Grilled Vegetable, Tofu and Kale Pesto Sandwich (Vegan Gluten-Free)

A vibrant, flavour-packed and gut-healthy sandwich that is naturally vegan and gluten-free and high in fibre. Layer up griddled aubergine, courgette and tofu with a delicious homemade kale and almond pesto and serve with fresh tomatoes and salad.

When the summer comes around, nothing beats a good picnic. Importantly, for the best picnic, you have to have a great sandwich! And this one is a new favourite of mine as it combines a few of my favourite things and is jam-packed with colours, textures and flavours all sandwiched together with the softest vegan and gluten-free bread from Schär.

This Grilled Vegetable, Tofu and Kale Pesto Sandwich is:

• Bursting with fresh flavours
• Spread thick with herby basil, kale and almond pesto
• Layered with griddled vegetables
• High in protein 
• High in fibre
• Boasts great gut-healthy ingredients
• Naturally vegan and gluten-free

There is not much you cannot love about this Grilled Vegetable, Tofu and Kale Pesto Sandwich and it reminds me of ones you’d be able to buy in posh delis – but this one is a fraction of the price, easy to make and is much healthier and fresher! 

For this recipe, I have used the brand new and improved loaf from Schär which is part of their Wholesome Loaf range. You may remember I worked with their Vitality Loaf in January (on this moreish dessert recipe, Peanut Butter, Banana and Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding) and I really loved the loaves then, but they are even better now. 

What I love about the Vitality loaf is that it is good for the gut*, it is high in fibre and a source of calcium. The taste is fresher, the texture is soft, really soft, and rivals the mainstream glutenous loaves that I’ve tried.

The Schär Vitality Loaf is made from natural ingredients without any preservatives, wheat or lactose. It’s easy enough today to find vegan bread OR to find gluten-free bread, but it’s not every day that you find both in one loaf. It’s made from quinoa, sorghum, chestnut flour and is baked with sourdough to make the most delicious loaf – perfect for carrying all the fillings for this Grilled Vegetable, Tofu and Kale Pesto Sandwich.

So, what goes into this epic summer sandwich? The best kale and almond pesto to start with! This is such a simple recipe but packs so much flavour and gut-healthy ingredients:

• Almonds: dry fry these for a few minutes until smelling toasty to really emphasise the flavours.
• Lemon juice: for a tang.
• Olive oil: the better the quality of olive oil, the better the pesto.
• Garlic: this adds a slight warmth and delicious garlic zing.
• Fresh basil: fresh herbs are essential when making pesto. I am not too fussy and end up adding some of the stalks of the herbs in too, so no need to throw all the stalks away – just the bigger ones.
• Kale: this also boasts great gut-healthy properties and adds an extra dose of greens to the pesto. It keeps the texture chunky, which is just how I like it for this Grilled Vegetable, Tofu and Kale Pesto Sandwich.
• Nutritional yeast: while non-vegan pesto will use parmesan cheese, this one uses nutritional yeast for that cheesy savoury taste which is typical of all good pesto.

Simply blitz and blend all the ingredients for the pesto and then store in the fridge for a few days. It’s great for stirring into pasta, too, and spreading onto pizza.

Now, onto the rest of the fillings to go between our Schär Vitality Loaf. You can use any vegetables you have for this sandwich, but I kept it classic with aubergine and courgette. The same goes for the tofu: if you like tempeh you can use that too as they are both fermented foods and good for the gut!

• Slice the vegetables and tofu into thin strips or rounds
• Brush with olive oil
• Either fry off in a griddle pan (or you could try the BBQ!)
• Or, cook under the grill
• Turn over once charred and cook the second side

And now it’s onto the fun part: layering up this Grilled Vegetable, Tofu and Kale Pesto Sandwich. I start with a slice of the gluten-free and vegan Schär Vitality Loaf, spread it thick with Kale Almond Pesto, then goes on the fresh tomato and tofu. Add a few slices of courgette, aubergine and then a layer of salad leaves before sandwiching together with another slice of bread.

However you choose to stack your sandwich, you are in for a treat! I hope you will love this simple, vegan, gluten-free and wholesome recipe for a speedy summery sandwich that is great to grab and go. Pack it into your lunch box or for a picnic or enjoy at home with and extra spoon of pesto.

If you are looking for more ways to use the Schär Vitality Loaf, how about:

• Baking my Peanut Butter Banana and Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding
• Spreading it thick with my Homemade Cashew Cheese
• Using it as a base for my Hummus, Pesto and Tomato Tarts
• Mopping up all the sauces from my Tomato Pesto and Gnocchi Traybake
• Having fun with my Protein Yoghurt Toasts (4 Ways)

I look forward to hearing what you think of my Grilled Vegetable, Tofu and Kale Pesto Sandwich so please let me and Schär know in the comments below. If you make this sandwich for lunch or your next picnic, we’d love to see, so please tag us on social media!

With vitality sandwich love x

* Schär Vitality Loaf contains calcium, which contributes to the normal function of digestive enzymes