The Vegan New Luther Sandwich

The Vegan New Luther Sandwich is part of the America’s Top 10 New Sandwiches Veganized series and boasts a pecan-topped, maple-encrusted donut bun filled with a Chickpea Burger and wedges of smoked applewood “bacon.”

The Vegan New Luther Sandwich is the final sandwich in our series called America's Top 10 New Sandwiches...Veganized!

We’ve come to the end of our fabulous journey through America’s Top 10 New Sandwiches Veganized! I’ve looked forward to seeing each new recipe. Trying them out at home. Tasting all the delicious and interesting flavors. Honestly? I’ve just really loved this series. Why do great things always have to come to an end? I guess it’s true what the infamous rock group Nazareth says, “Love hurts. Ooooh, love hurts.”

At least today’s sandwich will leave us all with fond memories. It’s hard to forget something called a Vegan New Luther Sandwich.

When you find yourself at the end of a journey, sometimes it can be cathartic to do a little reminiscing. Our vegan sandwich series journey began when the popular blog Endless Simmer, published an article called America’s Top 10 New Sandwiches. It was a popular post and was quickly picked up by the Huffington Post where it made the front page.

This is the part where our group of vegan bloggers comes in.

You see, we were disappointed not to see more vegetarian sandwiches included in America’s New Sandwiches and that’s what sparked the idea. What if we created vegan versions of all these new artisan-inspired “favorite” sandwiches? So that’s what we did. I invited some of my favorite vegan bloggers to join me and together we created our own list of America’s new sandwiches. We called ours America’s Top 10 New Sandwiches…Veganized! Here’s a recap of the first 9 sandwiches:

  • Sandwich No. 10 the Vegan Spuckie Sandwich, prepared by Your Vegan Mom and featured a carrot salad on top of vegan deli slices.
  • Sandwich No. 9  the Bulgogi Steak Sandwich by Manifest Vegan showcased tender strips of marinated tofu topped with caramelized onions.
  • Sandwich No. 8, the Crispy Drunken Chicken Sandwich showcased two unique vegan recipes by Veggie Num Num and Epicurean Vegan who both provided recipes with sweet, spicy sauces.
  • Sandwich No. 7, the Cheesy Mac and Rib Sandwich featuring a thick barbecue sauce grilled over thinly sliced tofu and served with caramelized onions and oh-so-vegan mac and cheese.
  • Sandwich No. 6, The Pibil Torta Sandwich spotlighting crusty bolillo bread spread with a black bean paste, marinated wild mushrooms and finished with a layer of pickled red onions.
  • Sandwich No. 5, The Fried Chicken Sandwich, a cashew cream encrusted fried *chick’n* patty topped with a lip-smacking, zesty slaw.
  • Sandwich No. 4, The Maple, features two hot slices of maple-currant french toast loaded with savory tempeh, white bean sausage, and smothered with “mapleized” onions and vegan chipotle cheddar cheese.
  • Sandwich No. 3, The Lasagna Bolognese, with lasagna bolognese, grilled sweet red pepper, and a vegan mozzarella spread, served on a round roll.
  • Sandwich No. 2, The Brussels Sprout Sandwich, the only vegetarian sandwich on the original post, we piled on layers of golden-crusted Brussels sprouts with lime-infused apple slaw with dollops of sweet red pepper hummus to keep those unruly sprouts on the bun.

Today’s recipe, Sandwich No. 1, is allowing us to end this series with a bang! Endless Simmer said it best when describing this sandwich in the original post, “It takes some chutzpah to reinvent what…has already called the best drunk food in America.” And there was definitely a little chutzpa in veganizing it as well. Soulful singer Luther Vandross allegedly created the original sandwich and spirited Ashley M. of NeverHomemaker was more than happy to veganize it. A pecan-topped, maple-encrusted donut bun is cut in half and filled with a chickpea burger and wedges of smoked applewood “bacon.”

So although Paul Simon says there are 50 ways to leave your lover, we say there’s only one way to say goodbye to this series. Sure, listen to some Paul Simon if you’d like, but put on your cooking shoes and make this sandwich while you’re at it. It’s an experience you won’t soon forget!

A collage of 3 photos of the Vegan New Luther Sandwich

The Vegan New Luther Sandwich

What you’ll need . . .

  • Maple Donut Buns (Recipe below)
  • Applewood Smoked “Bacon” (Recipe below)
  • Chickpea Burgers (Recipe below)
  • Maple Syrup/Nut Mixture
  1. Slice the Maple Donut Buns in half
  2. Place the chickpea burger on the bottom half and top with the Applewood Smoked Bacon.
  3. Place other half of donut bun on top.
  4. Add a bit of sprouts if you’re feeling healthy.
  5. Pour the maple syrup/nut mixture over it all before serving.

Mapled Donut Bun

(Adapted from Vegan Dad’s Vegan Chocolate-Glazed Donuts)

You’ll need . . .

  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons almond milk
  • 1 tablespoon soy-free Earth Balance
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • Pinch of coarse Kosher salt
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons warm water
  • 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
  • 1-1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
  • 1-1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil for frying
  • Pecans or walnuts and 1/8 cup maple syrup for glaze

Method . . .

  1. In a microwave-safe dish, heat the almond milk, Earth Balance, and maple syrup. Whisk to combine.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the warm water and ground flax seeds. Let sit until thickened.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk combine the salt, yeast, and flour. Then pour in the milk mixture and the flax seed mixture to form an elastic dough.
  4. Add more flour if necessary. Dough should not stick to fingers.
  5. Let rise in a lightly oiled bowl for 2 hours. Then divide into 4 dough balls.
  6. On a floured work surface, flatten each ball to form a donut shape. (Optional: Cut out a hole in the middle using a ketchup or other bottle top.)
  7. Then in a small pan, pour in the 1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil. When hot, fry each side of the donut. Then cut in half and dry the middle.
  8. Repeat with remaining to-be donuts.
  9. Put your walnuts/pecans in the pan for a bit to warm/brown in the oil. Then pour the maple syrup over them and wait to pour onto the sandwich before serving.
A sandwich with smoked apple and sprouts on a plate with pecans.

Applewood Smoked “Bacon”

What you’ll need . . .

  • A couple slices of apple
  • Paprika

Method . . .

  1. Simply sprinkle paprika on the apple slices.
  2. Heat for a couple minutes (on both sides) in the leftover oil after you’ve finished frying your donut.

Veggie Chickpea Burger

What you’ll need . . .

  • 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 cup chopped onions
  • 1/4 cup chopped green peppers
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons tahini
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Method . . .

  1. Mash together all ingredients until you can form a patty with them. Divide into 4 patties.
  2. Then using the same pan you’ve used for the donuts and “bacon” — fry in the leftover oil on each side until browned.
Overhead view of the Maple Donut bun

Enjoy!

12 Responses to The Vegan New Luther Sandwich

  1. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyJessica Reply

    These look and sounds delicious!!!

    Thank you for sharing and rating!

    http://www.birdietobe.blogspot.com

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