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Dressed Up Spring Salad Open Faced Sandwiches

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Open faced sandwiches made with spring vegetables are a beautiful and healthy addition to your summer lunch! These gluten free sandwiches feature chargrilled gluten free sourdough topped with herbed cream cheese, garlicky baked kale, spring vegetables, with creamy spring onion dressing drizzled on top. Dairy Free option.

open faced grilled sandwiches with fresh spring vegetables on a white plate

Don’t hate me, but today, in Utah, it’s going to be 60F. Which actually feels like 70F. I know, most of you have snow on your porches and are coveting a big bowl of chili. I do not envy you. Well, maybe the chili part. Make it this chili and I’m so there!

Anywayzzzz…. Let’s talk Spring and how these open faced sandwiches came about. Mmm k?

You see, once or twice a month I work all through the weekend. And when I say work, I mean I get myself in the kitchen and work on filling up my creativity bucket. You have one, right? Haha!

This means I FREELY cook, create, and photoshoot a recipe that’s been on my mind or in my heart. Yep, I am corny like that. But you see, if I do this on a weekend, I have no pressure to jump on social media or respond to emails. I can spend all day doing what I love and not look at a screen. Well, besides a camera screen. It’s so REFRESHING!

healthy gluten free grilled sandwiches made with spring vegetables

But you know what else happens when I do this? I feel mentally re-energized and more gluten free recipes and ideas just pop into my head! Perfect for share with you all too! Then, after a day of no stress, no time limit recipe creating, I get to enjoy and share the fruits of my labor. I share the recipe with friends and neighbors. I get their feedback and then catch up with them. You see what I am saying here? Food IS LOVE! Real food is MENTAL and EMOTIONAL nourishment. Gah, love that!

So today, I present you with my weekend recipe shenanigans. A dressed up opened faced sandwich focusing on ….

Healthy Spring Vegetables!

The creamy spring onion dressing alone with make you want to marry it! This was a quote said from a friend after she took a bite. No lie! Thank you Hannah.

glass jar of homemade spring onion salad dressing

What will make you marry this deliciousness? Oh I gotcha covered. Here I go with my over explanation of good food!

Ingredients in a Spring Vegetables Sandwich:

  • Gluten Free Chargrilled Sourdough Bread (I found a gluten free brand I love!) But you can use any good gluten free bread that’s “grill-able”
  • Herbed Cream Cheese (I tried out this vegan cream cheese and drooled all over myself.) Okay I might have paid $10 but so worth it!
  • Crispy Baked Kale – Chopped and bake with garlic powder! Loads of Vitamin K and Iron!
  • Fresh sliced radish- Radishes offer a peppery, satisfying crunch with every bite! Plus did you know they detoxifying agents called indoles? Yep. Spring Detox anyone?
  • Fresh Spring peas – They add a little sweetness and a boost of plant based iron and protein. 
  • Chopped Green Onions
  • Microgreens or sprouts – to boost the anti-oxidant level! 
  • Lemon – Vitamin C to help absorb the iron from the peas. And they enhance flavor.
  • Creamy homemade spring onion dressing (super quick and easy to make!).
  • Peppercorns to top, plus extra crunch.

pouring creamy spring onion dressing onto grilled sourdough toast topped with fresh vegetables and herbed cream cheese

 

Okay enough gushing over spring vegetables, salad, and veggies.

How to Dress Up Gluten Free Open Faced Sandwiches

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spring salad on top of chargrilled sourdough toast

Dressed Up Spring Salad Open Faced Sandwiches

★★★★★

5 from 5 reviews
  • Author: Lindsay Cotter
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 10
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 6-10 servings 1x
Print Recipe

Description

Beautiful and healthy, spring vegetables salad open faced sandwiches feature chargrilled gluten free sourdough topped with herbed cream cheese, garlicky baked kale, spring vegetables, and creamy spring onion dressing drizzled on top

Scale

Ingredients

For the Gluten Free Sourdough Toasts:

  • 5–6 gluten free (large) sourdough bread slices (or 10 small pieces)
  • Butter
  • 1–2 cups chopped kale or shaved Brussels sprouts
  • Garlic Powder and Sea salt to taste

For the Homemade Spring Onion Creamy Dressing:

  • 1/2 cup cream (heavy cream, coconut cream/milk, or plain almond milk)
  • 1 green onion, chopped with stem removed
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • Pinch of black pepper
  • Pinch of paprika
  • 1/4 tsp minced garlic

Toppings and Spread :

  • Herb cream cheese (love this vegan cream cheese for dairy free option)
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes
  • 1/2 cup green peas or spring peas (cooked, thawed)
  • Sliced lemon (1/2 of a small lemon)
  • Micro-greens or sprouts
  • Sea salt and peppercorns to top

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Butter the slices of gluten free sourdough bread (or regular GF bread) and place on a baking sheet; set aside.
  3. Next place chopped kale in a bowl and toss with a pinch of sea salt and garlic powder.
  4. Place chopped kale on an oiled baking sheet. Place in oven for about 10-15 minutes or until the kale looks crispy.
  5. While the kale is baking, go ahead and heat your grill pan on the stove top on medium high (see notes for grill instructions). Place your buttered sourdough slices onto the grill pan 2-3 pieces at a time.
  6. Grill each side of sourdough bread 3-5 minutes or until you see grill lines and the bread is toasted.
  7. Repeat to make 5-6 large toasts or 10 smaller pieces of toast. Once all the toasts are done, set them back on the baking sheet.

