Vegetarian Cuban Sandwiches

Mojo Marinated Jackfruit + lightly sweetened veggie ham + pickles, mustard and Swiss cheese come together for a delicious veggie take on this classic sandwich! Recipe is vegan (if dairy-free cheese is used).

If you’ve never tried Jackfruit–it can be kind of odd to imagine a fruit replacing a meat. But this stuff is amazing!! It is super healthy and low-calorie and widely available. Young Jackfruit (what this recipe calls for) is not sweet yet and makes the perfect substitute for shredded pork or chicken. Ripe Jackfruit (harder to find) is sweet and a good fruity dessert option.

In my experience, Jackfruit is the best veggie option for pulled “pork” sandwiches, “chicken” tacos, carnitas and other shredded meat dishes.

We have an amazing little Cuban restaurant and bakery in town that serves fresh, flavorful and authentic food for a great price. Andrew and I love going to see the owner, catching up with her and enjoying her creations. I don’t order what I used to since I became a vegetarian but for sure there’s always a piece of guava cake with my name on it 🙂

I have always loved a good Cuban sandwich and about a year ago, Andrew and I tried to make one with bbq’d Jackfruit. We were *close* but didn’t have it quite right. We’ve worked the recipe a few times since then and this is a home run!

Vegetarian Cuban Sandwiches

Emma J. Watling

Vegetarian spin on the classic Cuban sandwich. Filled with marinated Jackfruit, veggie ham, mustard, pickles and Swiss. Delicious, comforting and easy—this sandwich will satisfy for weeknights, game day and more. Meats are vegan–sandwich can be made vegan with a vegan cheese option.

*This recipe requires young green Jackfruit in brine (not ripened, sweet fruit)

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Marinade Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 55 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 3

Ingredients

  

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Mojo Marinade Ingredients:

• 20 oz canned young Jackfruit in brine, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed mint
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons lime juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon orange zest

Sandwich Ingredients:

• 1 loaf Cuban style bread (cut into 6 inch pieces and split) *or use crusty 6-inch sub rolls, split
• 4 oz thin vegan ham such as SweetEarth or Lightlife
• 1 Tablespoon agave syrup
• 6 slices Swiss cheese or vegan swiss
• 1/2 cup dill pickle chips about 20 pickles
• 3 Tablespoons yellow mustard or to taste

Instructions

 

Prep Jackfruit and Marinade:

• Using a mesh strainer over a large bowl, drain and rinse jackfruit. Remove any remaining liquid from the jackfruit by pressing firmly and breaking up large chunks. The jackfruit should be as dry as possible before marinating. Pressing with a paper towel may help with this process.
• Place jackfruit in a large bowl and add in dry spices (mint, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper). Rub the spices into the jackfruit thoroughly by hand, continuing to break up and shred any larger chunks.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, orange zest and garlic. Add the liquid mix to the jackfruit.
• Add in cilantro to the marinade and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate to marinate at least 2 hours (or up to 24 hours).

Cook Jackfruit:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line and set aside a large baking sheet. Meanwhile,
• Pour prepared jackfruit into a skillet and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep this skillet out for the ham (see below).
• Spread jackfruit in a thin, single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. No need to stir or turn.

Prepare Ham:

• While jackfruit is cooking in the oven, add 1 Tablespoon agave syrup to skillet. Cook ham slices according to package directions. Be sure to coat both sides of 'ham' with agave to give a hint of sweet flavor. Set cooked ham slices aside.

Assemble and Cook Sandwiches:

• Preheat panini or grill press to ‘high’ while assembling the sandwiches.
• Assemble each sandwich in this order, starting from the bottom: add a drizzle of mustard, 1/3 of the sliced pickles and 1/3 of the cooked ham. Pile on 1/3 of the cooked Jackfruit, then add 2 slices cheese. Finish with a drizzle of mustard on the top half of bread, if desired. Repeat steps for remaining two sandwiches.
• Carefully press sandwiches on preheated panini/grill press until bread is lightly toasted and cheese is melted, approximately 5-6 minutes.
• Let stand for a few minutes then cut each sandwich in half. Enjoy!

Notes

Mojo Marinade Recipe adapted from:

http://howtobbqright.com/2018/03/08/grilled-cuban-sandwich/

*Pressing extra liquid out of the Jackfruit ensures it absorbs the marinade.

*Breaking down larger chunks into shreds gives a closer consistency to traditional pulled pork. This step is best done by hand and quite firmly–don’t be afraid to really mix in the spices and break down the “meat”—it yields a much better flavor and texture.

*The agave is added to mimic a “honey ham” flavor profile on a traditional Cuban sandwich. If your ham substitute is sweeter, you may not need the agave.

*Sandwiches could also be pressed in a hot skillet with a heavy skillet on top or could be grilled if preferred.

 

Keyword Jackfruit, Jackfruit Cuban Pork, Sandwiches, Vegetarian Cuban Sandwich

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Of course we will still go visit our beloved local restaurant and I’ll eat all the rice and plantains possible (and guava cake for days!)— but for times I want a good, classic (vegetarian) Cuban, I’ll happily make this sandwich 🙂