Copycat Kimchi Sandwich. Vegan (VIDEO)

I hope you'll make this recipe soon. If you do, please tag me #innichka_chef on Instagram, Facebook, Patreon or Pinterest.

If you google "what is a healthy sandwich?" you will see that one of the first choices is a turkey sandwich. What is the mystery here? Aren't cold cuts the worst thing to eat nowadays? One Russian study I came across not long ago, stated that processed meats are as bad as cigarettes. The study even showed how equally bad is one cigarette to one serving of processed meat.

This year with my 3rd pregnancy, I went to my first OBGYN appointment, and for the first time was very pleasantly surprised to finally hear the doctor recommend that I should not consume cold cuts while pregnant, I told the doctor not to worry because it's the last thing I would buy at the supermarket.

Even though I do eat sandwiches for lunch on rare occasions the reason is because I just didn't grow up with this tradition. Once in a while I do enjoy having something GOOD between REAL BREAD. Please check my blogs listed below for few more ideas:

Cheesy Green Panini with dandelions and broccolini

Cape Cod Style Chicken Salad

Eggs Benedict

Classic Egg Salad

Probiotic Veggie-Flavored Wraps

A healthy filling lunch can easily be made with a sandwich accompanied with some greens on the side. These types of sandwiches are made with REAL FOOD and you will be full until your next meal. Plus assembling a quick healthy sandwich is an excellent solution on a busy day.

Today, I want to share with you a VEGAN sandwich that is a copycat from a local coffee shop in town called Herban Market and Cafe. It's a very popular item on their menu even for non-vegetarian people. When I first heard of this sandwich, I thought it was a weird combination of foods and figured that it couldn't be good. But it was!!!

I was going through my first trimester when I gave this sandwich a try. One day I went to Herban Market and Cafe for an early lunch. Standing for quite a while, I gazed at the menu trying to make a decision on what to order, I finally decided on a regular customer favorite. OMG, taking the time to decide what to eat and making the decision to order this sandwich was indeed worth the wait and effort. My little Johnny was with me that morning and all the employees watched as my 3 year old son enjoyed eating this sandwich with me. It was so good, I even came back the next day, and day after that just to have a repeat of this delightful sandwich.

The next thing you know, I'm making it at home for a late breakfast or lunch, and I love every bite.

Good stuff between two slices of real bread, and your gut will be thankful for it!

What is in it?

Bread - good quality of course. Please, visit my blog on how to make homemade bread for any occasion. For this video I used whole wheat 100% sourdough sandwich bread, that will keep soft for a long time. I promise to share this recipe with you soon.

Kimchi - Just read this post to learn why you need to consistently eat it as often as possible. You may even consider using cucumber kimchi for this sandwich.

Avocado - yes, sounds crazy to combine avocado and kimchi, but I promise you it's delish, Besides, good fat is always good, right? We love avocados in our house, even in our desserts. Please check out this recipe for Guilt-Free Frozen Mojito Pie, I guarantee you will like it!

Vegan garlic aioli - vegan and soy free! Made with chickpea flour which is full of protein and has all 9 amino acids. Using this condiment creates a unique sandwich experience by turning it into a complete meal. Every aioli starts with good mayo, so please check a few more ideas for quick aioli recipes here. If you don't care that your sandwich is completely vegan, these recipes, mayonnaise 3 ways along with adding a bit of fresh garlic can easily satisfy your taste buds.

Notes on vegan aioli

This aioli is great on anything and can be used as a garlic mayo for pretty much any recipe that you wish. It will stay fresh for up to two weeks and it's so crazy easy to make. The prep for the chickpea porridge of the aioli can be made for up to 3 days ahead of time and I highly recommend that you do that. No worries about emulsification, like classic mayo, just dump everything in a blender, and blend, blend, blend! You will end up with extra aioli so keep it in your fridge for other uses like dips, salad dressing, etc.

One warning about this sandwich

It's a very tasty and filling sandwich and you will get full but there is only one problem, I'm begging you to have plenty of napkins on hand for it's a very messy sandwich!

Let's do it..

Prep time: 5 minutes

Making time: 15 minutes (minus the cooling downtime of the chickpea porridge)

Total time: 20 minutes

Author: Inna of Innichkachef.com

Servings: 2 sandwiches

Ingredients for the sandwich

4 Tablespoons of vegan garlic aioli (recipe below)

8 Tablespoons of chopped kimchi (no juice, I used homemade kimchi)

4 slices of whole wheat sandwich bread

2 avocados

A few turns of freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients for the garlic aioli

3/4 cup chickpea flour

2 cups of water

4-5 Tablespoons of lemon juice

1-2 Tablespoons of mustard

11/3 cup of avocado oil

1 teaspoon of Celtic salt

2-4 cloves of garlic

Directions

1. To make aioli, first make a porridge (can be made for up to 3 days ahead of time). Place a sauce pot on low heat, add chickpea flour and water, then whisk. Cook for about one minute or until it starts to boil. Continue whisking and cook for another 3-4 minutes. If it begins to look clumpy, don't worry.

2. Pour cooked porridge into a container and cover. Let cool for a minute or so, then cover tightly with plastic wrap making certain that the plastic wrap touches the surface of the porridge. Place the container in the fridge for an hour or until it's completely cold.

3. Meanwhile, prep the avocado by slicing and then smashing with a fork.

4. Place cooled porridge into a blender along with the rest of the ingredients for the aioli. Blend and scrape once in a while, until glossy and has a beautiful mayo consistency.

5. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. You may need to grease your pan a little bit (mine is always well seasoned). Place your bread in the skillet and brown on each side.

6. Spread aioli on each slice of the bread (one Tablespoon per slice) then add one half of smashed avocado on each slice of the bread. Add a few turns of black pepper and then add chopped kimchi about 2 Tablespoons per slice.

7. Place one slice of bread with all fillings on top of another and gently press. Cook for another minute or so. Using a large spatula, carefully flip the sandwich over and cook the other side until the bread is toasted.

8. Transfer the sandwich/sandwiches (if you decided to cook both at the same time) to a wooden cutting board, and slice. Place on a serving plate and immediately enjoy!

I hope you'll make this recipe soon. If you do, please tag me #innichka_chef on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest.