Vegetarian Muffuletta Bagel Sandwich! A twist on the New Orleans classic, the muffuletta sandwich, this individual vegetarian version is one you can enjoy far beyond Fat Tuesday. Briny olive salad, provolone cheese, roasted veggies and a chewy sesame bagel make it a great brunch or lunch option any day of the week!

I love New Orleans. It's one of those cities that I don't mind visiting again and again, and I'd be lying if I said the food has nothing to do with it. Whether you're sweating over a bowl of spicy Cajun or Creole dishes, cooling down with a Sno-ball, getting a sugar fix with a powdery beignet or winding down with a classic Sazerac, there is something for everyone in the Crescent City.

During one of my last visits, I stopped in to one of New Orlean's food landmarks, Central Grocery, to check out their famous grab & go offering -- the muffuletta sandwich.

Made in the classic way, a muffuletta sandwich is made up of layers of ham, salami and provolone cheese, topped with the grocery's crowning glory: its signature olive salad. {Which you can purchase online, by the way, if you have a hankering for the real thing and a spare $30+ burning a hole in your pocket.}

Even though I had already gone the pescatarian route at the time, I knew I had to see what all the fuss was about, so I purchased the mammoth-sized sandwich {we got the very last one of the day!}, and split it among my sisters and cousin. I peeled off the meat from my portion, which left me with an olive salad and cheese sandwich, but I have to say I still enjoyed the flavors and could see why everyone calls it a "must."

With Mardi Gras coming up next week, I thought I'd work on creating a vegetarian {and Lenten Friday-friendly!} version of the beloved sandwich and tone it down to a reasonable lunch-sized portion for one. {The original is 9 inches in diameter, so you'd need a mega lunchbox to carry that sucker to work.}

Here are some things you should know before you bite:

This is NOT an authentic version. Nowhere near. I say this up front because I can't tell you how many times I've posted a riff on a classic recipe and received the foodie version of hate mail from people who are deeply offended by my interpretation. You want the real stuff? Hightail it to NOLA, folks.
The "olive salad" I use on this version is a shortcut made for the average person who doesn't want to go buy 234,792 different ingredients for one element of a sandwich. I simply chopped up some green and Kalamata olives and combined them with the most legit-looking store-bough jar of giardiniera {an Italian pickled veggie blend that is often used on subs and sandwiches}.
Bread is an important element of this sandwich because it needs to hold up to the oils and liquids from the olive salad and roasted veggies. The original uses an enormous Sicilian sesame loaf that has a nice, crunchy crust. For my "mini" version, I went with a sesame bagel since it has that firm texture and chewy bite that you want with the fillings. I think a sesame Kaiser roll might work, too.
As I mentioned, the real muffuletta sandwich is layered with ham and salami. For my veggie version, I used jarred roasted red pepper and portobello mushroom, which I roasted for about 20 minutes in the oven. {Feel free to do this in advance so all you have to do is build when it's time to eat!} You can use whatever veggie combo you like, but I chose these because I thought the flavors would work well together and because they're "meaty" enough to give a similar texture as those in the original. You'll want to pat both the pepper and the portobello dry before piling them onto the sandwich to avoid excessive moisture.
Even though this sandwich is made for one, you can easily cut it into 4 pieces and pierce it with skewers if you want to serve it up as an adorable appetizer for a party.

If all of the above is ok with you, then by all means, form a "Second Line" and head to the kitchen! This Vegetarian Muffuletta Bagel Sandwich may not be the real thing, but I promise you it'll be real good!

Vegetarian Muffuletta Bagel Sandwich

The Kitchen Prep

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 8

Cook Time 25

Total Time 33

Course Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 1 sandwich

Ingredients

1 portobello mushroom wiped clean & gills removed
1 teaspoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 sprinkle salt

For Olive Salad

¼ cup chopped pitted green olives
¼ cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives
¼ cup store bought giardiniera chopped

For Sandwich

1 sesame bagel sliced in half
1 large piece of jarred roasted red pepper patted dry
2 slices provolone cheese

Instructions

Roast Portobello:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place a sheet of foil on a baking pan. Rub the olive oil all over the portobello mushroom, then sprinkle both sides with salt and smoked paprika. Roast for 20-25 minutes until it has released some of its moisture and somewhat flattened out. Remove from oven and let cool. Pat dry with a paper towel to remove some of the moisture before placing on the sandwich.
Meanwhile, make the olive salad. In a small bowl, combine the green olives, Kalamata olives and chopped giardiniera until the mixture is uniform. Set aside.

Assemble the sandwich:

I prefer to build this sandwich upside down. Start with the top portion of the bagel. Spoon about ¼ cup of the olive salad mixture onto the bread. Top with roasted red pepper slice, followed by provolone cheese slices.
Finish it off by placing the cooled portobello mushroom on top, then topping with the "bottom" piece of the bagel. Hold firmly, then flip and cut in half or into quarters if serving as an appetizer.