Looking for a tasty sandwich bursting with flavour? Try these pickled vegetable sandwiches with cream cheese using the quick pickling method.
If you want to try a new sandwich that's a bit different, try this quick pickled vegetable sandwich.
The combination of toasted garlicky bread, with thick, velvety cream cheese, topped with pickled vegetables with a hint of sweetness and topped with salad and a tasty drizzle of sauce is rather fabulous.
A flavour-packed quick meal for lunch or dinner.
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Jump to:
- 👩🏻🍳 How to pickle vegetables
- ⏲️ Extra quick sandwich pickles
- 💬 Why are quick pickled vegetables so good?
- 🥫 How long can quick pickles be stored?
- 🥕 Which vegetables can be pickled?
- 💭 Quick pickling FAQ
- 🍞 Which type of bread?
- 🥪 What you need to make quick pickled vegetable sandwiches
- 🍶 Different drizzles
- 🥣 Vegan cream cheese
- 🥗 Other fillings
- 👩🏻🍳 Related Recipes
- 👩🏻🍳 Serving suggestions
- ⭐ Want new recipes delivered to your inbox?
- ⭐ Save your favourite recipes for free!
- 👩🏻🍳 How to make pickled veg sandwiches
- 📖 Recipe
- Comments
👩🏻🍳 How to pickle vegetables
Traditional pickles have a long ferment to help preserve vegetables, but quick pickles can be made in minutes.
The quick pickling method is a much easier and quicker process and the result is much fresher.
- Vegetables are chopped, shredded, finely sliced or peeled and added to a clean jar
- A mixture of with vinegar, sugar, salt and seasoning or spices, which have been heated until the sugar has dissolved is added.
- The pickles are ready to use in 10-15 minutes.
Try these 10-minute red pickled onions or quick pickled red cabbage for sandwiches and tacos and quick and easy pickled radishes are good too. They are all utterly delicious in sandwiches.
I use them in my Festive Falafel & Cranberry Sandwich.
⏲️ Extra quick sandwich pickles
When pickling vegetables to add to a sandwich, I use an even quicker method.
Peeled slices of vegetables (carrots, cucumber and courgette are good for this) are placed in a mixing bowl and a smaller mixture of vinegar, sugar and seasoning is added, than when doing normal quick pickling.
Then they are given a good mix.
This can be set aside while you toast the bread and prep the other fillings, and then it's ready to use.
When ready, just lift the pickle veg to the side of the bowl using a fork, so excess liquid will drain off before adding them to your sandwich.
💬 Why are quick pickled vegetables so good?
Pickled vegetables are rather fabulous, but in case you aren't convinced yet, here are some of the reasons why these pickled veggies are so good.
- Fast - quick pickles are very quick to make with no fuss
- Cheap - you don't need many ingredients or expensive ingredients to make quick pickles, especially the super quick sandwich pickles
- Versatile - you can pickle a wider range of vegetables
- Crunch - vegetables are much fresher and still retain some crunch
- Instant - you can eat them pretty much right away
- Leftovers - they are a great way to use up leftover vegetables or washed vegetable peelings
- Adaptable - you can use different flavoured vinegar and spices to change the flavour each time
- Sweet and sour - you can adjust the amount of sugar to achieve a sweetness or sourness that suits you
- Flavour-packed - these pickles add so much flavour to sandwiches, tacos and burgers.
🥫 How long can quick pickles be stored?
Quick pickles will keep in a jar in the fridge for a week or two and the flavour will improve as they sit.
However, do take them out a few minutes before using them to take the chill off them from the fridge.
Quick sandwich pickles (used in this recipe), which are not steeped in a deep vinegar mixture, but just coated, can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for a day or two.
They are better made fresh to use and as it's such a speedy recipe, why not?
🥕 Which vegetables can be pickled?
You can pickle all sorts of vegetables and salad, here are a few ideas.
- beetroot - grated or finely sliced
- bell pepper - thinly sliced
- carrots - grated or peeled slices
- chilli pepper - deseeded and finely sliced
- courgette (zucchini) - grated or peeled slices
- cucumber - peeled into slices
- fine green beans - topped and tailed, then chopped or left whole
- mangetout (snow peas) - left whole
- radishes - thinly sliced
- red onion - thinly sliced
These are just a few examples, there are lots of other vegetables you could pickle, so get creative and try different flavour combinations to add to sandwiches and salads.
Basically, any that can be eaten raw, can be pickled.
I love the way peeled and pickled slices of carrots, courgette (zucchini) or cucumber can be placed on a sandwich in waves and give a wonderful tangy flavour.
