Creamy, tangy, and filled with plant-based protein, this evenly mashed lentil sandwich filling is so simple as might 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 develop into a lunchtime mainstay—in all probability the meal I pack for work extra usually than every other.
There may be a lot that I like about them:
- Comfort: These sandwiches are straightforward 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 numerous legumes, totally different crisp, diced greens, minced contemporary herbs, or various sources of acid (lemon, vinegar, or on this case, pickled onion brine) can rework the recipe template.
- Diet: 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, irrespective of how busy the week is or how little time I’ve had for meal prep.
For years, I nearly 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.
Recently, although, I’ve began turning to lentils simply as usually. Past serving to me to fluctuate my legume rotation, their smaller measurement is particularly well-suited to a sandwich filling: you possibly can evenly mash them with minimal effort, which can’t be mentioned of chickpeas!
They lead to a pleasant, delicate sandwich that nonetheless has texture.
Letting Condiments Do the Heavy Lifting
One in every of my favourite low-lift cooking methods is leaning on flavorful condiments. The correct ones ship sufficient seasoning to avoid wasting you the hassle of measuring out a number of spices, vinegars, or aromatics. In my straightforward chickpea burrito bowls, for instance, just a few spoonfuls of ready salsa do the work of a complete spice mix—and spare you from having to cut an onion—with zero additional effort.
Right here, a scoop of tangy pickled pink onions performs the same position. Between their shiny, 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 do-it-yourself cashew mayonnaise, however any store-bought vegan mayo of your alternative will work properly.
Key Components & Easy Swaps
- Brown or inexperienced lentils: Normal 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 typical 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 develop into too mushy.
- Vegan mayo: In case you favor an alternate or don’t have vegan mayo at house, you possibly can swap in 6 tablespoons of tahini thinned with a tablespoon or two of water.
- Fast pickled onions: I contemplate these a should for acidity, delicate sweetness, and crunch. Whereas further pickled greens—like pickled shredded carrots or conventional dill pickles—are good additions, they gained’t add the savoriness that onions will. In case you don’t have a pink onion at house to pickle, yellow onion, white onion, or shallots work simply as properly.
- Chopped celery: This gives one other layer of crunch within the delicate mash. I like the flavour of celery in a sandwich filling, too. In case you’re not a celery particular person, strive finely chopped cucumber or grated carrot as a substitute.
- Gentle sandwich bread & butter lettuce: That is my favourite method 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 Notice 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 completely and unfold them onto a baking sheet lined with paper towels or a clear tea towel. Lentils maintain onto a whole lot of cooking water; draining them on the towels will be sure 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 do-it-yourself vegan mayo with cashews (or your favourite store-bought vegan mayonnaise; you can even substitute 6 tablespoons of tahini + 1-2 tablespoons of water)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 giant 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 delicate, entire grain or white sandwich bread (substitute rye, pumpernickel, sourdough, or one other favourite sandwich bread)
- Butter lettuce leaves
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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 just a few lentils after 25 minutes of cooking to make sure that you do not overcook them.
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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 does not develop into watery. Enable the lentils to empty and funky for 10 minutes.
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Switch the lentils to a mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise and mustard. Use a wood spoon to combine the lentils completely, 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 might be relaxed with this recipe: add additional chopped pickled onions or common dill pickles, grated carrot, chopped nuts, or herbs of your selecting.
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To make sandwiches, unfold the lentil combination over 4 items of soppy sandwich bread, then high with butter lettuce leaves and one other slice of bread. The filling makes a beneficiant quantity, so you could 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 hold 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 develop into as indispensable to you because it has to me, particularly throughout hectic weeks when cooking isn’t a precedence, however good lunchtime vitamin is. Get pleasure from!
xo
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