Here are 4 healthy and vegan bagel sandwich ideas! These recipes are easy to make, delicious and also plant-based. There's something for everyone on this list!
Growing up we had this little bagel shop in our town that made amazing bagel sandwiches. During high school, we'd head up there to pick up lunch during our free periods and I can still distinctly remember my order. I would start with cream cheese, then add turkey and all the veggies.
Now that I've been gluten-free for over 9 years, bagels have become a distant memory. And not something that I've really even thought about.
Until now. Because I've found an amazing gluten-free (and vegan) bagel that I can recreate my favorite sandwich on. Little Northern Bakehouse makes amazing gluten-free bagels that toast up beautifully and make some amazing sandwiches. Today I'm going to share 4 of my best vegan bagel sandwich ideas with you! These are perfect for summer, great for an office lunch or to take on a hike/to the beach, and they're all plant-based and delicious!
Best Gluten-Free Vegan Bagels
I'm excited to be partnering up with Little Northern Bakehouse on today's post to share these incredible recipes. We're using both of their bagels in this post and I can't wait for you to see the texture! They're bagels come in four delicious flavors:
- Plain
- Everything
- Cinnamon Raisin
- Blueberry
And are not only gluten-free, but also dairy-free, egg-free, vegan, non-GMO, and more. These bagels are perfect for those of you with food allergies, but they're also delicious enough to serve to everyone. My boyfriend loves them just as much as I do!
4 Vegan Bagel Sandwich Ideas
For today's bagel sandwiches, I want to create some vegan spins on a few classic recipes. All while making sure that we're loading them up with veggies and sneaking in greens wherever we can.
Here are the four bagel sandwich ideas we're making today:
- Chickpea Salad
- Pesto Melt
- Hummus & Veggie
- Vegan “BLT”
Hopefully, there's something for everyone on this list! But in case there isn't, scroll to the end of the post and we'll share a “formula” for creating your own bagel sandwich at home.
Ready to make some sandwiches?! Let's dive in!
1. Chickpea Salad Bagel Sandwich
This is my vegan version of the perfect tuna salad sandwich. We've got a toasted Little Northern Bakehouse plain bagel, with a layer of vegan sriracha mayo, smashed chickpeas, sliced onion and finely chopped remain. It's salty, it's tangy, it's creamy and it's got the bite from the onion and the crunch from the lettuce. Each bite is sandwich perfection!
Ingredients for the Chickpea Salad Bagel Sandwich:
- 2 gluten-free plain bagels, toasted
- 1 (15 oz) can of chickpeas, drained & rinsed
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- 1 teaspoon ketchup
- 2 teaspoon caper juice
- 1/2 a lemon, juiced
- water as needed
- 1 tablespoon capers, chopped
- vegan sriracha mayo (vegan mayo + sriracha)
- 1/4 cup sliced onion
- 1/2 cup romaine lettuce, sliced
Start by making your chickpea salad. Add the chickpeas to a bowl and mash them with a fork. In a separate bowl add the tahini, mustard, ketchup, caper and lemon juices and stir together. Add a splash or two of water to thin it out. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired. Add the sauce to the bowl with the chickpeas and add the capers. Fold together.
Assemble the sandwiches by putting mayo on the bottom side of the bagel, layering on some of the salad, and topping with sliced onions and lettuce.
2. Bagel Sandwich Pesto Melt
Next on our list of bagel sandwich ideas, we have a vegan pesto melt! This sandwich is simple but absolutely delicious! We start with a toasted bagel, then add on a layer of vegan pesto, some sliced tomato, spinach, and then melt on some vegan cheese. It's creamy, it's flavorful, it's juice and we even were able to sneak in some greens!
Ingredients needed for the Bagel Sandwich Pesto Melt:
- 2 gluten-free plain bagels, toasted
- 1/4 cup vegan pesto (definitely try this recipe!)
- 1 small tomato, sliced
- 1/2 cup spinach
- 2 sliced of vegan cheese
Spread 2 tablespoons of pesto onto the bottom half of each bagel. Top each with half of the tomato slices, 1/4 cup of spinach, and a slice of cheese. Put them on a tray and place them in your toaster oven. Toast for 3 – 4 minutes until the cheese is melted. Add the top half of the bagel and enjoy!
3. Hummus & Veggie Bagel Sandwich
Third on our list is all about the color! We're making hummus and veggie bagel sandwiches with a rainbow of colorful veggies. On the bottom of the sandwich we have a layer of hummus for protein, then you can just top it with whatever veggies you'd like! We used: cucumber, carrot, pepper, cabbage, and avocado!
Ingredients needed for Hummus & Veggie Bagel Sandwiches:
- 2 gluten-free everything bagels (optional to toast)
- 1/4 cup hummus
- 10 slices of cucumber
- 1/2 cup grated carrot
- 1 small pepper, sliced into rings
- 1/2 cup grated cabbage
- 1/2 of an avocado, sliced
Spread 2 tablespoons of hummus onto the bottom half of each bagel. Top each with half of the cucumber slices, 1/4 cup of the carrots, 1/2 of the pepper rings, 1/4 cup of cabbage and half of the avocado slices. Add the top half of the bagel and enjoy!
4. Vegan “BLT” Bagel Sandwich
For our final bagel sandwich idea, we're using a classic sandwich as our inspiration and giving it a vegan twist. We're taking the BLT sandwich (bacon lettuce and tomato) and making it a bit more elevated. We start with a layer of vegan cream cheese (or hummus), then a layer of tempeh “bacon”, sliced tomato, sliced red onion and our “lettuce” layer is actually sprouts. Serve this on top of a toasted everything bagel and OMG it's incredible!!
Ingredients needed for Vegan “BLT” Bagel Sandwich:
- 2 gluten-free everything bagels, toasted
- 1/4 cup vegan cream cheese (or hummus)
- 1 serving of vegan tempeh bacon (I followed this recipe but cut the tempeh into strips instead of cubes)
- 1 small tomato sliced
- A few red onion slices
- 1/2 cup sprouts
Spread 2 tablespoons of cream cheese (or hummus) onto the bottom half of each bagel. Top each with half of the tempeh bacon, half the tomato, a few red onion slices, and 1/4 cup of sprouts. Add the top half of the bagel and enjoy!
Create Your Own Bagel Sandwich Ideas
Since the possibilities are truly endless with sandwiches, I want to give you some ideas for a “formula” to follow for your own bagel sandwich!
- Pick your bagel flavor: plain is great with more distinct flavors (like pest), whereas everything pairs well with veggies
- Use a spread: having something creamy on the bottom will not only help your toppings stay in place, but also add a bit of moisture to your sandwich
- Add a protein: whether that's chickpeas, hummus, tempeh, or chicken/deli meat/steak (if you're a meat-eater), make sure there's some protein to help fill you up
- Load up on veggies: go crazy with your veggies – and make sure to get some greens in there!
- Finish it with vinegar: if you like a little tang, drizzle a little red wine vinegar on your sandwich. I know it might sound strange but it's SO good!
Can't wait to see you recreate some of these delicious sandwiches! And don't forget, if you're looking for a delicious gluten-free and vegan bagel, I definitely recommend Little Northern Bakehouse!
This recipe is brought to you in partnership with Little Northern Bakehouse. As always, all opinions are my own. I only share companies I love and trust, so thank you for continuing to support Simply Quinoa!
