Pan Bagnat

Pan Bagnat is a traditional sandwich from Nice, France. Literally translating as "wet bread" in the local dialect, it needs to be made at least 2 hours ahead of time for the flavors to blend together and the bread to soak in the ingredients. I was using up the last of my package of vegan tuna (from the Tuna (Not!) Salad Mix), which you should prepare ahead of time and chill, according to package directions, before assembling the sandwiches.

To prepare the sandwiches, cut 2 (4-ounce) rolls in half, and hollow out the tops and bottoms until you have about a 1/2-inch thick shell. You can either discard the bread pulp, or save for another use. The original recipe called for rustic rolls, which was a little vague, but looking at images of pan bagnat online, any bulkie sandwich roll or kaiser roll should work fine - I used Bread Alone's vegan kaiser rolls.

In a small bowl, whisk together 1 and 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 1 minced garlic clove. Brush evenly over the cut sides of the rolls.

In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup prepared vegan tuna with 1 and 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, and 1/8 tsp. black pepper. Divide the 'tuna' mixture evenly among the bottom halves of the rolls.

Drain a 7-ounce bottle of roasted red peppers, and cut the peppers into 1/4-inch strips. Divide the strips evenly among the two sandwich bottoms. Top each serving with 1 plum tomato (cut into 1/4-inch thick slices), 6 spinach leaves, 2 chopped sun-dried tomatoes, and 2 thin red onion slices. Cover with the top of the rolls, then wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

Note: if you buy sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, simply chop them as is. I had sun-dried tomatoes packed without oil on hand, so soaked mine in boiling water for 10 minutes first, then chopped them and added to the rolls. The original recipe actually calls for anchovies, but sun-dried tomatoes are my go-to vegan substitute to capture the saltiness!

1 sandwich is 540 calories.

Cost:
rustic rolls $4.29
parsley $1.69
bottled roasted red peppers $2.79
plum tomatoes $0.75
spinach $3.99