Even Carnivores Love It: This Veggie Sandwich Beats Classic Ham and Butter!

About 6.5 million sandwiches are consumed daily, averaging 76 per second, generating an estimated revenue of 8.25 billion euros. For bakeries, sandwiches are quite literally their bread and butter. The stories of their origin are equally fascinating. The most popular tale credits the invention to John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich. Immersed in a lengthy card game in 1762, he reportedly asked his servant to bring him a meal he could eat without leaving the table. The servant presented him with cold meat tucked between two slices of bread, along with cucumber and cheese slices—a portable and tidy meal format that quickly won over the nobleman. However, this charming story might be more fiction than fact, as indirect references to this snack appear in popular English plays from the 16th century.

It wasn’t until the 1930s that the stuffed baguette became a popular lunch option, initially among workers and then across all social classes. The undisputed king of the sandwich world? The legendary ham and butter, which accounted for more than half of all sandwich sales in 2016. But having the same sandwich every day can get boring, not to mention that health authorities recommend keeping processed meat intake under 150 grams per week.

Switching to vegetarian? For a lifelong meat-eater, this change can be challenging. However, the key lies in finding a tasty enough alternative to win them over. Impossible? Not at all. Influencer @louloukitchen_ successfully converted her husband, who always insisted on having meat in his sandwiches, to her veggie version with grilled vegetables…

Start with two slices of good quality country bread, brush them with olive oil and rub the bread with a half clove of garlic. Then, spread a thin layer of red pesto on each slice and add two slices of cheddar cheese. Top with oven-roasted Mediterranean vegetables (bell peppers, eggplants, zucchinis, or whatever you have in the fridge), close the sandwich, and grill it on both sides until the cheese melts. “I’m not a vegetarian, but I can tell you, I wouldn’t trade this sandwich for any meat sandwich,” claims the expectant mother. Meat lovers, take note.

It turns out that even the most devoted carnivores can be tempted by a well-made vegetarian sandwich, as long as it’s hearty, flavorful, and well-assembled. And judging by the popularity of recipes like @louloukitchen_’s, vegetables no longer have to play second fiddle. It’s yet another testament to how the sandwich, a quintessentially populist dish, continues to evolve with the times without losing any of its appeal.