vacuum sealed and not sitting in a tray of water. If you choose to use extra firm tofu packed in water, the results will vary. Too much liquid will alter the texture of this vegan roast beef. I highly suggest looking for the super firm tofu.

INGREDIENTS:

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  • 1 block super firm tofu, the kind in a vacuum sealed pack

  • 1 cup vital wheat gluten

  • 1/4 cup raw beet, cubed (one small beet)

  • 2 tablespoons - 1/4 cup brown sugar

  • 2 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce

  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme

  • 2 teaspoons dried rosemary

  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon No Beef, or Vegetable Better Than Bouillon

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

  • 2 tablespoons corn or tapioca starch

  • 2 tablespoon neutral tasting oil

Spice Coating:

  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar

  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme

  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

  1. Add the peeled and cubed beet to the food processor. Let it run for a minute and get the beet good and broken down.

  2. Break up the tofu and place it into a food processor along with the beet. Run the processor for around a minute until the tofu is broken down.

  3. Add all of the remaining ingredients and let the food processor run for a couple of minutes. You want the mixture to form a dough. Letting the processor run will help knead the dough. We want this seitan to be firm so we need it to knead for a bit. If the dough seems too dry, you can add water, just a teaspoon at a time until the dough comes together. I added NO water to my dough. The other liquid ingredients and the beet added enough moisture to mine.

  4. Once you have a smooth but firm dough, remove it from the food processor and place on a clean counter. Knead the dough with your hands for about a minute, forming a kind of oval shaped loaf with the dough.

  5. Take a piece of aluminum for about 3x bigger than the loaf of dough, and lay it out flat. Coat the foil in spray oil or wipe it down with any oil you have. Sprinkle half of the spice coating in the center of the foil. Place the loaf on the seasoning and roll it around. Sprinkle the remaining seasoning over the top and press it in. The goal is to fully coat the loaf in the seasoning!

  6. Place the loaf back in the center of the foil and fold up the sides, pinching at the top to seal it up, then twist the ends to fully seal the foil.

  7. Place on a baking sheet and put in the oven on the middle rack. Bake sealed for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes carefully open up the foil, and continue baking for another 30-40 minutes.

  8. Remove finished vegan roast beef and let cool at room temp. Seal the foil back up and place the vegan roast beef in the fridge over night to rest. This step is important to get the texture we are trying achieve. If you try and serve it before it rests it will not be nearly as firm.

  9. Once the vegan roast beef has been in the fridge over night, you can remove it and slice it to serve. It should at this point be firm enough to slice using a mandolin or a sharp knife. Store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 10 days.

TROUBLE SHOOTING THIS REICPE:

*I used high protein tofu in a vacuum sealed package and this what I strongly advise using. It is much firmer than regular firm tofu and has less moisture and a more chewy texture. If you opt to use regular firm tofu you will need to press it first and remove as much liquid as possible. You may need to adjust the amount of water in the recipet as well. Add the water last, adding just enough to accomplish a firm dough.

  • *If you find your turkey has A LOT OF LITTLE HOLES, and a more BREAD LIKE TEXTURE this can be caused from under kneading the dough, BUT more likely cooking the seitan at too high of a temperature, or for too long. Check your ovens temperature with an oven thermometer. Your oven may just be cooking hotter than it registers. Also gas and electric ovens tend to cook differently. If you do not have an oven thermometer you can reduce the heat in your oven by 25 degrees, and keep the seitan covered for 50 minutes and open for 10.

If you like this recipe, then try these:

IMG_7402.jpg

Vegan Deli Sliced Turkey Breast

Vegan Deli Sliced Turkey Breast

I make a lot of seitan based vegan meats.

I have recipes for a holiday roast, holiday turkey style breast with crispy skin, chicken breast, pastrami, brisket, and even pepperoni. But until now I had never added tofu to the mix.

If there was ever a sandwich I missed since going vegan it is a regular old turkey sandwich. I used to love a good deli carved turkey sandwich more than almost anything. So I decided I would try to add tofu to my regular turkey style breast recipe to see if I could get it to a more deli sliced texture.

Y’all, the answer is YES! I have seen other people adding tofu to seitan recipes, and obviously Tofurkey lunch slices are a mix of tofu and vital wheat gluten so I decided to give it a go. It only took one experiment and it came out pretty perfect the first time. I was elated.

