Creamy, tangy, and filled with plant-based protein, this evenly mashed lentil sandwich filling is so simple as could be. Pickled pink onions and mustard present a pointy, savory kick, introduced collectively together with your favourite vegan mayo.
Calmly or absolutely mashed legume sandwiches have quietly turn out to be a lunchtime mainstay—in all probability the meal I pack for work extra usually than some other.
There’s a lot that I like about them:
- Comfort: These sandwiches are simple to pack, they maintain up properly in my lunchbox, they usually’re not messy to eat at my desk. I don’t have to fret about stray bits of meals escaping my fork and touchdown onto my keyboard.
- Versatility: Swapping in several legumes, totally different crisp, diced greens, minced recent herbs, or various sources of acid (lemon, vinegar, or on this case, pickled onion brine) can remodel the recipe template.
- Vitamin: I like figuring out that I’ve tucked a serving of beans or lentils—together with all of their plant protein, fiber, and micronutrients—into an easy noon meal, regardless of how busy the week is or how little time I’ve had for meal prep.
For years, I virtually at all times defaulted to chickpeas or white beans for these sorts of sandwiches. Recipes like my vegan chickpea “tuna” salad with artichoke hearts and smashed garlic tahini white beans have lived on heavy rotation in my kitchen, they usually stay favorites.
These days, although, I’ve began turning to lentils simply as usually. Past serving to me to range my legume rotation, their smaller measurement is very well-suited to a sandwich filling: you possibly can evenly mash them with minimal effort, which can’t be mentioned of chickpeas!
They end in a pleasant, tender sandwich that however has texture.
Letting Condiments Do the Heavy Lifting
Considered one of my favourite low-lift cooking methods is leaning on flavorful condiments. The best ones ship sufficient seasoning to save lots of you the trouble of measuring out a number of spices, vinegars, or aromatics. In my simple chickpea burrito bowls, for instance, a couple of spoonfuls of ready salsa do the work of an entire spice mix—and spare you from having to cut an onion—with zero further effort.
Right here, a scoop of tangy pickled pink onions performs an analogous function. Between their brilliant, briny taste and a spoonful of Dijon mustard, the filling turns into well-seasoned instantly.
Vegan mayo, in the meantime, lends a creamy texture and helps to mellow out the tart flavors. I exploit my selfmade cashew mayonnaise, however any store-bought vegan mayo of your selection will work nicely.
Key Elements & Easy Swaps
- Brown or inexperienced lentils: Customary brown or inexperienced lentils are my go-to. I’m additionally an enormous fan of Pardina lentils—a brown selection that’s smaller and rounder than standard brown lentils—they usually work properly within the sandwich filling. I discover that each French inexperienced and black lentils are a bit too agency and small to mash successfully on this recipe, whereas pink lentils turn out to be too mushy.
- Vegan mayo: For those who favor an alternate or don’t have vegan mayo at residence, you possibly can swap in 6 tablespoons of tahini thinned with a tablespoon or two of water.
- Fast pickled onions: I think about these a should for acidity, refined sweetness, and crunch. Whereas extra pickled greens—like pickled shredded carrots or conventional dill pickles—are good additions, they gained’t add the savoriness that onions will. For those who don’t have a pink onion at residence to pickle, yellow onion, white onion, or shallots work simply as nicely.
- Chopped celery: This supplies one other layer of crunch within the tender mash. I like the flavour of celery in a sandwich filling, too. For those who’re not a celery particular person, attempt finely chopped cucumber or grated carrot as a substitute.
- Gentle sandwich bread & butter lettuce: That is my favourite solution to serve the filling. With that mentioned, it’s equally good scooped onto toasted bread open-faced, tucked right into a wrap or pita pocket, or served alongside crackers.
A Be aware on Texture
The one small technical element that issues on this in any other case easy recipe is eradicating extra moisture from the lentils.
After boiling the lentils till tender, drain them totally and unfold them onto a baking sheet lined with paper towels or a clear tea towel. Lentils maintain onto a variety of cooking water; draining them on the towels will be certain that your filling isn’t too liquidy as soon as the mayo is added.
Yields: 4 Servings
For the sandwich filling:
- 1 cup brown or inexperienced lentils (200 g)
- 1/2 cup selfmade vegan mayo with cashews (or your favourite store-bought vegan mayonnaise; it’s also possible to substitute 6 tablespoons of tahini + 1-2 tablespoons of water)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 massive stalk celery, finely chopped (or two smaller stalks)
- 2/3 cup finely chopped 10-minute fast pickled onions (alter the quantity to style)
- Freshly floor black pepper, to style
To serve:
- 8 slices tender, complete grain or white sandwich bread (substitute rye, pumpernickel, sourdough, or one other favourite sandwich bread)
- Butter lettuce leaves
Convey a pot of water to a boil. Add the lentils. Flip the warmth to medium low, then simmer them for 25-35 minutes, or till they’re tender however not overly mushy. Style a couple of lentils after 25 minutes of cooking to make sure that you do not overcook them.
Drain the lentils. Line a baking sheet with paper or tea towels, then unfold the cooked lentils over it. This step helps to take away extra moisture from the lentils, in order that the filling would not turn out to be watery. Permit the lentils to empty and funky for 10 minutes.
Switch the lentils to a mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise and mustard. Use a wood spoon to combine the lentils totally, mashing them up just a little as you go. Fold within the celery and pickled onions, then style the combination and add freshly floor black pepper and salt as wanted. You could be relaxed with this recipe: add further chopped pickled onions or common dill pickles, grated carrot, chopped nuts, or herbs of your selecting.
To make sandwiches, unfold the lentil combination over 4 items of sentimental sandwich bread, then high with butter lettuce leaves and one other slice of bread. The filling makes a beneficiant quantity, so you will have sufficient for 5 sandwiches relying on the dimensions of your bread! Slice the sandwiches in half and serve.
As soon as ready, the lentil sandwich filling will maintain for as much as 4 days in an hermetic container within the fridge. I don’t suggest freezing.
I hope that this humble sandwich will turn out to be as indispensable to you because it has to me, particularly throughout hectic weeks when cooking isn’t a precedence, however good lunchtime diet is. Take pleasure in!
xo
