This week I’ll be posting some ideas and recipes on how to make a Vegan Afternoon Tea at home – starting with these dainty and delicious tea sandwiches!
Tea sandwiches, or finger sandwiches as they’re sometimes called, are small prepared sandwiches, traditionally eaten at afternoon tea-time in the UK.
The sandwiches are usually made using thin sliced white bread with the crusts removed and although the fillings vary, they’re kept light and delicate.
I chose to make the classic cucumber sandwich along with a roasted red pepper & pesto sandwich and a caramelised onion & hummus sandwich.
How to make the perfect finger sandwich:
- Use a thin sliced bread – never thick. I used ready thin sliced shop-bought bread for convenience.
- Spread your dairy-free butter or choice of spread onto two sides of bread. Gently layer your fillings, making sure not to overfill and keep a neat balance between bread and filling.
- Remove crusts and cut into two fingers width sandwiches, using a sharp knife. Keep them small so they are easy to pick up and eat!
- To serve, I think they look nice served on their side, in a circle, so you can easily see the different fillings on offer.
The Recipes:
- Cucumber Sandwiches
Slice a cucumber as thinly as you can and leave to sit in a strainer with a pinch of salt for 15 minutes and then arrange on a couple of sheets of kitchen paper. This is to remove any excess water and avoid soggy sandwiches!Next, spread some dairy-free butter onto two slices of thin sliced white bread and arrange the cucumber slices onto one slice. Keep it to one layer – don’t overfill. Grind some white pepper on top, then sandwich the two slices together, remove crusts and cut into three two-fingers-width sandwiches.
- Sweet Onion & Hummus
Fry a thinly sliced red onion with a little olive oil and 1 tbsp coconut sugar (or brown sugar) until soft and caramelised. Spread some dairy-free butter onto one slice of the bread and some hummus (I used a caramelised onion flavoured hummus) onto the other slice bread and fill with some caramelised onions.Use a butter knife to press the caramelised onions onto the hummus gently and arrange into a thin layer. Sandwich the two slices together, remove the crusts and cut into three two-fingers-width sandwiches.
- Roasted Pepper & Pesto
Slice a red pepper into large chunks and roast with some olive oil until soft. Leave to cool. Spread some dairy-free butter onto one slice of the bread and some vegan pesto onto the other slice bread and fill with a layer of roasted red pepper. Sandwich the two slices together, remove the crusts and cut into three two-fingers-width sandwiches.
When making vegan sandwiches, you are really forced to think outside of the box as most of the classic sandwich flavours include meat or dairy of some kind. Here are a few more ideas for vegan sandwich fillings…
Some more vegan tea sandwich ideas:
- “Egg” Salad
- Artichokes and hummus
- Vegan cheese & pickle
- Vegan Mayonaise & cress
- Bean Pate
- Mashed chickpea salad
Which sandwich would you choose? Do you have any filling ideas I can add to the list?
Part of my guide series on How To Serve a Vegan Afternoon Tea
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