This Seared Beet Sandwich with Kimchi Slaw & Cheddar was inspired by a smoked beet, sauerkraut and cheese beet sandwich from a famous bakery in my hometown, Union Loafers. Their sandwich is a bit more of a to-do, with Thousand Island dressing, a chopped up egg, and a homemade bun, but I think this one holds its own just as well!
I was craving the same tang they had with their beet sandwich (tangy things go surprisingly well with beets, believe me), and I also LOVED the contrast that a good cheese had with the whole beet-sandwich-thing. I knew it was going to be a funky recipe, but I didn’t realize it would turn out so EASY and so GOOD.
For a vegetarian sandwich, this really is one of my new favorites on the blog. I made it using my homemade sourdough recipe, but really any good, hearty bread will be a great pairing for it.
Table of contents
Let’s talk about the kimchi slaw in this recipe
Kimchi is a side dish that is made up of salted and fermented vegetables, and usually one of those vegetables is napa cabbage. So yes, making a kimchi slaw is kind of like putting fermented cabbage on non-fermented cabbage, but that’s part of why I love it.
Kimchi already has a bit of salt, a ton of acid, and a bit of heat, so when making a slaw, you really don’t need to add much else! I use a hefty amount of kimchi in this slaw and opt for a vegetarian kimchi to keep this recipe vegetarian. I also think that it helps the slaw stay away from dipping into a fishy territory. The fish sauce in kimchi is delicious, but when mixed with this particular sandwich combo, it’s not always the most desirable. But use what you have!
How to make the seared beets for this sandwich
The beets are my favorite part of this recipe. First, because it reminded me how fast and easy beets are to cook, and second – they just became so beautiful.
I like to let a cast iron heat up with a bit of olive oil in it. Olive oil has a low smoke point, so as soon as it starts to become “whispy,” I add my beets. I sear them for 4 minutes on each side or until darkened, then flip and repeat. When I take them off the pan I season them with just a touch of salt, and then rinse and repeat.
Storage ideas for how to make and keep this vegetarian beet sandwich all week
This sandwich is best stored separately, but when all the components are kept apart, it really keeps quite well!
If you plan on using this for the whole week, I recommend only dressing the slaw right before you plan to make your sandwich. So that means combine the kimchi, mayo, mirin and vinegar in one container, then the scallions and cabbage in another, bigger container. Store both in the fridge.
When you are ready to assemble, take a bit of the kimchi mixture and add it to a bit of the cabbage. Mix to combine, then pile on the bread.
Store the beets in a separate airtight container in the fridge and layer them on the sandwich. Store the cheese pre-sliced in another container, throw it on the pan to let it melt, then scoop it onto the sandwich!
It will take a few moments, but not too many, and your sandwiches will stay fresh all week! Just note that everything mentioned above will keep in the fridge for up to five days.
Looking for other sandwich ideas?
I do them few and far between, but when I do make a sandwich – it’s worth it! Here are a few favorites from the blog:
And that’s it for this Seared Beet Sandwich with Kimchi Slaw & Cheddar!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Watch the recipe here
The video may not fully represent the recipe. For best results, follow the instructions as written.
Seared Beet Sandwich with Kimchi Slaw & Cheddar
Equipment
- 1 mandolin or chef's knife
- 1 vegetable peeler
- 1 large cast-iron skillet
Ingredients
- 1/2 small head of green or savoy cabbage about 1/2 pound
- 1 1/2 cups vegetarian kimchi
- 5 large scallions
- 3 tablespoons kewpie mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 large red beets
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 8 slices sourdough bread or your sandwich bread of choice
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar
Instructions
- Use a mandolin or knife to very thinly slice the cabbage. The thinner the better. Add it to a large bowl.
- Finely chop up the kimchi, add it to the cabbage. On a sharp angle, thinly slice the scallions, add them to the bowl as well.
- Whisk together the kewpie, mirin and rice vinegar and pour it over the cabbage. Mix everything until it becomes a slaw. Set this in the fridge while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Peel and thinly slice the beets into circular pieces.
- Place a cast iron pan over medium heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and let it heat up until just before smoking, it should be a bit wispy.
- Add the beets in two rounds, searing until slightly golden on the edges, about 4 minutes per side. Remove them from the pan and season with salt.
- When the beets are off the pan, toast the bread in rounds, toasting the bread for 1-2 minutes per side, or until golden. Set aside.
- Portion the cheddar into four 1-ounce slices. Add the slices directly the pan and let them melt and sizzle, then scrape each slice from the pan and place them directly on the sandwich bread.
- Top the melty cheddar with 3-4 slices of beets per sandwich. Get the slaw from the fridge and top the beets with a healthy portion of the slaw. Close up the sandwiches, and enjoy!