To Make Spring Onion Dressing:

  1. Remove stem from green onion and then chop green onion.
  2. Whisk with remaining ingredients in a small bowl.
  3. Place the dressing in a glass container. You will have extra to save for later uses.

How to Assemble the Open-Faced Grilled Sandwiches:

  1. Smear 1/2 – 1 tbsp of the herb cream cheese on each toast.
  2. Layer the sliced radish on top.
  3. Add crispy garlicky kale.
  4. Finish with garnishes: cooked peas, sliced lemon, microgreens or sprouts, sea salt and pepper corns on top.
  5. Drizzle with the spring onion dressing.

Notes

You will have leftover dressing to keep for other uses. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.

Grill Instructions:

Place buttered toast on oiled grill at 400F. Grill each side for 3-5 minutes. Make sure the grill is oiled or you use foil to prevent bread from sticking.

Nutrition varies depending on the bread you use. Feel free to email me for exact nutrition.

Estimated nutrition per slice, based on using large gluten free sourdough toast

The Homemade Spring Onion Dressing makes 1/2 to 2/3 cup. Estimated Nutrition (per 1 Tablespoon) based on using real cream

Calories 53  Total Fat  3.5g  Saturated Fat 1g  Cholesterol 4.3mg  Sodium 14mg

Carbohydrate 1.5g  Fiber 0.2g  Sugars 1g 

Protein 0.5g

  • Category: main
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 155
  • Sugar: 3g
  • Sodium: 230mg
  • Fat: 2.5g
  • Saturated Fat: 1g
  • Carbohydrates: 26g
  • Fiber: 2.5g
  • Protein: 2g
  • Cholesterol: 5.5mg

Keywords: spring vegetables, open-faced sandwich, healthy, vegetarian, gluten free, healthy sandwiches

platter of healthy spring vegetables open faced sandwiches

gluten free grilled sourdough open faced sandwiches topped with spring vegetables

 

What are your favorite spring vegetables? Is that like the nerdiest question ever?  Probably, but I don’t care. I want to know! Let’s make SPRING veggies shine this month.

P.S

CANNOT WAIT to share this month’s meal plan. It involves a challenge, a giveaway, and SUPERFOOD awesomeness!

 

Cheers!

cotter crunch blog www.cottercrunch.com #glutenfree #foodblog #recipes #healthy

 

SPRING VEGETABLES SALAD OPEN FACED SANDWICHES feature chargrilled gluten free sourdough topped with herbed cream cheese, garlicky baked kale, spring vegetables, with creamy spring onion dressing drizzled on top. Dairy Free option. #glutenfree #springvegetables #openfaced #lunchrecipe

Related Posts

Photo of Lindsay Cotter of Cotter CrunchHi, I’m Lindsay!  Gluten Free Nutrition Specialist, food photographer and author of Nourishing Superfood Bowls, and meal plan guru! I’d love to know you more! Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and drop a comment below.

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  1. Ushmana Palmo Rai says

    April 5, 2018 at 10:21 AM

    The perfect epitome for spring!
    Vibrant open-faced sandwiches with spring vegetables are right up my list for brunch meal this weekend.
    Thank you for this, but can I add regular cream cheese instead of the herb cream cheese?
    Hope to hear back from you !

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  3. Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table says

    April 5, 2018 at 8:06 PM

    I love your over-explanation of ingredients! I literally don’t think there’s even been a time when I’ve gone to your blog and not learned something.

    Question: what do you do with 6 pieces of toast when you make them of photos?! Because I volunteer to take one. Or two.

    Reply

  4. Cassie Thuvan Tran says

    April 5, 2018 at 11:22 PM

    Spring is one of my favorites when it comes to fruits and vegetables! It figures because the weather is so favorable. Green onions, kale, sweet potatoes, spinach, zucchini, broccoli, and carrots! I do want to try cooking more potatoes and collard greens this year. Might start with something like this toast for breakfast, a potato salad for lunch, and a zucchini and spinach stir-fry for dinner!

    Reply

  6. Caitlin Greenlee says

    April 6, 2018 at 8:26 AM

    These look so delicious! Is the nutritional info correct though? It looks like its listed at 50-55 calories a serving (6 or 10?)

    Reply

    • Lindsay Cotter says

      April 6, 2018 at 10:55 AM

      That’s for the dressing. But I can totally calculate the the sandwiches too, it just depends on the bread you use so it was hard to really nail down one estimate. I’ll put in notes the calculations for sourdough toasts.

      Reply

  8. Aimee says

    April 6, 2018 at 12:38 PM

    I’m green with envy over your creative bucket weekends! They sound dreamy just like this spring vegetable open-faced sandwich. I kinda wanna try all these ingredients on top of a pasta too…

    Reply

  10. vivian says

    April 7, 2018 at 6:32 PM

    Oh my! These are like spring on a plate. They are so delicious, and beautiful to look at, I made mine with Brussels sprout leaves because I love them a lot and left off the microgreens. Thanks so much for a wonderful recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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