Roasted Yam and Radicchio Sandwiches Recipe

By
María del Mar Cuadra
A headshot of Maria del Mar Cuadra, a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
María del Mar Cuadra
María del Mar Cuadra is a food stylist, recipe developer, and art director. She has written three cookbooks and worked for America's Test Kitchen.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated June 18, 2019
20120917-127677-Roasted-Vegetable-Sandwich-PRIMARY.jpg
Photograph: María del Mar Sacasa

Meatless Monday. My attention was not-so-nicely drawn to the fact that this was a thing and here I was posting all my steak, bacon, and ground pork sandwiches on Mondays. I had a flashback to a scolding for eating a ham sandwich on a lenten Friday.

Here's the deal. This column is not called "Vegetarian Sandwiches," so there will continue to be animal proteins displayed in full color photographs, however... However, I've been trying to throw in some vegetable options into the lineup.

Recently there was Grilled Chili-Cheese Spread, Grilled Cheese with Sautéed Mushrooms, and Sesame-Crusted Feta with Fig Jam.

In keeping with the frankly omnivorous nature of this column and my personal eating habits, this sandwich is packed with vegetables: filling, flavorful, and with a variety of textures that will satisfy even the most sharp-fanged of carnivores.

Ruddy yams are sliced and roasted with a mixture of smoked paprika, Aleppo pepper, lemon zest, and olive oil until fork-tender—this sweet, smoky, spicy combination anchors the sandwich. Roasted at the same time are sliced radicchio and shallots. These vegetables are layered in between slices of hearty whole wheat bread spread with tahini mayonnaise, along with fresh sprouts, cheese, and toasted walnuts for added crunch.

Go on, veg out.

Recipe Details

Roasted Yam and Radicchio Sandwiches Recipe

Active 20 mins
Total 45 mins
Makes 4 sandwiches

Ingredients

  • For the Roasted Yams and Radicchio:
  • 1 pound yams, scrubbed and sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon finely grated zest and 1 tablespoon juice from about 1 lemon
  • 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or crushed red pepper flakes)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 head radicchio, halved and thinly sliced
  • 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
  •  
  • For the Assembly
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon juice from about 1 lemon
  • 1 cup sprouts, such as radish or alfalfa
  • 1/4 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
  • 8 slices whole wheat bread

Directions

  1. For the Roasted Yams and Radicchio: Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and preheat oven to 450°F.

  2. Arrange yams on rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with lemon zest, smoked paprika, and Aleppo pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat, then arrange in single layer on sheet.

  3. Place radicchio and shallots on second rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Spread out in single layer on sheet

  4. Place yams on upper-middle rack and radicchio on lower-middle rack. Roast until yams are fork-tender and radicchio is wilted, about 15 minutes. Transfer sheets to cooling racks. Cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.

  5. For the Assembly: Whisk tahini, mayonnaise, and lemon juice together in small bowl. Spread 1 side of each slice of bread with tahini mixture.

  6. Top 4 slices bread with 1/4 of yams, 1/4 of sprouts, 1/4 of walnuts, 1/4 of radicchio, and 1 slice cheese. Top with remaining 4 slices bread, tahini side down. Cut sandwiches in half and serve.

Special equipment

2 rimmed baking sheets, 2 cooling racks

More Serious Eats Recipes