How to Make a Tasty Sandwich with Pickled Veggies

How to Make a Tasty Sandwich with Pickled Veggies

When making the best sandwich, it's important to balance the flavours. The best sandwiches always have the perfect bite because they use different flavours and textures. You want everything to work together, like crunchy, salty, sweet, and spicy. A lot of great sandwiches need something pickled to give them that sharp, tangy taste that goes well with softer flavours. You could have sauerkraut on a Reuben, pickled veggies on a banh mi sandwich, or even just a deli-style dill pickle slice on a club sandwich. We asked chef Owen Han, who wrote the cookbook "Stacked: The Art of the Perfect Sandwich," for advice on how to make a great sandwich with pickled vegetables as the main ingredient. Han says to "let the pickles shine," but that's not always easy to do.

When you make a sandwich, you usually think about the meat or cheese, or something else that is a little more filling and can cover up the other flavours. Han says, "Add creamy or rich elements to balance the tang." He thinks it's all about balance. Of course, you can pickle almost anything, but Han has some ideas for what he thinks are the best things to pickle. "I like pickled red onions, cucumbers, and carrots because they add colour, crunch, and a nice kick of flavour."

Han says that a strong bread is the best thing to hold everything together, even though the pickles are the main event. He says, "You want it to stay strong and not get soggy." He suggests rye, sourdough, and crusty rolls.

Making the perfect bite

A sandwich is not just bread and pickles; it could be, but you want it to taste good, so Han has some more ideas. He says, "Salty meats like salami or pastrami go well with sour pickles." The acidity of the pickle cuts through the fat in the meat, which makes the flavours on your tongue more balanced. Han says that if your pickle is really spicy, you should eat deli meat like turkey.

Han didn't forget the cheese and condiments, which are essential for any deli sandwich. He says that if you want a hot sandwich with some melty cheese, "Swiss or provolone melt great and don't overpower." In the past, we've suggested using a creamy whipped ricotta to make pickle sandwiches. You could even add honey to make it sweeter and balance out the sour.

Han also looks for a good balance when it comes to condiments. He says, "Dijon, Russian dressing, or even a little aioli can go a long way." Dijon is sharp on its own, but it also has heat that can bring out the sweetness in some pickles. Russian dressing, which is a key part of a classic Reuben, can tone down the sharpness or tang of a more sour pickle. All three have their uses, but the richness of an aioli will help cut down on acidity.

It has a strong flavour, like pickled vegetables, so you need to let it shine without taking over the other ingredients. If you follow chef Han's advice on what meat, cheese, and condiments to use, you'll always end up with a tasty sandwich.