{ raw vegan, makes 4 sandwiches }
My all time favorite sandwich has got to be the pan bagnat, (Provençal tuna sandwiches) – sometimes referred to as a salade niçoise on baguette. However you interpret it, this classic street food of Nice, France is all about the fresh bread and a certain but simple je ne sais quoi once it’s loaded with a combination of salad ingredients. When in France, I find these hard to resist, but here at home I had to reinvent it the raw vegan way.
The Ezekial burger buns I used here are not technically raw, but in the raw food world most deem them acceptable since they’re made with sprouted grains and cooked at much lower temperatures than conventional bread. For a pan bagnat, dehydrated raw flat bread just won’t cut it. Especially when the other substitution is within a second primary ingredient – the tuna.
It’s easy to imitate tuna salads, chicken salads, and the like with nut-based pâtés. The texture and weight are pretty spot-on, and what’s really neat is that the use of dulse flakes gives faux “tuna” a from-the-sea taste. And of course, these pâtés are much better for us than soy or mock meat substitutes, which are loaded with sodium and processed ingredients.
If you’re a present or former tuna sandwich lover, you will definitely love this pan bagnat.
“Tuna”:
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, soaked for 8 hours
1/2 cup pine nuts, soaked 6-8 hours
1 small garlic clove
1 tbs finely chopped green onions
1 tbs dulse flakes
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp dried tarragon
1 tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1-2 tbsp cold water, for thinning
Combine all ingredients, except for green onions, in a food processor. Pulse to a medium crumbly texture (not too fine or blended). Stream in cold water as needed, to help thin and add some creaminess to the pâté. Check seasonings. The final product should be similar to a lumpy hummus, with texture like a tuna salad. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the green onions.
For sandwiches:
4 Ezekial sprouted grain burger buns
2 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped niçoise olives
mache, lamb’s lettuce, or mixed baby greens
red onion, thinly sliced
red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
To assemble:
First whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and a small dish. Lay out the buns, and drizzle both sides with the oil and vinegar mixture. On the base side, spread over some chopped olives, followed by the red bell pepper slices, red onion, lettuce, and tomato. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. On the top side of the bun, add about 2 tablespoons of the faux tuna and close sandwich. Repeat with the others and serve.
<3, JMK