🍍 Can you pickle fruit?
You may be surprised to learn you can pickle fruit and it makes a fabulous sandwich pickle.
Here are a few fruits that would work particularly well.
- apple - thinly sliced or peeled into slices
- pear - thinly sliced or peeled into slices
- pineapple - thinly sliced
💭 Quick pickling FAQ
You can quickly pickle vegetables in a variety of different kinds of vinegar. It's much more versatile than traditional pickling. You can use white or red wine vinegar, cider vinegar, rice vinegar and even balsamic vinegar. Flavoured vinegars can also be used.
The beauty of quick pickles is you can really play with the flavours and use different spices each time. Try adding mustard seeds, cumin seeds or chilli flakes and experiment with adding other spices and garlic too.
🍞 Which type of bread?
Toasted or grilled bread works really well with the fillings in this tasty plant-based sandwich.
Here are a few types of bread that work particularly well.
- Bloomers - a soft white bloomers bread with a good crust
- Sourdough - the classic bread for a toasted sandwich
- Tiger bread - with it's colourful crust
You could also serve up this tasty dairy-free sandwich in a baguette or pitta bread.
🍞 Garlic up that bread!
For that extra flavour boost, garlic up your bread?
What exactly do I mean by that?
Once you have toasted bread, rub a peeled clove of garlic over the surface of the bread to impart a wonderful flavour.
I do this when I make pa amb tomaquet, which is a tapas dish from Barcelona, where a flavoured tomato mixture is heaped on top of garlic-rubbed toasted bread.
🥪 What you need to make quick pickled vegetable sandwiches
Here are the simple ingredients you need to make these vegan cream cheese and vegetable sandwiches.
- Bread - bloomers bread. tiger bread or sourdough bread
- Garlic - just a clove
- Cream cheese - vegan cream cheese
- Carrot
- Cucumber
- Vinegar - I used white wine vinegar, but you can use what you have
- Sugar - caster sugar or brown sugar
- Salt & pepper - to season
- Salad leaves
- Tomato
- Sriracha - optional
Find the full recipe and method below after the step-by-step photos.
For more sandwich inspiration check out 101 Vegan Sandwiches - Back to School Kids Lunch boxes.
🍶 Different drizzles
A drizzle of sriracha finished off this sandwich filling, but you can swap it with a different drizzle. Here are some ideas:
- Balsamic drizzle
- Hot sauce
- Sweet chilli sauce
- Vegan salad cream
- Yellow American mustard
🥣 Vegan cream cheese
The first layer of this gorgeous vegan sandwich is a thick layer of vegan cream cheese.
It works really well with the pickled veg.
However, there are so many different dairy-free cream cheese available now, it can be hard to choose one.
My husband loves Violife cream cheese, but doesn't like the vegan Philadelphia.
For this sandwich, I used this garlic and herb soft cheese from Tesco, which has a wonderful cream texture and a really nice flavour.
I think this is my favourite.
🥗 Other fillings
As well as cream cheese and quick pickled veg, I add salad leaves and slices of tomato, but here are some more ideas for changing up this lunchtime sandwich.
- Avocado - add slices of creamy avocado
- Grilled tofu - start with a thinner layer of cream cheese and add some grilled tofu or did you know you can waffle tofu
- Hummus - add a thick layer of classic or flavoured hummus instead of cream cheese as a sandwich spread
- Pesto - spread the top slice of toasted bread with pesto before topping the sandwich
- Salad sprouts - add sprouted seeds for texture and added nutrients
Love a veg packed sandwich? Try these falafel chopped salad sandwiches.
👩🏻🍳 Related Recipes
Looking for more tasty vegan sandwich ideas? Try these recipes:
👩🏻🍳 Serving suggestions
Here are a few serving suggestions to make this sandwich more of a meal. Serve these dishes on the side of your veggie sandwich.
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👩🏻🍳 How to make pickled veg sandwiches
These step-by-step photos will show you how to make these quick pickled veggie sandwiches. Keep scrolling for the full printable recipe (with full ingredient list, calories and nutritional info).
Step 1 - Pickling veggies
- First, make the pickled veggies.
- Add the veg to a mixing bowl with the pickling liquid (full recipe below) and seasonings.
- Mix well, then set aside.
Step 2 - Making the sandwich
- Toast the bread and rub each slice (one side) with a clove of garlic.
- Add a thick layer of cream cheese to one slice and a thinner layer to the other.