Vegan Deli Sliced Turkey Breast

Even my husband who normally passes on vital wheat gluten recipes loves it! I was so excited that I made sandwiches to take to my Mah Jong group, i’m sure I have mentioned my Mah Jong group before. Y’all, side note: learn to play Mah Jong, it’s SO FUN!! Sorry back to the point of this! They were skeptical at first but everyone who tried it was floored and surprised by how good it was! Yay for my Mah Jong crew loving vegan meats!!

If you do not like the spice profile I used, feel free to change it up. That part is up to you. But when the recipe tells you to LET IT REST IN THE FRIDGE, you have to muster all of your strength and patience and do as I say! You will not have the texture you want unless you “let the breast rest. “ So just cook it one night and let it sit in the fridge til the next day. And if you don’t let it rest and decide to dig right in, don’t message me and tell me it was not firm enough, not even joking.

So if you are missing some legit turkey but don’t want to eat an actual turkey, this is your answer! I promise, PROMISE, it will be worth your time and effort. Maybe just go ahead and make 2 at once!

Vegan Sliced Deli Turkey Breast

INGREDIENTS

This is what the tofu looks like that I used. Vacuum sealed, not in a tray of water.

This is what the tofu looks like that I used. Vacuum sealed, not in a tray of water.

  • 1 block extra firm high protein tofu (14oz -16oz block)

  • 1 cup vital wheat gluten

  • 1/2-3/4 cups water

  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

  • 2 tablespoons neutral flavored oil ( you can replace with water if you are oil free)

  • 2 tablespoons tapioca starch or corn starch

  • 2 teaspoons onion powder

  • 1-2 teaspoons garlic powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon sage

  • 1 teaspoon rosemary

  • 1 tablespoon No Chicken Better Than Bouillon, or any chicken-less bouillon cube or powder (if using cubes or powder just dissolve in with the water)

  • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke

  • 1 teaspoon salt optional if you feel like the bouillon is not salty enough

  • 3 tablespoons hickory seasoning, or any other seasoning you like to coat the “turkey.” I often use a chili lime seasoning, jerk seasoning, or even Italian blend.

TROUBLE SHOOTING THIS REICPE:

*I used high protein tofu in a vacuum sealed package and this what I strongly advise using. It is much firmer than regular firm tofu and has less moisture and a more chewy texture. If you opt to use regular firm tofu you will need to press it first and remove as much liquid as possible. You may need to adjust the amount of water in the recipet as well. Add the water last, adding just enough to accomplish a firm dough.

  • *If you find your turkey has A LOT OF LITTLE HOLES, and a more BREAD LIKE TEXTURE this can be caused from under kneading the dough, BUT more likely cooking the seitan at too high of a temperature, or for too long. Check your ovens temperature with an oven thermometer. Your oven may just be cooking hotter than it registers. Also gas and electric ovens tend to cook differently. If you do not have an oven thermometer you can reduce the heat in your oven by 25 degrees, and keep the seitan covered for 50 minutes and open for 10.

Vegan Sliced Turkey Breast
vegan-deli-sliced-turkey-breast-process-2.jpg

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

  1. Break up the tofu and place it into a food processor with the regular metal blade. Run the processor for around a minute until the tofu is broken down.

  2. Add all of the remaining ingredients and let the food processor run for a couple of minutes. You want the mixture to form a dough. Letting the processor run will help knead the dough. We want this seitan to be firm so we need it to knead for a bit. If you dough seems a bit too dry, you can add another few tablespoons of water, just don’t add too much more! I start at 1/2 cup and work from there.

  3. Once you have a smooth but firm dough, remove it from the food processor and place on a clean counter. Knead the dough with your hands for about a minute, forming a kind of oval shaped loaf with the dough.

  4. Take a piece of aluminum for about 3x bigger than the loaf of dough, and lay it out flat. Coat the foil in spray oil or wipe it down with any oil you have. Sprinkle half of the hickory, or whatever seasoning you are using in the center of the foil. Place the loaf on the seasoning and roll it around. Sprinkle the remaining seasoning over the top and press it in. The goal is to fully coat the loaf in the seasoning!

  5. Place the loaf back in the center of the foil and fold up the sides, pinching at the top to seal it up, then twist the ends to fully seal the foil.

  6. Place on a baking sheet and put in the oven on the middle rack. Bake sealed for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes carefully open up the foil, and continue baking for another 30-40 minutes.

  7. Remove finished “turkey” breast and let cool at room temp. Seal the foil back up and place the “turkey” breast in the fridge over night to rest. This step is important to get the texture we are trying achieve. If you try and serve it before it rests it will not be nearly as firm.

