20 Great Vegetarian Sandwiches

First up in our vegetarian sandwiches, the most beautiful sandwich of all: our rainbow vegetable sandwich! One of the best ways we’ve found to get kids–and adults–to eat veggies is simply to make them look good. And this rainbow vegetable sandwich is as delicious as it is beautiful! It features herbed goat cheese spread, pickled radishes, roasted peppers, avocado, and red onion.

OK, ready for an insanely delicious sandwich? This sandwich might be our best ever. What makes this coleslaw & Swiss melt sandwich so savory and delicious? Well, start with our best coleslaw recipe. Add a melty cheese on top of a salty pretzel bun. What puts it over the edge is our secret sauce: Russian dressing, which makes it taste like a Big Mac.

If you asked us for easy vegetarian sandwiches, we’d name this one first! Essentially a vegetarian chicken salad sandwich using chickpeas, the chickpea salad features mashed chickpeas, celery, green onion, a little mayo, and a pop of lemon. We served this one up with hummus spread on both sides of the bread, and it added an extra dimension. It’s one of our top healthy sandwich ideas. (Vegan option)

What’s better than the classic combination of tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil? Not much, in our opinion. So try this delight: the Caprese sandwich! This riff on the classic Italian salad from Capri layers the classic ingredients as a sandwich filling, with an irresistibly creamy, pesto aioli that adds a pop of savory brightness to each bite. 

How to make the best egg sandwich? Here at A Couple Cooks, we agree: there’s really nothing better than a great fried egg sandwich. This one is our ultimate: gooey, messy, requiring lots of napkins, and slathered with smoky mayo.

Some days call for grilled cheese, and why not step up the classic? Try this Gourmet Grilled Cheese! This spin is every bit as toasty and gooey as the original, with a few tricks to elevate the flavors. It’s smoky, salty and savory sweet, with just the right crunch from the golden bread into the molten cheese. 

Who doesn’t love a good grilled cheese sandwich. the ultimate when it comes to vegetarian sandwiches? Here’s one with a glamorous twist: the avocado grilled cheese. Simply adding an avocado and tomato to a standard grilled cheese makes it fit for serving to company!

Here's a slam dunk for anyone looking for a meaty vegetarian sandwich: the Portobello Sandwich! It's modeled after a steak sandwich, but instead the filling is juicy roasted portobello mushrooms, seasoned with garlic, soy sauce and smoked paprika. Add to that crunchy pickles and onions, and the kicker: a horseradish sauce that smothers it all with a creamy, spicy tang. You'll become a believer after your first bite!

These vegan Sloppy Joes have a zingy lentil filling that tastes just as good as the meaty version. Put it on a toasted bun with some bread and butter pickles, and WOW! You’re going to love this one (promise). A fantastic plant-based meal for people who are on the fence about veggies, they're crowd pleasing and have a cozy, comforting vibe!

Looking for healthy and easy lunch ideas? Here’s a genius idea for busy days or even a lightening fast weeknight dinner. This ultimate hummus sandwich! That’s right: hummus on a sandwich. You don’t have to reserve hummus just for carrots and pita triangles! It works as a sandwich spread that’s full of plant-based protein to keep you full for hours. Throw it on bread with all your favorite crunchy veggies and it’s a lunch or snack that couldn’t be easier to whip up. 

Here’s an easy sandwich recipe that hits the spot: the Ultimate Avocado Sandwich! It's full of umami flavor and so satisfying that it surprised us both. The combination of smoky, rich, hearty, crunchy and savory is so irresistible…you’ll want to eat it all over again once it’s gone.

The falafel sandwich is the stuff dreams are made of: and one of the most iconic vegan sandwiches...ever! The crunch of the fried chickpea fritters, the soft herby interior, and the sauces that dribble down your chin….it’s our ultimate meal. Might we present the ultimate falafel sandwich! It features crunchy fritters, ultra soft flatbread, crunchy veggies and creamy, garlicky sauces.

For an easier prep, try these Baked Falafel.

Jackfruit is a tropical fruit that is used as a substitute for pulled pork. What?! We know that sounds crazy, but it’s absolutely delicious. This jackfruit BBQ sandwich has barbecue sauce that’s perfectly balanced with sweet, tangy, savory, and a little boozy. It’s a sauce simmered with loads of ketchup, onion, garlic, cider vinegar, and a bit of whiskey. Then place it on a bun with our easy vinegar coleslaw or our best creamy coleslaw. It’s one of the most seriously satisfying meatless meals out there.

This vegetarian sandwich is over-the-top tasty. It’s a Grilled Buffalo Cauliflower Sandwich that will blow your mind. The buffalo cauliflower is a play on buffalo chicken wings and slathered in a spicy buffalo sauce. You can grill the cauliflower on a charcoal grill, or roast it if it’s not the season for grilling. Top that with a creamy blue cheese ranch sauce and a few fresh celery leaves, and it’s an unforgettable (and a little messy) veg sandwich recipe.

What’s more classic than egg salad? This one has a healthy spin, with Greek yogurt and mayo together for a light and creamy texture. It's also got fresh herbs to bring in a pop of flavor. It makes a gooey, satisfyingly messy egg salad sandwich: the best you'll have, we think!

This Mediterranean-style vegetarian sandwich was inspired by our recent trip to Italy. While in Pisa (as in, the Leaning Tower of), we went to a sweet little sandwich shop and had a sandwich like this. The bread is spread with basil pesto and Kalamata olive spread, and then it’s filled with grilled eggplant, juicy ripe tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella. It’s pretty darn heavenly, if we do say so ourselves. It’s pretty easy to put together; you can also bake the eggplant or use a grill pan.

This vegetarian sandwich is one of our fan favorites because it’s so quick. Yes, all you need is 5 minutes to make this sandwich: and that’s not a lie! Fry an egg, all the while toasting an English muffin, then spread it with basil pesto. Throw some arugula into the hot pan to wilt it, then place it atop the egg on the English muffin. And, you’re done! It results in a super savory breakfast sandwich that’s covered in gooey, runny egg. Delish.

Banh mi is a delightful Vietnamese sandwich served on a baguette, with a usually meat filling and pickled vegetables on top. But this one is plant-based, filled with ginger lime hummus, quick pickled red onion, cabbage and cucumber, and of course jalapeño peppers and cilantro! In just 20 minutes, you’ve got a vegan and vegetarian sandwich that’s bursting with flavor. Another of our favorite vegetarian sandwich ideas!

Or, try a Vegetarian Banh Mi with an egg filling!

Here’s a quick vegetarian sandwich recipe that is greater than the sum of its parts. This Mediterranean veggie sandwich features our garlic herb white bean dip, sliced red onion, shredded carrot, and feta cheese. To top it all off, we’ve used pea shoots for some visual flair; though you can use any type of sprouts or microgreens. It’s super fast to put together and pretty darn delicious. For a vegan version, replace the feta cheese with salty Kalamata olives. (Vegan option)

To round out this list of vegetarian sandwiches: our Vegetarian Reuben Sandwich! There’s something about tangy Russian dressing, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and rye bread that’s terribly comforting and homey. Alex and I eat a flexitarian diet, meaning that we eat vegan and vegetarian most of the time and meat some of the time. But we wanted to find a way to make a Reuben sandwich without the meat so that it could appear at our dinner table more often! Hence, this incredible Vegetarian Reuben Sandwich was born.