It’s funny the things that make you think of love, isn’t it? And not very surprising for us, that a lot of food makes my heart think of love and of Alex. Just like pizza has a love story for him and I, so does this sandwich.  Nothing about this sandwich has changed over the past six (?) years. It doesn’t need to change. I know we’re typically things on toast people over here, but this—-  this really is our favorite, easy bread and veggie recipe—- and filling enough for even the hungriest of carnivores (ahem, alex).

So why does this sandwich make me think of love? For a few reasons really. I discovered the amazingness of shredded beets on things– with Alex. A small restaurant we went to featured shredded beets in many of their recipes. Such a simple idea, and such a great way to eat beets. Together we would visit the weekly markets for all the ingredients we needed. Sometimes Alex would make the bread— and sometimes he wouldn’t ;)And each day (not everyday, but often enough for me to be spoiled by it) he would make this sandwich for me while I was at work and walk it over to me. We’d sit together in breezy walkway filled with wind chimes, tapestries, and hanging plants outside a sweaty and incense filled hippie shop (I know, I worked there/managed it— and it’s still funny and amazing to me now) and eat our sandwiches together…. with chips. Always chips. We all love sandwich day. And I love eating this sandwich with him and our small family.

When I asked Alex if this sandwich makes him think of love, he said yes. I asked, why. And he said because we’ve been making it together for so long. I’ve only ever ate this sandwich with you. And will always eat it with you. It’s true. And now, we eat it with Marlowe (no beets for marlowe). And more awesome? With vegetables grown in our own garden. That’s love. Veggie sandwich love.

You’ll need:
thick sliced sourdough bread, toasted
sliced avocado
thin sliced cucumber or radish (for crunch)
grated beets (any color)
grated carrots
sliced tomato
your favorite greens
hummus (we always make our own lemon garlic hummus, but any variety is great)*
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt &cracked pepper*sometimes, but not usually, I make a sun-dried tomato spread. like HERE (tempeh too), it’s extra delicious.

How to:
drizzle olive oil on bread
toast/broil/grill bread
spread hummus on bread
layer your veggies
salt & pepper
drizzle balsamic on top
close sandwich
big bites.

ENJOY!

ps. did you see the random weekend post? If you’re local and love flowers, stop by and say hello. Pretty sure the event coincides with City Place’s family fun day too, if you’re looking for family fun 🙂

18 Comments

  1. I just made this masterpiece of a sandwich and can't wait to make it again! Mine was missing greens, olive oil, and beets, and it was still delicious! Thank you!

  2. The idea to shred the beets is sooo simple, and I never would've thought of it in my sandwich, ha. Thank you! This really looks delicious.

  3. There is truly nothing better than hummus on a sandwich. I grill zucchini and squash, add to a hummus-lathered piece of bread, top off with a few fresh tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes if I have them, top it with another piece of bread and GRILL. It makes the hummus melt into the bread and I usually dip my sandwich in either more hummus or marinara sauce. Yum yum!

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  4. Just curious- do you cook your beets before shredding? I ask because they're either a different variety or different color than what I'm used to. I hope to make this sandwich with my own garden veggies by late summer!

  5. Just curious- do you cook the beets before shredding? I ask because they're either a different variety or just a different color than what I'm used to. This looks delicious and I hope to make it with my garden veggies by late summer!

    • raw! These were a random variety from our garden, but ANY beet is great— purple, golden, candy cane, whatever!

  6. I'm not sure what I like more, the story or the sandwich!

    Peace & Sunshine,
    Sammi at Sammi Sunshine- A Food Blog

  7. shredded beets?! i never would have thought of that! will have to try this out sooon.

  8. I really need to invest in a cheese grater so I can shred veggies instead for recipes like this! I've been making do with just vegan red pepper hummus and spinach on toasted vegan bread but I think it's time to buy some carrots and beets (something I never would have considered before!). I tend to eat my sandwiches with a pear – it seems to counterbalance the denseness (if that's the right word) of bread quite nicely.