It’s Summertime - Time for Muffuletta Sandwiches

I LOVE easy cooking in summer, meals to take with me on the go …

Jun 17, 2025

Denver was my home for many years. I was born there. Raised there. Married there. Had my family there.

But we were restless. We wanted to see the world. When our daughter left for college, we decided we wanted a “gap year.” A chance to travel and see more of this big, beautiful world.

We decided to do it on our terms. Slow travel became our motto.

So we sold our house, got rid of two-thirds of our stuff, and decided to move to the Pacific Northwest. A place we’d never been, but always heard good things about.

We set quests - like traveling the 101 from the Canadian border to the Mexico border to see every inch of the US coastline. Or visiting the best olive and wine vineyards in the region. (It’s gorgeous here!)

We had hiccups along the way. A pandemic. My Mom got sick, which meant a lot more time back in Denver.

We’re still based in the Pacific Northwest, and love it here. But there are some things I can’t forget about “home.”

Just down the road from our Colorado home was a deli. Summertime meant heading there to pick up sandwiches, then taking them to our local park for a picnic. Their Muffuletta sandwiches were mmm, oh, so good. To me, that was summer.

So, when we started in with summertime picnics here, you can bet I remembered those Muffuletta sandwiches. I had to recreate the same thing, only plant-based.

The weather is nice enough now that Muffulettas have topped my meal list.

Just this past weekend, I made my own sandwich rolls, baked a few onion rings to go on the side, and settled in for what I consider to be one of the best sandwiches.

Wanna try?

Muffulettas - Plant-Based Style

Mushrooms:

8 oz portabella mushrooms, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper

Salad:

1 bell pepper, chopped
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 cup green olives, diced
1 cup Kalamata olives, diced
1 cup roasted red peppers, diced
1 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
1 tablespoon capers
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar

Sandwiches:

Buns or loaves of round bread
Vegan sliced cheese

Directions:

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms to the oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly browned. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place bell pepper, online, olives, roasted red peppers, and artichoke hearts in a bowl and mix together. Add capers, garlic, thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes, and stir. Blend together olive oil and red wine vinegar, then add to the bowl. Mix well until thoroughly covered. Add mushrooms and stir.

Select a hearty loaf of bread. I love to make my own sandwich buns, or select your favorite from the store. With thicker buns, remove some of the bread from the inside to create a small well. Then, pile on several scoops of salad. Top with vegan sliced cheese, if desired. Place the bread on top and gently press down.

Serve immediately. Enjoy!

TIP: This makes great leftovers, and the salad only gets yummier as it marinates. Enjoy more sandwiches the next day or two - or as long as it remains in your fridge! (Trust me, it won’t last long.)

Hi there and welcome to Roots! I'm so glad you're here. If you're enjoying what you're reading so far and haven’t subscribed yet, please click that button: