Meet my Seven Layer Santa Barbara Veggie Sandwich. This picnic-approved bite is a hearty meal-sized feast that is perfect for lunch or dinner. Pair with some cheezy-lemon spiced roasted potatoes for even more mealtime bliss.

Travel Inspired. Last weekend I visited Santa Barbara with a fun group of girls for a bachelorette party weekend. We danced, sang, drank and basically had the best time ever. And one of the highlights of the trip was wine tasting via a limo. And when one is tasting delicious wines, one needs to eat. Our lunch was prepared by a small sandwich shop called Panino. I had an amazing (veganized) veggie sandwich with sun-dried tomatoes, avocado and layers and layers of other flavorful ingredients. I devoured the delicious dish and was reminded of how AMAZING a basic “veggie” sandwich can be when you add inspiring components. So here is my spin on that delicious picnic lunch I tasted in SB wine country! (And in my next travel post I will share more about my trip and name a few hot spots in Santa Barbara that are not to be missed!) But first, this sandwich!..

This sandwich. Grab the ingredients and go.

walnut loaf from Le Pain Quotidien

And a picnic spot in Santa Barbara wine country as the scene..

Homemade hummus + roasted garlic in extra virgin olive oil:

sweet and spicy mustard:

Serve with potatoes:

Seven Layer Santa Barbara Veggie Sandwich

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 08/06/2014
This seven layer sandwich was inspired from a recent trip to Santa Barbara wine country where I feasted on a delicious veggie sandwich for lunch.

Ingredients

4 large slices bakery bread (Le Pain Quotidien’s Walnut Loaf used)
1 avocado, sliced
1 large roasted red pepper, thinly sliced
4 tsp spicy-sweet mustard
1 tomato, thinly sliced
1/4 cup loose fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
2 heaping Tbsp roasted garlic hummus (I added EVOO-soaked roasted garlic to some homemade lemon hummus)
1/3 cup thinly sliced seedless cucumber
also: freshly ground black pepper + spritz of lemon juice

Instructions

Using a panini press or a grill pan, toast your bread so that it has grill marks. You can rub some extra virgin olive oil on the outer sides if desired. Set toasted bread on cutting board and begin assembling your sandwiches.
Start on the seven layers! One and two: Spread the garlic hummus on the inside of one slice of bread, and the spicy-sweet mustard on the other slice. Three: Lay the cucumber on top of the hummus. Four: Follow up with the red pepper slices. Five And the basil. Six: Add the tomato. And seven: Press the avocado into the mustard side of the sandwich. Spritz some lemon on the avocado and grind fresh pepper over top (optional). Close carefully, slice and enjoy! These sandwiches make GREAT make-ahead picnic fare. I actually placed these back in the fridge for a few hours before we ate them for dinner and they were still delicious.

Yield: 2 sandwichesPrep Time: 00 hrs. 15 mins. Total time: 15 mins. Tags: sandwich,easy,lunch,dinner,veggies,entree,santa barbara,hummus