Vegan Pibil Torta Sandwich
A torta is a Mexican sandwich made with a crusty bread. This Vegan Pibil Torta Sandwich recipe uses mushrooms to create a delicious vegan version of this traditional meat-based sandwich.
This is the sandwich I’ve wanted a vegan version for ever since I read about it.
That’s because pibil is an ingredient I could not believe was possible, suckling pig. Surely there must be some mistake here. Thinking the term must be some sort of dysphemism, I took a quick trip to Wikipedia and learned what I already knew to be true; humans will eat just about anything. Well, unless it’s actually good for you, like spinach.
Suckling pig, says Wiki, is a reference to the meat of a young pig, between the ages of 2 and 6 weeks. I guess 1 week is too inappropriate and 7 is just a little too tough. Even carnivores have their limits.
Introducing the Vegan Pibil Torta Sandwich
Today we’re proud to announce the Vegan Pibil Torta Sandwich. I realize it’s redundant to say both “torta” and “sandwich” since they both mean the same thing…basically. However, I can’t seem to leave the word sandwich out of the equation.
If you look at the list of ingredients and feel overwhelmed, don’t. Because right in the middle is a recipe for pickled onions. I’m more than happy to use some sauerkraut in place of pickled onions. Or even thinly sliced raw onions would work as well.
Either way, you can skip the pickled onions if that’s not your jam.
The rest of the ingredients come together pretty easily.
Vegans Are Delicious!
There, I’ve said it. Vegans are delicious. And I don’t mean to eat. Vegans don’t eat animals…not even humans.
But the food we prepare is delicious. That means, you can have your favorite sandwich…veganized!
If you love vegan sandwiches, be sure to check out my Vegan Fried Chicken Sandwich. It’s delicious! Or you may love my Vegan Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger for a healthier twist. There’s also my Vegan French Dip Sandwich if you’re ready to go indulgent and yet still simple!
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Vegan Pibil Torta Sandwich
Ingredients
For the Vegan Pibil
- 4 cups wild mushroom mix oyster, shitake, baby bella, sliced thinly
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground annato seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 Tablespoon arrowroot powder
For the Pickled Onions
- 1 red onion , peeled and sliced
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 3 bay leaves
For the Black Bean Spread
- 15-ounce can black beans , reserving 2 Tablespoons of liquid
- ½ cup onion , peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic , peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 crusty buns
- 1 cup vegan mozzarella shreds
Instructions
Vegan Pibil
- Wash the mushrooms and pat dry. Slice the mushrooms to resemble shredded meat. Add the spices to a mortar and grind the garlic cloves into the spices until it resembles a paste.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a saucepan and add the mushrooms. Add the spice paste and the vinegar. Cook over medium heat until the mushrooms are tender. Simmer for 15 minutes to allow spices to blend well. Mix arrowroot powder and water until dissolved. Add to the mushroom mix and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes or until sauce thickens. Remove from heat.
For the Pickled Onions
- Place onions in a medium pot and add water, vinegar, and spices. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. In order to get a good flavor, make the night before to ensure spices have come together.
- Refrigerate onions and remove from the fridge while preparing the mushroom mix.
- Remove bay leaves and peppercorns before serving pickled onions.
For the Black Bean Spread
- Heat olive oil in a pan and fry the onions for 5-7 minutes until translucent.
- Add the garlic and the beans with reserved liquid.
- Add the oregano and bring to a low boil for 10 minutes.
- Place beans in a deep bowl and using an immersion blender, blend the beans until smooth. You can also place in a blender and blend until smooth.
Sandwich Assembly
- Preheat oven to broil. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut each roll in half. Layer each half with 2-3 Tablespoons of black bean spread. For each sandwich: On 1 half of bread, add ½ cup of the mushroom mix and on the other half add ¼ cup Daiya mozzarella crumbles. Repeat with the rest of the rolls.
- Place the 8 halves on a cookie sheet and broil until cheese melts and bread is somewhat toasted. Watch carefully.
- Remove from oven and on each mushroom half, add 2 Tablespoons of pickled onions. Place the cheesy bean half of the bread on top. Serve warm.
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Notes
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Enjoy!
Great jjob on the sandwich Noella and great job on the post also Marly!
This sounds amazingly delicious! I love Mexican tortas and have always been bummed that we can’t get them here in Paris. But now I’ve found a great recipe to make my own…thank you!
The sandwich looks delicious! My husband named me queen of the sandwiches, but you girls beat me all the way 🙂
I also wanted to drop by and say that I love your blog, I’m just not the commenting type, but I try to change it… baby steps 🙂
Thank goodness there is now a vegan version. This looks awesome!
I’m loving this delicious series!
That sandwich looks amazing! My mouth is literally watering!
This has been such an amazing series. I have enjoyed every single post. I’ve never heard of this sandwich, but it looks absolutely scrumptious and healthy! You should submit this series to Huffington Post!
Excellent looking sammie!! Way to conquer the challenge!
You might want to check the recipe for the crusty rolls again, I think the flour is left out of the ingredients and the instructions refer to lard and honey. I’m sure this was just left over from the adaptation. It looks delicious, though, and I’d love to try making them!!!
Thanks, Kristen! Here is the link to the original recipe. Noelle provided this in her version and I forgot to include it: https://www.food.com/recipe/mexican-bolillos-crusty-oval-rolls-12298
And I changed the recipe accordingly to remove notations for lard (gross!) and honey.
Sometimes it takes a village to post a recipe!
I can’t believe they’re killing 2 week old piglets for food, I actually feel sick. I’m slowly but surely moving towards becoming vegetarian.
Thanks for the great post Marly. Thanks for hosting such a great challenge!