Open-Faced Hummus Sandwich on Rye Crispbreads

Open-Faced Hummus Sandwiches on rye crisp breads - a quick and easy recipe that's loaded with veggies and plant-based protein. Enjoy this vegan sandwich for lunch, a picnic out, or a shared snack. 

Sometimes when I'm brainstorming the recipes to share here on the blog, I get caught up in making things that are not fancy, per se, but worthy enough of photographing and writing up a recipe. I tend to forget, though, that many of you are actually after things that are quick, easy to make on autopilot, and prone to becoming part of your everyday routine.

In the spirit of simplicity, I wanted to offer you this: an open-faced hummus sandwich on rye crisp bread.

A bit about semantics, though. In Sweden the word sandwich most often refers to something that's open faced, and it can be as simple as a piece of crisp bread spread with butter and topped with a slice of cheese. When my colleagues say they're going to grab a sandwich, that's what they mean.

Funnily, my husband had a friend who kept asking for a sandwich when he was over, and Paul, who makes the best and most elaborate sandwiches I know of, was getting frustrated at being asked for one. I mentioned to him that they might have their wires crossed when it came to the meaning of a sandwich, and sure enough the next time he handed him a piece of crisp bread with cheese and a slice of tomato on top and his buddy was thrilled.

This open-faced hummus sandwich is made on Swedish rye crisp bread, but if that's not something you have ready access too, another kind of crisp bread, or even just a slice of toast will do just fine. The rounds pictured here are more commonly found in a large size, so one "sandwich" would easily feed two people.

Tips for making a open-faced hummus sandwich:

I'm sure that you guys are already pros at making this kind of sandwich since the technique is mostly along the lines of smear --> sprinkle --> eat, but let's get into it anyways.

• A great open-faced hummus sandwich starts with great hummus, obviously. Need a recipe? You could try this one, or this one, or this one!
• The toppings are a choose your own adventure situation, and you can switch them up seasonally. Here I've chosen arugula, halved baby plum tomatoes, a sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds, topped with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt.
• Want to make this in advance? This is one situation in which I don't recommend actually assembling the sandwich in advance. The crisp bread will get soggy and that will make you sad. Rather, I suggest you pack all of the toppings in a container and assemble right before you want to eat. It'll take 2 minutes of your time at most.

Can we talk about nutrition?

Of course we can! What's going on here with these open-faced hummus sandwiches is a good amount of plant-based protein and healthy fats from the hummus. Pumpkin seeds are a rich source of iron and manganese, tomatoes are loaded with lycopene, and arugula is an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C and folic acid.

Rye crisp bread is a little on the healthier side than, say, plain white crackers, but it's far from being a complex carb as far as I'm concerned. However, paired with healthy fats and proteins like it is here, the carbohydrates are broken down and taken up into your bloodstream much more slowly - just how I like it!

Other simple sandwiches you might enjoy:

Tempeh Bacon BLT Sandwiches
Egg Salad with Celery and Dill
Herbed Ricotta Toasts
Roasted Squash Hummus Toasts

Did you make this recipe? Please rate and review below! Tag your Instagram photos with #heynutritionlady and mention @heynutritionlady so we can see and share our favourites!