Dainty finger sandwiches, worthy of an afternoon tea! With a choice of vegan fillings that area easy to put together.
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 sandwiches:
- 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.
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
And for a whole chapter dedicated to vegan afternoon tea – see my new cookbook! Read more about ‘Great British Vegan’ here.
📖 Recipe
Vegan Tea Sandwiches
These recipes make approximately 12 finger sandwiches, perfect for an afternoon tea spread! The fillings are dairy-free and vegan friendly.
Ingredients
Cucumber Sandwiches
- 2 medium slices of soft white bread
- dairy-free butter, for spreading
- ¼ cucumber, cut into very thin slices
- A large pinch of salt and a sprinkling of ground pepper
Sweet Onion & Hummus
- 2 medium slices of soft white bread
- dairy-free butter, for spreading
- 4 tbsp onion chutney
- 4 tbsp hummus
Roasted Pepper & Pesto
- 2 medium slices of soft white bread
- dairy-free butter, for spreading
- 3 tbsp dairy-free pesto
- ⅓ of a 290 g / 10 oz jar of roasted peppers, drained and sliced into strips
- A pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Butter the slices of bread lightly, then prepare your fillings
- Cucumber Sandwiches - Leave the thinly cut cucumber slices sit in a colander with a generous 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!
Arrange the cucumber onto one slice of bread. Keep it to one layer of the cucumber slices - don't overfill. Grind some white pepper on top, then sandwich the two slices together, remove crusts and cut into three smaller sandwiches, about 2 inches thick. - Sweet Onion & Hummus - Simply spread the hummus on one slice of bread and the onion chutney onto the other. Sandwich the two slices together, remove crusts and cut into three smaller sandwiches, about 2 inches thick.
- Roasted Pepper & Pesto - Spread the vegan pesto lightly onto two slices of bread. Delicately arrange the pepper slices on top of one slice. Sandwich the two slices together, remove the crusts and cut into three smaller sandwiches, about 2 inches thick.
- Serve immediately! See notes for making ahead.
Notes
To keep for later, spray or sprinkle, very lightly, with a splash of water and cover with cling film. Keep refrigerated until serving.
Nutrition Information
Yield 12 Serving Size Per sandwich (approx)Amount Per Serving Calories 79Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 6mgSodium 142mgCarbohydrates 8gFiber 1gSugar 2gProtein 2g
Joanne says
I made sandwiches of a slice of Vidalia onion and avocado (the original recipe was onion and mayo with chives from a Jacques Pepin cookbook) and it was surprisingly delicious!
LAuren says
Aimee you are so cool.
It’s super hard to find good vegan recipes for tea time especially in the US where tea isn’t a pastime yet. I love these sandwiches they make me so happy =) because I don’t have to compose my food choices for being vegan! i love your posts and recipes!
Aimee says
Thank you so much, Lauren! YOU are so cool :-)
Alice says
I’d like to share some vegan tea sandwiches. I’m having an afternoon tea party just before Christmas, but with non-vegan sandwiches. For the vegans, my DIL came over for a taste test. Cucumber sandwiches: use hummus instead of butter; (for non-vegans, I use Boursin cheese instead of butter). Avocado and hummus on rye bread (my personal fav). Chopped dates and walnuts, V cream cheese, sprinkle cinnamon on fruit bread. Chopped or sliced artichokes with hummus. Grated carrot with V cream cheese, a little brown sugar and a about 1/8 tsp five-spice powder (I used Herbs de Provence). It was a big hit. New to the world of tea, I bought about ten different teas and have been sampling them. At the party, which will be outside at the beach, it won’t be the usual formal tea. Small mugs instead of individual tea pots. Plenty of hot water, guests can choose any tea they fancy. If it doesn’t please them, throw it out and try a different tea.
MICHELLE SAPORITO says
These are great! Thanks!!
Laura says
You could try Cashew-cream-cheese and Chives as a filler?
Aimee says
That sounds amazing. Definitely trying that! Thanks for the inspiration, Laura :-)
Tanya says
I am going to make these for our next family lunch! Do you cool the onion and capsicum before putting them in the sandwich or is it served warm? Looks delicious :)
Aimee says
Hi Tanya, I personally served them cold but it’s really up to you! Let me know how you get on :-)
Tanya says
Delicious!! The onion hummus were the hit of the day and I looooved the capsicum pesto. The cucumbers were a bit boring in comparison, but a good refreshing option to include! Thank you for sharing :D
Besma says
Hi Aimee,
Thanks for the cute idea – my Mum mentioned wanting to have a fancy afternoon tea, and these would go down a treat on Mother’s Day for her!
Thanks again,
Besma (Curiously Conscious)
Aimee says
Hi Besma! It’s the perfect idea for Mother’s day – my mum LOVED the afternoon tea I served her :-)