avocado “bacon” club sandwich with herby sub sauce
All hail the Publix sub sandwich, AKA “The Pub-Sub.”
If Florida did anything right in its history, it’s founding the best grocery store in the history of grocery stores. Publix Subs are a mainstay for anyone who visits the state or most in the south of the country. I grew up enjoying one as a treat maybe biweekly: always on white or grain bread with mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, dill pickles, turkey, and white American cheese, sometimes Swiss when I got older. Occasionally I’d order an Italian sub when I was feeling like a real indulgence.
I don’t really know what it is that makes Pub-Subs so special. The counter operates much like a Subway, or any build-a-thing food stand. Perhaps just the convenience of getting a fresh sandwich while or after grocery shopping, or maybe it’s the long loaves of warm bread, which are pretty outstanding. You can choose cold sandwiches or toasted, a bevvy of veggie toppings and several types of cheese.
And, of course, there’s the sub sauce. Oh man, the sub sauce. Maybe it’s just a hyped up version of Italian dressing, but it is dope. Always get a Pub-Sub with sub sauce.
I consider this sandwich, then, a grown-up version of my favorite childhood Pub-Sub. Modified, too, to cater towards my non meat-eating ways. I don’t usually share many recipes with vegetarian meat alternatives simply because I don’t really like to buy them all the time: the cost can add up substantially, and they are pretty processed like most deli-style meats. Occasionally, though, as with anything, enjoying a good slab of salami won’t hurt you.
In fact, as a wee lass my mom wheeled me up to the Walmart deli on our outings and I’d enjoy a sample of freshly sliced salami or bologna. I apparently have a lot of memories surrounding grocery store meat counters.
My favorite tofu bacon replaces real bacon and stands beside veggie turkey and salami as the proteins in this Avocado “Bacon” Club Sandwich. A huge ciabatta loaf houses those fillings as well as smashed avocado – because I love a good creamy avo – banana peppers, provolone, and a grinder-type salad of romaine, parmesan, and homemade sub sauce. Aside from toasting the tofu bacon, this sandwich is quick and simple, perfect for spring picnics or a casual dinner. Or, when you’re now craving a Pub-Sub but don’t have a Publix around. Bummer, ain’t it?
Tofu Time!
The longest process in this recipe is roasting up the tofu bacon. Do you have to do this? No; if you’re omnivorous you can certainly sub out real bacon. In fact, all of this sandwich can be made with actual meat if you prefer.
If you’re swinging the tofu bacon direction, I use my same formula that appears in all of my tofu bacon recipes. Press out your block of firm or extra firm tofu for at least 15 minutes. I layer a plate, paper towels, the tofu, more paper towels, another plate, and a cast iron skillet to create my press.
Whisk up a marinade of soy sauce, maple syrup, smoked paprika, chili powder, and black pepper. Slice the tofu very thin, as thin as you can manage, and set in a single layer on a baking sheet. Pour the marinade over the strips, flip once to coat, and let it sit awhile. I usually need to baste the marinade over the strips a bit to ensure all parts are covered.
Bake the tofu for about 20 minutes, flipping once halfway through cooking time. Watch it closely to ensure shit don’t burn. Crispy tips are great. Scorched tips aren’t.
Sub Sauce That Ain’t Subpar
After the tofu bacon is done, the rest of the sammy is a breeze.
The sub sauce is key here, and especially great because it uses staples you probably have around. I love the combo of lemon juice and red wine vinegar for an especially bright base. Otherwise, you need some dried oregano and basil, pepper flakes, garlic, and mango or peach preserves. Honey works too in a pinch.
Snag a big fat ciabatta loaf from the store and slice that fucker in half lengthwise so you have a big ole top and a big ole bottom. Pull out some of the bread from the top slice to make room for fillings. Then, layer as follows: drizzle of sub sauce, avocado, banana peppers (pepperoncini are great too), turkey and salami, bacon, provolone, and a homemade “grinder”-type salad. I don’t really know what the grinder salad is but it appeared on my Pinterest, so I modified it to suit my own tastes. Just toss romaine with parmesan cheese and some of your sub sauce.
Cut up your sandwich and DIG IN! Or, wrap up the sandwiches and tote them to a picnic. The ciabatta also holds up really well in the fridge for a day or two, also. Finally, be sure to save that sub sauce for your own portion!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Pic-a-nic foods:
Marinated Balsamic Veggie Cheese Sandwich
Homemade Spinach Egg White and Feta Pesto Wraps
avocado “bacon” club sandwich with herby sub sauce
Ingredients
- 1 block firm or extra firm tofu
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 large loaf ciabatta bread
- 1 avocado, smashed
- 1/2 cup banana pepper rings
- 8 slices vegetarian deli turkey (or regular)
- 8 slices vegetarian salami (or regular)
- 6 slices provolone cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
sub sauce
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp mango or peach preserves
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- pinch red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
- Press the tofu block for at least 15 minutes. Slice the tofu into very thin strips – if they're too thick, they won't crisp properly. Place the strips on the baking sheet. Whisk together the soy sauce, maple syrup, smoked paprika, chili powder, and pepper. Pour over the tofu, carefully flipping to coat both sides. Marinate for 15 minutes.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the oven. Roast the tofu for 18-20 minutes, turning once halfway through. Keep an eye on the strips: thinner pieces will crisp up more quickly. Remove from oven and let cool.
- To make the sub sauce, combine all ingredients in a bowl or jar. Whisk or shake vigorously until emulsified. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- In a large bowl, toss the romaine with the parmesan and 1/4-1/3 cup of the sub sauce.
- Slice the ciabatta loaf in half lengthwise. Pull out some of the bread from the top slice to make room for the fillings. Drizzle the bottom slice with a couple spoonfuls of the sub sauce. Spread the smashed avocado, then add the banana peppers. Layer the turkey, salami, bacon, and provolone. Top with the romaine salad.
- Place the top slice of bread on the lettuce and cut into 4-8 sandwiches. Serve with additional vinaigrette on the side.
