Vegan Zucchini Avocado Grilled Cheese

Loaded with thinly sliced zucchini, fresh spinach, juicy tomatoes, vegan provolone cheese, creamy avocado, and a flavorful pesto spread, this delicious vegan grilled cheese is pressed until golden and crispy!

This is the ultimate vegan grilled cheese! It's so good that I could eat it every single day! It's not your average grilled cheese because it's loaded with veggies and flavor.

It's made with a combination of savory pesto, melted vegan provolone cheese, zucchini, tomatoes, fresh spinach, and creamy avocado pressed between two slices of crispy bread. It's so delicious! 

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• It's an easy way to eat more veggies!
• This meal is ready to eat in just about 15 minutes!
• It's super cheesy and always hits the spot when you're craving comfort food!

What is the Best Vegan Cheese to Use? 

Some people might thing that you can't make a grilled cheese sandwich that tastes like the real deal with dairy free cheese, but that's simply not true! It just depends on the type of dairy free cheese that you choose.

I've tried a lot of vegan cheese brands over the years. Any of the following brands of vegan cheese will make an excellent grilled sammy! They all taste delicious on their own (this is very important!), they melt well, and the texture is spot on.

• Violife Smoked Provolone Slices
• Violife Mature Cheddar Slices
• Follow Your Heart Pepper Jack Slices
• Follow Your Heart Smoked Gouda Slices
• Chao Creamy Original Slices

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Bread - Any vegan bread you like can be used, but I usually use ezekiel or Dave's killer bread.
• Pesto - I used a jar of store-bought pesto to save time, but you could make homemade vegan pesto if you want to or skip it and use another spread. Vegan chipotle mayo, pistachio kale sauce, vegan ranch, or creamy garlic aioli can be used as a spread instead of pesto.
• Cheese - Instead of using vegan cheese, you could use a few dollops of roasted red pepper hummus or vegan cream cheese.
• Zucchini - Sliced cucumber can also be used.
• Tomato - This makes the sandwich just a little bit juicy
• Avocado - This gives the grilled sammy a creamy texture!
• Spinach - You can use any fresh greens that you like.
• Oil - Use a neutral oil to spray the outside of the bread to help it get crispy when pressed. I used avocado oil.
• Garlic Powder - This is used for extra flavor on the bread!

How To Make Vegan Grilled Cheese

1 - Prep the vegetables. Use a hand mandolin to thinly slice long pieces of zucchini and slice the tomato.

2 - Build the sandwich. Lay two pieces of bread on a plate. Spread pesto sauce on one piece of bread and place one slice of vegan cheese, a couple of slices of zucchini, tomato, avocado, and a handful of fresh spinach on the other piece.

Top with one more piece of cheese, put the other piece of bread on top, and use your palm to lightly press it down.

3 - Add Oil. Use a misto to spray a very light coat of avocado oil on the outside of both slices of bread. This will help the bread to get crispy and develop grilled marks while it's pressing.

4 - Make it crispy. Place the vegan grilled cheese in a press for a few minutes until it's golden and crispy or you could heat it in a pan over medium heat until the cheese melts.

If you cook it in a pan, cover it to keep the heat in (to melt the cheese), and use a spatula to press the top of the sandwich down every few minutes. After a few minutes, flip it and let the other side cook for 2-3 minutes.

Serving Suggestions

I like to serve the vegan grilled cheese with a side of fruit or chips, but it's especially delicious to dip it into a bowl of creamy roasted red pepper tomato soup. It's a classic comfort food combo!

Any of the following recipes would make a great vegan side dish to go with the sammy for lunch or dinner.

• Sesame Ginger Coleslaw
• Lemon Tahini Courgette Salad
• Wheat Berry Salad
• Mango Lime Quinoa Salad

Storage Instructions

I think that grilled sandwiches are best enjoyed fresh, because the wet ingredients can make the bread wet. However, if you want to save half for another meal, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

When you're ready to eat it, reheat it in a sandwich press or in a pan on the stove. Don't freeze it because the fresh ingredients won't defrost well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Expert Tips

• The easiest way to slice zucchini into thin slices is to use a hand mandolin. If you don't have one, you can thinly slice the zucchini into rounds.
• Use a misto to spray a light layer of avocado oil on the top and bottom of the sandwich. When you press or heat it in a pan, the oil will help the bread to develop a crispy golden crust.
• Pressing the vegan grilled cheese in a press is the easiest way to get those beautiful grilled marks.
• Put one piece of vegan cheese beneath the veggies and one above, so when the cheese melts it melts into the veggies and holds it all together.

Want More Vegan Cheese Recipes?

• Vegan Nacho Cheese
• Dairy Free Mac and Cheese
• Vegan Cream Cheese
• Vegan Pasta Bake