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–+ servings

Seared Beet Sandwich with Kimchi Slaw & Cheddar

4 from 1 review
I love a funky little vegetarian sandwich, and that's exactly what this beet sandwich is! It was inspired by a beet sandwich I got at a little St. Louis bakery called Union Loafers, but where their beet sandwich had sauerkraut, I opted to go in a different direction with a kimchi slaw and pan-melted cheddar. The flavor explosion is wild. Wild but great.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 minutes
Servings: 4 sandwiches

Equipment

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 

  1. Use a mandolin or knife to very thinly slice the cabbage. The thinner the better. Add it to a large bowl.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Peel and thinly slice the beets into circular pieces.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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!