  8. Once the “turkey” breast has been in the fridge over night, you can remove it and slice it to serve. It should at this point be firm enough to slice using a mandolin or a sharp knife. Store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 10 days.

    If you like this recipe, then try these:

Vegan Deli Sliced Turkey Breast Sandwich

Vegan Smoked Gouda Grilled Cheese

Vegan Smoked Gouda Grilled Cheese

I love grilled cheese sandwiches. Like to the point that I would eat one everyday if I thought I could get away with it. Especially dipped in homemade tomato soup! But heres the thing, I almost always burn them.

I cook all day, I cook for a blog, I can make cheese from a coconut, and roast “beef” from a jackfruit….but for some reason, I can not cook a grilled cheese without burning the bread before the cheese has melted. I feel like it is a test in patience that I ALWASY fail.

When making a grilled cheese I also want it to be a super gooey, oozing out the sides of the bread, stretchy, extra cheesy, grilled cheese. So imagine me waiting for all of that cheese to melt with my lack of patience and tendency to burn the bread.

SO, enter the most magical, extra gooey, oozy, extra cheesy, cheese sauce that makes the most perfect grilled cheese with like zero risk of burning the bread! This smoky perfect cheese is already melty, gooey perfection when you add it to the bread! My world has been changed, and no more crispy blackened grilled cheese will find their way to the trash, ever again!

Ok, that’s probably a lie, because I am sure I could still find a way to burn a sandwich (look over there, something shiny, oh crap, I did it again) but the odds are far less. I also wanted a perfect smoky vegan gouda for my sandwich so I married the flavors from our sliceable coconut gouda, with our all purpose cheese sauce to make this gooey smoky gouda cheese! I could probably just eat it with a spoon and be just as happy, but bread is my love language, so bring on the sandwiches and soup!


INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 cup unsalted cashews

  • 2 cups water

  • 1/4 cup Sauerkraut (not the juice, just the cabbage)

  • 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast

  • 4 tablespoons tapioca or corn starch

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke

  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

  • 2 teaspoons light miso paste

Vegan Smoked Gouda Grilled Cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Place cashews in a microwave safe container and cover in water (this water is separate from that listed in the ingredients) Microwave for 3 minutes. Drain water and rinse. If you do not have a microwave, you can boil them in a pot of water for 5 minutes or you can soak them for a few hours in hot water.

  2. Add drained cashews and remaining ingredients, including 2 cups of water, to a high speed blender and process until the mixture is totally and completely smooth. This may take a minute or two of blending.

  3. Transfer mixture to a medium sized pot over medium heat. Heat the mixture, stirring continuously with a whisk until the mixture begins to thicken. You want the cheese sauce to become the consistency of peanut butter. It will be pretty thick and stretchy the longer you cook it.

  4. Let the cheese sauce cool completely. It will thicken more as it cools and be pretty gooey. Once the sauce has cooled, spread a desired amount on some bread. I like to spread butter on the outside of both slices of bread before placing in the pan. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and cook the sandwich on each side until golden brown and crispy.

  5. You can add vegan bacon, avocado, tomato, just about anything you like to your grilled cheese.

  6. Store leftover cheese in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.

If you like this recipe, try these:

Vegan Smoked Gouda Grilled Cheese

TYPE META DESCRIPTION HERE

Vegan Pastrami

IMG_5189.jpg

I am always experimenting with making new vegan meats using vital wheat gluten. Mostly because I never hated the taste of meat, so after going vegan found myself looking for a replacement.

Sure, you can buy plenty of vegan faux meats in the grocery store now, but making them at home is much cheaper and actually really easy! Vital wheat gluten is pretty inexpensive and is a great source of plant based protein!

Making seitan (wheat meat) is just as easy as making dough, and can be done right in your food processor. Just dump in the ingredients, mix, form, and bake!

Seriously, not hard at all. So recently when I was chatting with my rabbi about food and the subject of pastrami came up, I instantly knew I needed to adapt our vegan brisket recipe and try for a vegan pastrami. Since pastrami is often made from brisket anyways, I just changed up the spices and added some beet for color.

It turned out delicious. Does it taste like pastrami?!? Well, if being totally honest I don’t think I am an excellent judge of that since I have not eaten any animal product in a really long time, but my omnivore neighbors didn’t hate it when I made them a sandwich, and when I asked how it tasted, the answer was “ It just tasted good!” I’ll take it!