- Now add a layer of salad leaves to the slice with a thick layer or cream cheese, then add a layer of the pickled vegetables (draining as much liquid off as possible as you lift them out of the bowl with a fork).
Step 3 - Finishing touches
- Add a layer of sliced tomato and season with black pepper, then finish with a drizzle of sriracha (look at my tips above for other drizzle ideas).
- Top with the other spread slice of toasted bread and cut in half before serving.
- Make another sandwich with the same filling.
- Enjoy!
📖 Recipe
Pickled Vegetable Sandwiches with Cream Cheese
Ingredients
- 4 slices sourdough bread (bloomers bread or tiger bread would be good too)
- 1 clove garlic (you won't use it all)
- 150 g vegan cream cheese (I used Tesco herb & garlic cream cheese)
- 1 carrot (peeled into slices) - small to medium carrot
- ⅓ cucumber (peeled, leaving aside the wet seeds in the centre)
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (you can use other vinegars, see notes)
- 2 teaspoons caster sugar
- 1 pinch salt & pepper
- 2 handfuls salad leaves
- 1 large tomato (sliced)
- 1 teaspoon sriracha (optional, see notes for alternative drizzles)
Instructions
- First, make the pickled veggies. Add the slices of carrot and cucumber to a mixing bowl with the vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.
- Mix well, then set aside.
- Toast your bread.
- Rub one side of each slice of toasted bread with a clove of garlic, to impart lots of flavour.
- Top one slice of your toasted bread with a thick layer of cream cheese and a thin coating on the other slice.
- Add a layer of salad leaves (to the slice with a thick layer of cream cheese), then half the pickled vegetables (draining as much liquid off as possible as you lift them out of the bowl with a fork).
- Now, add a layer of sliced tomato and season with black pepper,
- Finish with a drizzle of sriracha (look at my tips above for other drizzle ideas).
- Top with the other spread slice of toasted bread and cut in half before serving. Make another sandwich with the same filling.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Bread - sourdough, bloomers or tiger bread all work well.
- Pickling vinegar - you can use any vinegar, such as white or red wine vinegar, cider vinegar, flavoured vinegar or even balsamic vinegar.
- Cream cheese - you can use plain cream cheese or herb and garlic.
- Spice - for a bit of spice add chilli flakes to the pickle liquid
- Drizzle - instead of sriracha, you can add a drizzle of vegan salad cream, yellow American mustard, balsamic drizzle or hot sauce.
- Storing pickles - these quick pickles will keep in the fridge for 1-2 days.
- Cutting down calories - you can cut the calories, by spreading your sandwich with a thinner layer of cream cheese. Also, the bloomers and tiger bread have less calories than sourdough.
Sam Burton says
Oh that looks super simple. I am going to try this.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Oh yes, the whole thing only takes a few minutes to make. The pickled vegetables are super simple to make.
Jill says
I am drooling here Jacqueline that looks really, really tasty. Jill x
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Awww thanks Jill. It is really good. Graham loves it.
Sharon says
I have a feeling this sandwich is going to be made a lot this summer once the garden starts producing and I can make my own homemade pickled veggies. Looks amazing!
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Oh yes definitely, it will be even better with homegrown veggies.
Phil says
OMG would you look at that. I need this in my life!
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Haha, you must definitely try this sandwich then.
Andrea says
I've always had my pickled vegetables as a side dish. Making them as a sandwich is genius. I can't wait to make this.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Oh yes, they are great in sandwiches but so good with curry, on salads or on burgers too.
Dannii says
This was so good. A really nice new way to enjoy a sandwich.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
I am so glad you enjoyed them Dannii. These pickled vegetable sandwiches are popular here too.
Kechi says
This sandwich looks so pretty! Also, I didn’t know you can pickle just about any vegetable. Thanks for the info!
Jacqueline Meldrum says
heck yeah, just go crazy and try pickling all sorts of veg.
Suja md says
This looks really delicious and fairly simple to make! Can't wait to try it out! thanks for the recipe 🙂
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Oh yes it's super easy to make and very, very tasty. I hope you try it soon.
Jacqueline Debono says
I have never quick pickled veggies before making these sandwiches but my goodness how delicious and so easy!
Jacqueline Meldrum says
I am so glad you gave it a go Jacqueline. The pickled veg is really tasty, isn't it? So quick too.
Adri says
I've just bought a book on preserving and pickling, you've inspired me to add sandwiches to the growing list of uses for pickled veg. Love the details you give with the recipes! Thank you.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Oh well that will be full on preserving and they last much longer but there is something so nice and fresh about quick pickles. Enjoy them x