If you're like me, you love a good meal prep lunch. Something that takes 5 minutes to assemble on the day of and doesn't interrupt the flow of your day but is both satisfying and nutritious. Enter this loaded tofu veggie pesto sandwich!
What Makes a Good Sandwich?
Okay, so sandwiches aren't a new or revolutionary concept for lunch, but there are a lot of sad sandwiches out there... Ones that have a measly slice of iceberg lettuce and a super not ripe beefsteak tomato on some pre sliced bread. I'm here to make sure the key factors of a sandwich are being met whenever I make a sandwich. So, what are those key factors you ask?
Top 5 Key Factors to Making the Best Sandwich
- Bread: in order for it to be a good sandwich, you have to have good quality bread. The main reason I eat a sandwich is for the bread. For this one, I've made my own rosemary focaccia, really any focaccia or thickly sliced sourdough will do here.
- Sauce(s): No one likes a dry sandwich, you MUST have at least 1 if not 2 sauces/condiments involved. Sure, everyone's favorite is probably mayo (or mustard), but in order to add more flavor and take it up a notch, I like having a pesto of sorts (homemade- here's my recipe or store bought, sun dried tomato or basil, whatever). You could also use an aioli or cream cheese. Typically a sauce adds in fat, which makes us love the meal even more.
- Freshness: There are a few ways to ensure freshness in a sandwich, one, have a fresh ingredient that maintains fresh and uncooked (here it's the heirloom tomato), another is to add fresh ground pepper and flakey sea salt. Not only do they add more flavor, they also add freshness!
- Flavor: A crucial component to any food you eat is the flavor, duh! In order to get the most out of the flavor, ensure you're seasoning every component well with salt/pepper at least.
- Cleanliness of the Eating Process: now this one is up for debate, I feel like you can have a sandwich that checks the other four criteria boxes but is the messiest thing to eat and you're still going to love it. For me, I need anything I eat to not get too sloppy or messy, otherwise I eat it as quickly as possible in the hopes to not spill instead of enjoying leisurely. I like wrapping mine in parchment paper so it's easier to hold then cutting it in half. It typically stays put way better than having it run loose
How to Store and Keep Fresh All Week Long
I love this sandwich because it keeps well all week long and has a variety of nutrients in it. I like to pre slice tomatoes and make all of the veggies and tofu at the beginning of the week but keep everything in separate containers in the fridge and assemble fresh daily.
It's great all cold, but if you want to bring some heat back, toast your bread and warm your tofu on a pan with some oil
Loaded Tofu Veggie Pesto Sandwich
Ingredients
- 4 squares of focaccia I make my own, but store bought is great too
Tofu
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 block of tofu
- salt + pepper
Rest of the Sandwich
- 1 large heirloom tomato
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 ½ red peppers sliced
- 1 zucchini thinly sliced
- ¼- ⅓ cup pesto evenly spread across 4 sandwiches
- 4 tablespoon cream cheese evenly spread across 4 sandwiches
- Fresh ground pepper
- Sea Salt flakes
Instructions
- Prep your tofu by slicing it into ½ inch slices so they form rectangles. In a pan, add your avocado oil then add your slices of tofu. Add some salt and pepper then flip once crispy (above 4-6 minutes). Ensure a golden brown on both sides then remove from the pan and let the tofu sit on paper towels.
- Cut your bell peppers into 10-12 slices and your zucchini into thin coins. Add both to the pan with some more avocado oil, salt, and pepper and then sauté until the peppers have some brown/black marks and the zucchini is wilted and soft (about 10 minutes).
- Slice your heirloom tomatoes!
- Assemble your sandwich by cutting your focaccia in half and toasting then adding some cream cheese to one side (vegan cream cheese if vegan) and then pesto to the other half. Add your tofu and veggies then sprinkle with sea salt flakes and add some fresh ground black pepper
- I like wrapping mine in parchment paper so it's easier to hold then cutting it in half- enjoy!
- Storage: I like to pre slice tomatoes and make all of the veggies + tofu at the beginning of the week but keep everything in separate containers in the fridge and assemble fresh daily. It's great all cold, but if you want to bring some heat back, toast your bread and warm your tofu on a pan with some oil
I hope you enjoyed this recipe. Don't forget to rate and review below! And if you're looking for another loaded sandwich, check out my roasted red pepper sandwich!
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