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This Italian Antipasto Sandwich is smeared with goat cheese and piled with leafy greens, roasted red peppers, marinated artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, and red onion. Finish it off with a thick balsamic drizzle and you’ve got the best damn vegetarian sandwich ever!
I was SO excited to host a mid-week lunch date with a few of my gal pals. Anyone that works exclusively from home will tell you that it can be incredibly isolating. Thankfully I have an expressive cat that I can talk to throughout the day ;) But a girl’s lunch was a great way to kick back and break up the monotony.
If you subscribe to my newsletter, you might have read that February is going to be much more focused on bright feelgood eats as opposed to heavy confine-you-to-the-couch winter foods. Hence this cold and colorful sandwich. It’s a riff off of Ina Garten’s Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Sandwich from her Barefoot Contessa cookbook, and it is SO satisfying.
At the beginning of the year, I mentioned that I wanted to find more inspiration from cookbooks and less from Websites. So far I’ve been sticking to my guns and it’s been incredibly refreshing. The Internet is full of what’s new and trending which is important to be on top of. But! Thumbing through cookbooks has inspired me to look beyond trends and come up with simple personal twists on time-honored recipes.
The stacked Italian sandwich certainly isn’t a new concept, but I hope my vegetarian take on it has your tummy grumbling :)
Italian Antipasto Sandwich {Vegetarian Sandwich}.
When I hear the words “Italian Sandwich”, I envision ciabatta bread hugging a tower of cured salty meats. In an effort to keep things light, I decided to make this sandwich meatless and layer it with other antipasto-inspired flavors; olives, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, goat cheese, and a drizzle of thick balsamic. All of this makes for a crave-worthy sandwich combo.
If you want to jazz up your lunch with more sandwich ideas, check out my Healthy Curry Chicken Salad With Grapes and my Mediterranean Mackerel Protein Wrap.
Want to stay meatless? Here are some other vegetarian sandwiches to mow down…
- Tahini Chickpea Salad Sandwich from Girl Meets Radish
- Roasted Vegetable Sandwich With Chile Garlic Mayonnaise from Le Petit Eats
- Jackfruit “Chicken” Salad Sandwich from Catching Seeds
If you try this recipe or create your own variation, let me know in the comments! I love connecting with you.
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Italian Antipasto Sandwich {Vegetarian Sandwich}
Ingredients
- 3 fresh sub buns; can also use ciabatta, focaccia, or panini bread.
- 4 oz plain goat cheese (brought to room temperature so it softens and is easier to spread)
- 3 handfuls of mixed leafy greens of your choice
- 1 12 oz jar of roasted red peppers, whole or sliced
- 1 7.5 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts
- A few thin slices of red onion for each sandwich, I like to use the first setting on the mandolin
- 1/2 cup sliced kalamata olives
- 1/4 cup thick balsamic vinegar, glaze-type is the best
- Cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Slice your fresh bread in halves. Evenly spread the goat cheese over the bottom half of the bun or bread; top with leafy greens.
- Drain the roasted red peppers. If they're already sliced, go ahead and distribute them evenly over each sandwich. If they're whole, tear them into bite-sized pieces and distribute them evenly over each sandwich.
- Drain the marinated artichoke hearts. Slice them and distribute them evenly over each sandwich, followed by the thinly sliced red onions and sliced kalamata olives.
- Drizzle each sandwich with thick balsamic vinegar, top each sandwich with it's top bun/bread, and serve.
The best