IMG_5188.jpg

INGREDIENTS:

You will need aluminum foil, and a 9x13 baking dish for this recipe

  • 1 can jackfruit in brine

  • 1 1/4 cup vital wheat gluten

  • 1/3 cup diced raw beet, peeled

  • 1/4 cup tapioca starch

  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

  • 1 teaspoon Vegetable Better than Bouillon

  • 2 tablespoons water

  • 2 teaspoons dijon mustard

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos

  • 1 tablespoon oil ( I used grape seed)

  • 2 teaspoons liquid smoke

  • 2 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce

  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic

  • 2 teaspoons onion powder

  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander

  • 1 teaspoon paprika

  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar

  • 2 teaspoons powdered mustard

  • 1 teaspoon mustard seed, toasted (optional)

  • 1 teaspoon each salt and black pepper

DRY RUB:

  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar

  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander

  • 1 teaspoons mustard powder

  • 1 teaspoons salt

  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

IMG_5177.jpg

INSTRUCTIONS:

preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  1. Drain and rinse the jackfruit. Peel the beet and dice it into small pieces. Break down the jackfruit and beet in your food processor until it is finely minced.

  2. Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor and mix for a minute, until a sort of dough forms. If you are adding mustard seeds, just toss it in a skillet and let it toast for a few minutes before adding it to the mix.

  3. If you do not have a food processor you can break down the beet and jackfruit in a blender. In a medium bowl add the jackfruit/beet mixture, and remaining ingredients. Using your hands, (I promise it’s just easier, but your hands may be stained for a day or so) mix all of the ingredients together until a dough forms. Knead the dough by hand for a few minutes.

  4. Form the dough into about an 8 inch log shape. Tear off a piece of foil that is about 3 times the size of the dough.

  5. Mix up the ingredients for the dry rub in a bowl.

  6. Pour dry rub into the middle of the foil. Take the dough and roll it in the rub to cover all sides.

  7. Spray the dough and the foil with some cooking spray and wrap the dough in the foil, sealing it up. Just make sure it is going to be easy to open.

  8. Place the foil covered pastrami into a 9x13 pan and place in the oven on the top rack. Bake sealed for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes open up the foil pouch and continue baking for another 30-40 minutes.

  9. Allow the pastrami to coo then refrigerate over night. It will slice easily once cooled. It should even be firm enough to thinly slice on a mandolin.

If you like this recipe, try these:

IMG_5192.jpg

Easy vegan pastrami with vital wheat gluten and jackfruit.

Vegan Tuna Salad with Jackfruit

Jackfruit Tuna Salad Sandwich cut in half

In my pre-vegan days, tuna salad was my favorite. On a sandwich, on a cracker, straight out of the bowl, just about anyway you could think of.

It was really the only non vegan food I kept craving and missing once we went vegan. I tired the chickpea tuna recipes and liked them fine, but being perfectly honest, none of them remind me of tuna.

So once again, I turned to my favorite magical meat substitute, canned jackfruit in brine. Not only is it cheap, gluten free, and healthier than faux meats, it is a master at mimicking just about any shredded meat you could want.

Once you shred it, the texture is spot on, and because it’s pretty flavorless, it can convincingly morph into so many shredded meats.

For this recipe, I strongly suggest you don’t leave out the dulse flakes, because they are what give this vegan tuna salad that convincingly “fishy” flavor! Also, if you prefer sweet pickles in you tuna salad, feel free to swap them out for the dill. I personally have always been in the dill pickle tuna salad camp, but I won’t judge you if you are not a fan. You could also leave pickles out all together and add celery instead. You just do what ever makes you and your vegan tuna sandwich happy.


INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 can of jackfruit in brine

  • 1/4 cup minced onion

  • 2-3 teaspoons dulse flakes

  • 3 tablespoons vegan mayo

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 2-3 tablespoons minced dill pickles


INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Drain and rinse jackfruit. You can toss it in the blender or food processor to mince it up quickly, or finely chop it with a knife.

  2. Add the jackfruit and remaining ingredients to a medium sized bowl, and mix well.

  3. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days

If you like this recipe, try these:

Tarragon Almond “Chicken” Salad

Tofu Egg Salad

Vegan Pimento Cheese

Jackfruit Tuna Salad Sandwich

vegan tuna salad with jackfruit

Pulled Jackfruit Mexican Torta

Pulled Jackfruit Mexican Torta on French Bread

We have some of the greatest neighbors and friends I could have ever hoped for, from a wide array of cultures.

