51 Vegetarian Sandwiches That Belong in Every Lunch Rotation
Did someone say meaty? It wasn’t us. ’Cause we’re over here fawning over our favorite vegetarian sandwiches, and comparing them to meat hardly does them justice. We have summery open-face numbers topped with juicy tomatoes and crave-worthy fried mushroom and artichoke sandwiches that’ll bring comfort to any chilly night. Many of our favorite vegetarian sandwiches easily go vegan (heck, some of them are vegan to begin with). So no, we don’t need the deli ham or the grilled slab of meat. We have hearty lentil burgers, squeaky Halloumi cheese wraps, and more recipes that are keeping us busy piling the goods between two slices of bread, no loss of flavor in sight.
Head this way for more of our best vegetarian recipes →
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Pearl Jones1/51Fried Artichoke Sandwich
Step one: Grab a jar of marinated artichokes. Step two: Drain, then batter and fry those puppies. Step three: Pile onto buns with tangy pickles, crunchy cabbage slaw, and an herby jalapeño ranch for one of the greatest vegetarian sandwiches of your life.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne2/51Toasted Tomato-Paneer Sandwiches
The beautifully spiced sauce for these sandwiches is ready to pull double duty if you want it to. Once you’ve enjoyed your sandwich, use the leftovers to make stuffed roasted peppers.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Christopher Barsch3/51Vegetarian Muffulettas With Pickled Iceberg
These pickled iceberg leaves are a good reminder that meat isn’t always required to make a sandwich substantial and packed with flavor.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton4/51Black-Eyed Pea Burgers With Creamy Barbecue Sauce and Chowchow
These creamy black-eyed pea patties are flavored with mushroom, miso, tamari, and Scotch bonnet chiles. They’re finished off with a sweet-and-tangy barbecue sauce and a spoonful of chowchow.
Photo & Food Styling by Kendra Vaculin5/51Mayo-Free Egg Salad
This egg salad gets its creaminess from barely cooked through yolks and mashed canned white beans. Mix in capers, herbs, and squeeze of lemon juice, then pile it onto your favorite sandwich bread.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton6/51Vegan Mushroom Cheesesteaks
The best vegan cheesesteak in Philadelphia is made by chef Ari Miller at his pop-up, Frizwit. Here's how to make a similar one at home.
Photo by Kyla Zanardi.7/51Seared Falafel Burgers
These shortcut Egyptian-inspired falafel patties are made with frozen edamame and peas instead of the traditional fava beans. Sear them to get the surface crunchy, and pair them with buttery brioche burger buns.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Hampton8/51Chickpea Salad Sandwich With Creamy Carrot-Radish Slaw
Our vegetarian play on the classic chicken salad swaps in creamy, protein-packed chickpeas. Using canned beans makes this delicious sandwich an easy lunch option.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Stylist by Erika Joyce9/51Salad Salad Sandwich
Any salad can become a sandwich when you slap it between two slices of bread. Opting for a simple kale number dials in on the wholesomeness of it all.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton10/51Bombay Masala Chile Cheese Toasties
Melty, cheesy, crunchy, spicy: These potato sandwiches, a street food favorite in India, check all the boxes. The bright green chutney is made with a tart Granny Smith apple and plenty of cilantro and mint.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog11/51Butternut Squash Sandwich With Cheddar Cheese and Pickled Red Onion
Stuff roasted butternut squash, rich white cheddar, tangy pickled red onions, and zesty Dijonnaise into bread rolls for a sandwich that tastes like autumn.
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Sue Li12/51Breakfast Sandwiches With Charred Red Onions and Cheddar
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Liza Jernow14/51Chickpea-Mushroom Veggie Burgers
These 10-ingredient gluten-free homemade veggie burgers are crisped up like a smash burger in the oven. Bonus: You can stash the patties in the freezer and cook them from frozen.
