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!Â
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?Â
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.
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
Any vegan bread (see my favorite brands, here) can be used for a grilled cheese, but I usually use Ezekiel bread because that's what I keep on hand to make my favorite high-protein avocado toast that we eat for breakfast often.
Roasted mushrooms, fire-roasted red peppers, sliced red onions, or halved artichoke hearts, cucumber slices would be tasty additions.
If you don't want to use cheese, I would substitute vegan chive cream cheese or red pepper hummus for the vegan cheese.
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 Zucchini Avocado Grilled Cheese
Equipment
- Sandwich Press or Medium Pan
Ingredients
- 2 slices bread
- 1 tbsp pesto
- 2 slices vegan provolone cheese
- 1 small zucchini (sliced into thin layers or rounds)
- 1 small roma tomato
- ½ ripe avocado (sliced or mashed)
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- 1 tsp avocado oil
- â…› tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Use a hand mandolin to slice the zucchini into long thin pieces.
- Lay two pieces of bread on a plate. Spread pesto on one piece of bread. On top of the second piece, stack one slice of vegan provolone, thinly sliced zucchini, sliced tomatoes, avocado, spinach, and the second piece of provolone.
- Put the other piece of bread on top and press down lightly. Spray a light layer of avocado oil on the top and bottom of the sandwich and sprinkle a little bit of garlic powder on both sides.
- Press the sandwich for 3-5 minutes or until both sides are golden and crispy and the cheese has melted. Or you can put the sandwich in a covered pan over medium heat, using a spatula to press it down every few minutes. After a few minutes, flip it and let it cook for 2-3 more minutes.
- Cut it in half before serving.
Notes
- You can store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Reheat the sandwich in a press or in a pan on the stove, but don't freeze it.
Tara
Amazing flavor!! My husband and I devoured it! I added tomatoes too. I think the tomato is missing in the recipe, but has it in the picture. Thank you so much for the recipe, will be making again soon.
Stacey Homemaker
I'm so glad you and your husband enjoyed the sandwich, Tara! Thank you for the feedback, I just updated the recipe card with the tomato =) Have a great day!
Claudia
OMG !!! What a delicious summer grilled cheese sandwich! Loved it!!! Hubby loves avocado so this was perfect!! Will definitely make again!
Stacey Homemaker
Thanks, Claudia! I'm glad you both enjoyed the recipe!
Lory
Can I use tofu instead of cheese ? This looks
Sooo good that I want to try make it
Stacey Homemaker
Hello! Sure, I don't see why not. I love tofu, I think it would be delicious in this recipe!
Michelle
I love my Misto Oil spray! This looks delish! Definitely saving this recipe!
Stacey
Thank you, Michelle!
Jessica
O.M.G....this looks so delicious and has all my favorite things in it. I had to pin this and I WILL be making this sandwich!
Rita @ How Fantastic
This is certainly a step up from the grilled cheese I had as a kid. Pinning!
Stacey
Me too, thank you!
Meg @ Green With Decor
Wow, this looks awesome!! Love cheese and avocado! Pinned to make soon!
Stacey
I hope you like it! =)
Heather @ The Nerdy Fox
You had me at avocado and sold me with zucchini. My favorites.
Stacey
Same here! Thanks!
Chelsea @chelseasmessyapron
What a fun way to jazz up a grilled cheese - these flavors sound divine!! I love anything with avocado and zucchini 🙂
Stacey
Thanks! Me too, I put avocado on everything! =)
Sandy Dumala
This looks DELICIOUS!!! I can hardly wait to make it!!! Love ALL your recipes! Each one is better than the next!!! Such an attractive picture...u can practically taste it!!! Nice job!!!
Stacey
Thank you so much! I hope you like it as much as I do, it's one of my favorites!
Barbara
I LOVE grilled cheese. These look absolutely delicious. Will try. Thank you!