If you're craving a light and satisfying lunch that’s refreshingly easy to make, this vegan cucumber sandwich recipe is a perfect choice. Itfeatures a zesty lemon herb cream cheese paired with crisp cucumber slices between soft crustless bread.
While it’s certainly a great lunch option, these sandwiches are also great as a tea-time snack. They’re even a good option for meal prep as you can make a large batch of the cream cheese spread, pre-slice cucumbers, then quickly assemble through the week as needed.
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Vegan Cucumber Sandwich Ingredients
While there are many ways you could prepare cucumber sandwiches, I find that the ingredients below offer the best taste and texture.
Cucumber Sandwich Filling
Your cream cheese filling is going to offer a lot of the flavor and creaminess many people associate with a great cucumber sandwich. You may want to experiment with some substitutions; however, I highly recommend using:
- Vegan cream cheese: Creamy and tangy, vegan cream cheese will be the base of your sandwich filling. It has a smooth, luscious texture and perfectly complements other ingredients. Any brand of vegan cream cheese should work.
- Green onion: Finely minced green onions provide a mild, onion flavor and a delightful savory note to your cream cheese filling, enhancing the overall taste. Fresh chives are another great option. If you want a stronger onion flavor, finely minced red onion can work great.
- Fresh dill: Chopped dill brings a burst of herbaceous and slightly citrusy flavors to the sandwich. It adds a refreshing element that pairs exceptionally well with cool cucumber slices. Other herbs can be used as well including parsley or basil for lots of flavor options.
- Lemon juice: Lemon brings a zesty tang to the cream cheese filling. Its bright and citrusy flavor elevates the overall taste of the sandwich, providing a refreshing contrast to other ingredients.
- Garlic powder: A hint of garlic powder adds subtle savory notes and depth of flavor to the cream cheese filling. It enhances the overall taste profile without overpowering other ingredients. If you’re a fan of the pungent flavor of raw garlic, you could use a finely mined clove of garlic instead of the powder.
- Salt and black pepper: Salt and pepper season the cream cheese filling, melding the flavors together harmoniously. They help balance the taste and ensure each bite is perfectly seasoned.
To Serve
Once you’ve made the filling, complete your cucumber sandwiches with:
- White bread: Soft and pillowy white bread acts as the perfect cucumber sandwich base. Its mild flavor and tender texture provide a perfect vehicle to hold the creamy filling and crisp cucumber slices.
- English cucumber: The star of the sandwich, English cucumber adds a refreshing crunch and a subtle sweetness. Its cool and crisp texture brings a delightful contrast to the creamy filling, making each bite satisfying. Other types of cucumber can work, but if it’s very seedy in the center, it’s best to scoop the seeds out.
How to Make Vegan Cucumber Sandwiches
The creamy vegan cream cheese, fresh dill, tangy lemon juice, and crisp cucumber slices will come together to create a truly delightful meal or snack.
Step 1: Prepare Cream Cheese Filling
Start preparing your sandwich filling by finely mincing green onion and fresh dill.
Then get a small mixing bowl and combine vegan cream cheese, your minced green onion and fresh dill, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
Mix well until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.
Step 2: Assemble Sandwiches
Peel the English cucumber, removing most or all the dark green outer layer. Then slice it to whatever thickness you want; generally, I like my cucumber slices to be pretty thin. I also like to keep some of the peel on the cucumbers for extra color and texture.
Next, remove the crusts from your white bread and save these crusts for making croutons or breadcrumbs. Of course, you can leave the crusts on your cucumber sandwich if you don’t want to cut them off but they are traditionally removed.
Take two slices of crustless bread and spread the lemon herb cream cheese evenly onto both slices.
After that, place a layer of cucumber slices onto one piece of bread and add the other slice to form a sandwich.
Repeat this process until you have assembled all the sandwiches. To serve them as bite-sized portions, cut each sandwich into four mini sandwiches.
How to Serve a Balanced Vegan Meal
I consider a balanced meal one that contains a good source of plant-based protein, carbohydrates, fats and lots of vegetables or fruits.
Served on bread and filled with cream cheese, these sandwiches will provide carbohydrates and fats to offer you some energy.
While these vegan cucumber sandwiches make for a refreshing and delicious snack, they tend to lack protein and fiber which could lead you to feel hungry within a couple hours.
It’s perfectly okay to eat meals without much protein from time to time, however, if you eat these for lunch one day then you might want to focus on getting protein through your breakfast or dinner.
Lastly, you may want to pair these sandwiches with extra fruit or vegetables to add more nutrition. A fresh salad, fresh fruit platter or a combination of salad, fruit and nuts to go with these cucumber sandwiches will help offer the most well-rounded nutrition possible.
If you’re making these for a tea party, I’d simply enjoy the occasion and the sandwiches without worry!
Easy Vegan Cucumber Sandwich Variations
Feel free to experiment with ingredients to customize the sandwich flavors according to your preferences. Some easy variations I think would taste great include:
- Mediterranean-inspired Medley: Add some sliced Kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and a sprinkle of dried oregano to the lemon herb cream cheese.
- Spicy Spread: For those who enjoy some heat, incorporate finely chopped jalapeños or a dash of hot sauce into the cream cheese mixture.
If you’re interested in other plant-based sandwich ideas, you may also want to consider these recipes for:
How to Store Leftovers
While you can certainly store leftover sandwiches that are already prepared, if you know you’ll have leftovers then I recommend storing the cucumbers, filling and bread separately.
If possible, refrigerate each of these components on their own and prepare your sandwiches on the morning or afternoon that you’ll eat them.
If you make this recipe, please rate and comment below to help others benefit from your experience!
Vegan Cucumber Sandwiches
Equipment
- Small mixing bowl
Ingredients
Lemon Herb Cream Cheese
- 1 container vegan cream cheese (8 oz/ 227 grams)
- 2 tablespoons green onion , finely minced (8 grams)
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill , finely chopped (4 grams)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (15 milliliters)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt (to taste)
- black pepper (to taste)
To Assemble
- 1 loaf white bread , crusts removed
- 1 large English cucumber , peeled and thinly sliced
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare Cream Cheese Filling
- Finely mince some green onion and fresh dill.2 tablespoons green onion, 2 tablespoons fresh dill
- Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine.1 container vegan cream cheese, 2 tablespoons green onion, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, salt, black pepper, 2 tablespoons fresh dill
Step 2: Assemble Sandwiches
- Peel and thinly slice a large cucumber.1 large English cucumber
- Cut the crusts off your bread slices (save the crust to make crouton or bread crumbs).1 loaf white bread
- To assemble a sandwich, take 2 slices of crustless bread and spread cream cheese onto both. Add a thin layer of cucumber to one piece of bread, then top with the other piece of bread.
- Cut each sandwich into 4 mini sandwiches to serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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About Nicole Stevens
Nicole is a vegan Registered Dietitian (RD) and founder of Lettuce Veg Out.
She helps people thrive on a vegan diet with balanced recipes and easy-to-understand nutrition science.
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