Typically when we get together with friends from our street, food is involved. Really, really good food. Our friends Lissi and Craig love food just as much as we do, and we often share recipes back and forth. They are not vegan, but have started adding more plant based meals into their rotation, and often challenge me to veganize things I would have never considered.

Lissi was born and raised in Mexico, and she is constantly teaching me about her upbringing through food. Most recently she suggested I make a vegan version of a Mexican Torta using jackfruit. I had never had a torta, let alone had any idea what went on one, until she explained it. She told me she grew up going with her godparents in Juarez, to a place called Parque Burunda just to get tortas when she was a kid.

Tortas typically have meat, beans, mayo, avocado, and some kind of lettuce, tomato, pickled jalapeño combo on them. They are normally severed on a bolillo roll that is a lot like a french baguette. If you have a Mexican market near you, you should be able to find bolillo. If not, french bread works well too. You are looking for a bread with a crusty outside and soft inside.

I honestly think the refried beans are what makes this sandwich. My love for sandwiches runs deep, and this sandwich is now on my top favorites. It is so flipping good, y’all!!! The jackfruit comes together fairly quickly, and is perfectly tender, seasoned with a spicy kick. We opted for a light slaw mix instead of lettuce for an added tangy crunch, and it works so well.

So if you are clueless to a Mexican Torta like I was, then I can’t urge you enough to give this delicious sandwich a try. Lissi knows what she is doing in the kitchen, and has never once steered me wrong. I could not be more thankful for she and Craig, and the rest of our amazing neighbors, and all of the great meals we share together!


INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 - 6 Bolillo, or 2 sticks of french bread

  • 2 cans jackfruit in brine

  • 1 larger onion, sliced thinly

  • 1 small can green chilies

  • 2 teaspoons each, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, minced garlic

  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

  • 2 teaspoons vegetable better than bouillon

  • 1/2 cup water

  • 1 can vegan refried beans

  • 4 - 6 teaspoons vegan mayo

  • 2 avocados

  • Juice from 1 lime

EASY SLAW:

  • 3 cups chopped cabbage

  • 1/2 red onion thinly sliced

  • 1/3 cup chopped cilantro

  • juice from 1 lime

  • 1/2 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced

  • salt and pepper to taste,

Bolillo Roll

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Drain jackfruit and rinse. Shred the fruit between your fingers over a bowl, or chop with a knife. I find using your hands works more easily and quickly for shredding the jackfruit.

  2. Heat large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add a few teaspoons of oil. Once oil is hot add the onions and the can of chilies. Let the onions cook until translucent and soft.

  3. Add the shredded jackfruit to the pot along with the seasonings, lime juice, Better Than Bouillon, and water. Reduce the heat to low, and let the mixture simmer for 30 minutes with a lid on. If all of the liquid cooks down and it begins to seem dry, add a little more water and let it continue simmering.

  4. Prepare the slaw by mixing all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Salt and pepper to taste.

  5. To assemble the sandwiches, spread a teaspoon of mayo on one side of bun, spread a few tablespoons of beans on the other. Top with jackfruit, slaw, and slices of avocado. You can add extra cilantro if you like, and even slices of tomato or extra jalapeños.

Serves 4 - 6.

If you like this recipe, try these:

Open Faced Vegan Roast “Beef” Sandwich with Jackfruit

Vegan Mexican Street Corn (Elotes)

BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich

Pulled Jackfruit Mexican Torta cut in half.

spicy pulled jacfuit mexican torta topped with lime slaw, vegan mayo, refried beans, and avaocado.

Vegan Fried Green Tomato Sandwich with Bacon and Mozzarella

Fried green tomato and arugula sandwich on sourdough bread, cut in half.

The only thing I love more than a crispy fried green tomato, is a fried green tomato sandwich. We paired our perfect vegan fried green tomatoes, with our all mozzarella-like all purpose vegan cheese sauce, crispy vegan bacon, and tangy red pepper and garlic remoulade!

Seriously if you haven’t made your own vegan fired green tomatoes yet, why?!?!? I know this is definitely a southern thing, but it does not matter where you live. If you can find green tomatoes, buy them, and fry them. I you can’t find them in a store, grown your own, pick them green, and fry them!! You will thank me for this later if you have never had a vegan fried green tomato!! Promise

This is one of my all time favorite summertime sandwiches!! Its tangy, creamy, crispy and perfect! Put it on a toasted grainy bread or try our Easy Vegan Sandwich Bread recipe! Either way you can’t go wrong!


