Vegetarian Muffaletta Sandwich

When I traveled to New Orleans two years ago I absolutely fell in love with the food. The seasonings and ingredients really tie pretty much every combination together into a delicious dish. While I was there, I was really intrigued by the muffaletta. However, traditional muffaletta sandwiches consist of  layers of mortadella, salami, ham paired with cheese an marinated olive salad.

This vegetarian muffaletta is a delicious alternative full of good briny, vinegary flavor from the olive tapenade.

Recipe from No Meat Athlete.

Other Mardi Gras Recipes:
Crock Pot Cajun Gumbo

Ingredients:
Tapenade
-1/2 cup pitted black olives
-1/2 cup pitted green olives
-1.5 Tbsp canola oil (or olive oil, for best flavor)
-1 Tbsp lemon juice
-1 clove garlic
-fresh thyme leaves from about 3 sprigs, or 1/2 tsp dried
-salt and pepper

Sandwiches
-One loaf ciabatta bread, cut into 4 squares and sliced open like rolls
-4 small roasted red bell peppers, jarred or home-roasted
-4 to 6 marinated artichokes, quartered (I used jarred marinated, already quartered)
-Shredded mozzarella
-4 slices tomato
-8 fresh basil leaves, torn
-1 clove garlic, minced
-2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
-olive oil for drizzling

In a blender or food processor, pulse together the ingredients for the tapenade until well blended, but still textured.

In a small bowl "marinate" the roasted red pepper, artichokes, basil, garlic and vinegar.

Slice the bread into sandwich sized pieces.
Put mozzarella on half and bake until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted.

  

On each side of the sandwich, spread the tapenade. 

Top half with tomatoes. 

Top half with the artichoke/tomato mixture. 

So colorful. 

Put together and enjoy.

This sandwich was so good. I really enjoy vinegar based flavors so I liked the tangy mix of the artichokes, olives and balsamic vinegar. Becky did not love this because she doesn't like those flavors. I thought that there was a good balance of different vegetables and that the tangy flavor was the right amount of flavor with this. I used the leftover tapenade and roasted pepper/artichoke topping to make additional sandwiches throughout the week and this is something that I would make again.