INGREDIENTS:


INSTRUCTIONS:

preheat oven to 350 degrees

  1. If making the rice paper bacon, prepare according to directions, or cook store bought bacon and set aside.

  2. Prepare Vegan Fried Green Tomatoes according to directions.

  3. Prepare cheese sauce according to directions but allow it to get pretty thick. You want more of a soft mozzarella consistency vs a sauce. It will thicken as it cooks and cools.

  4. Spread the cheese on 4 pieces of bread. Place all 8 pieces of bread right on the top rack of your oven ( not on a pan) allowing it to toast for about 5 minutes. This will also reheat the cheese.

  5. Spread remoulade on the other slices of bread once you remove them from the oven.

  6. Place bacon on the cheese side of the bread, then top with 2 to 3 slices of fried green tomatoes, and arugula. Top teach sandwich with a remoulade covered piece of toast and serve.

If you like this recipe, try these:

Easy Vegan Sandwich Bread

BBQ Tofu Sandwich with Pickled Veggies

Open Faced Vegan Roast “Beef” Sandwich with

Jackfruit

Fried green tomato and arugula sandwich.

crispy fried green tomato sandwich with vegan mozzarella and roasted red pepper and garlic remoulade

BBQ Tofu Sandwich with Pickled Veggies

A BBQ tofu sandwich with pickled vegetables on sourdough bread.

I recently went to visit my niece, Madison, in Charlotte. She knows, and shares my love for food, so took me to get the BEST sandwich at a local coffee shop, AFTER she nearly killed me with a Crossfit workout.

I think the sandwich was maybe an apology, or maybe not. She is fierce and probably didn’t feel sorry for me at all…..but it was all worth if for that sandwich.

It was a BBQ Tofu Sandwich with pickled veggies and some vegan mayo. So simple but so, so, so good!

So once I got home I knew I wanted to recreate this sandwich with my own twist. I normally have a batch of quick pickled veggies in my fridge. They literally take minutes to make, and add a tangy crunch to all kinds of sandwiches, salads, or just as a snack.

I opted to mix up some mayo with a little bbq and lime to give the sauce a little more zip than the original plain mayo. I also added some cilantro because, I LOVE cilantro! I am fully aware that a ton of people do not share my affection for cilantro, and if thats you, then just skip it on the sandwich.

You can grill up a batch of this bbq tofu and quickly reheat any leftovers for later. I will seriously eat this sandwich every day unit all the tofu is gone, then want to cry because all of the tofu is gone :(

So thanks again Madi for being the best Crossfit coach, for not totally killing me, and for introducing me to this sandwich. You are the best.


INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 block extra firm tofu

  • 8-10 slices sour dough bread

  • 1 batch quick picked veggies

  • 1/2 cup of any bbq sauce you like

  • a handful of fresh cilantro

SAUCE:

  • 1/4 cup vegan mayo

  • 2 - 3 tablespoons bbq sauce

  • juice from 1/2 lime


COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Drain tofu and wrap in a clean kitchen towel, or a few paper towels. Place a few books on top for 10-15 minutes to help press out the excess liquid. (or use a tofu press)

  2. Slice tofu into 1/4 inch thick slices, and place in a shallow dish. Cover with 1/2 cup of bbq sauce and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

  3. You can either cook the tofu on the grill or in a skillet. If grilling, place the tofu pieces directly onto the hot grill and allow each side to cook for about 5 minutes, brushing the excess bbq sauce from the pan onto the tofu slices before you flip them. If you do not want to place the tofu directly onto the grill, you can lay foil on the grill and cook the tofu that way. Yo can also give the grill a spray with some cooking oil before you heat it to help with sticking.

  4. If cooking in a skillet, heat a large skillet over medium heat and spray with a little oil. Place the tofu pieces into the pan and pour the excess bbq over the tops. Allow tofu to cook on each side for about 5 minutes.

  5. Mix the mayo, bbq, and lime in a small bowl.

  6. Toast the bread. Spread a little sauce on each slice after toasting, and top with a few pieces of tofu, some pickled veggies, and a few sprigs of cilantro to serve.


A BBQ tofu sandwich with pickled vegetables on sourdough bread.

BBQ Tofu Sandwich with Pickled Vegetables.