Soy curl “chicken,” tempeh bacon, and a zesty lettuce slaw make this Vegan Grinder Sandwich taste just like the kind you’d order from your favourite sandwich shop. With 31 grams of protein per serving, it’s hearty and satisfying!
Lately I’ve been trying to work more protein into my day, but relying on protein powders and meat substitutes can get expensive. So I went a little retro: soy curls! Soy curls and TVP (which you’ll find in my Vegan Cheeseburger Bowl) are a lot like tofu in that they take on whatever flavours you add to them. And in the case of this Vegan Grinder Sandwich , that means: CHICKEN! Broth and poultry season make the sandwich filling taste like legit chicken, and it also soaks up the flavours of the tangy slaw piled on top.
What Makes These Grinders the Perfect Vegan Lunch
Lunch, dinner—honestly, I’d eat these for breakfast too! Let’s discuss why this vegan grinder sandwich is so divine.
- BIG flavour . Grinders are known for that big, bold flavor, with lots of red wine vinegar, zesty pepperoncini, Italian seasonings, and meats. My vegan version has all that, with soy curl chicken and tempeh bacon swapping in for the meat!
- Budget-friendly soy curls . Not only are soy curls more affordable than store-bought chicken substitutes, I also find that they taste better and I like their texture more.
- Easy to make . Mix up the slaw, warm up the soy curls and tempeh, and put it all together!
What You’ll Need
There are a few different components of this vegan grinder sandwich. Here’s what you’ll need for each of them. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
Lettuce Slaw:
- Iceberg lettuce – Shred the lettuce yourself or buy a bag of pre-shredded lettuce.
- Peperoncini peppers – These have a zippy, pickled flavour. You can buy them mild or spicy, so choose whichever you like.
- Vegan mayo – I use my homemade Vegan Mayo .
- Red onion
- Red wine vinegar
- Vegan Parmesan – I buy a block and grate it, or you can use homemade Vegan Parmesan Cheese .
- Nutritional yeast
- Mustard
- Seasonings – Garlic powder, Italian seasoning, parsley, sea salt and black pepper.
Soy Curl “Chicken”:
- Soy curls – You can purchase these online if you can’t find them in stores.
- Broth – A vegan chicken broth would be fantastic for extra chicken-y flavour, or just use Vegetable Broth .
- Poultry seasoning – Or any other seasonings you like.
- Sea salt and black pepper
- Cornstarch
- Oil – Any kind you like to use for cooking.
To Assemble:
- Tempeh bacon – Store-bought or use my Tempeh Bacon recipe.
- Hoagie or sub roll – Toast this before assembling the sandwiches.
- Vegan cheese slices
- For topping – Melted vegan butter, parsley, and vegan Parmesan.
How to Make a Vegan Grinder Sandwich
Let’s get started! Here’s what you’ll need to do to put these sandwiches together.
Make the slaw.
- Mix the slaw . Whisk together the mayo, vinegar, Parmesan, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, parsley, salt, and pepper, then fold in the lettuce, peppers, and red onion. Refrigerate until you’re ready to assemble the sandwiches.
- Prep the vegan chicken . Combine the soy curls and broth in a bowl. Let them sit until they’re rehydrated, then drain and squeeze out the liquid. Toss with the poultry seasoning, sea salt, black pepper, and cornstarch.
Cook the soy curls.
- Cook the vegan chicken . Heat the oil in a skillet over medium, then cook the soy curls until golden and lightly crispy.
- Cook the tempeh bacon . Follow the package instructions. (You can transfer the vegan chicken to a plate and cook it in the same pan.)
Assemble.
- Assemble . Layer the vegan chicken on the bottom half of the roll, followed by the tempeh bacon and vegan cheese. (If you’d like, you can pop the grinder in the oven to melt the cheese.) Add the slaw, then scoop some of the bread from the top half of the roll to make room for the toppings and place the scooped roll on top of the sandwich.
- Toast if you’d like . If you want to toast the grinder, mix the melted vegan butter, chopped parsley, and vegan Parmesan cheese in a small bowl and brush this on top of the sandwich. Toast in a 350ºF oven until the top is crisp and lightly browned.
Recipe Variations
- Swap in vegan lunchmeat . Use your favourite vegan cold cuts to make your vegan grinder sandwich.
- Use tofu instead of soy curls . This Lemon Pepper Tofu would also work well with the flavors in this grinder recipe.
- Switch up the bread . You can layer the ingredients onto Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread if you’d like!
- Make it a salad . Or, for a lower carb option, skip the bread altogether and assemble this recipe in a bowl.
What to Serve With a Grinder Sandwich
I love to keep it simple and serve these vegan grinders with a handful of potato chips. A classic combination! But you can’t go wrong with Air Fryer Shoestring Fries or Sweet Potato Fries either, or pair your sandwich with Chickpea Panzanella Salad or Loaded Potato Salad .
How to Store
While the bread will soften, you can make these in advance for lunch. Wrap your vegan grinder sandwich in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to a day.
More Vegan Sandwich Recipes
- Chopped Cheese Sandwich
- Vegan BLT Sandwich
- Vegan Chicken Parm Sandwich
- Caprese Sandwich with Parsley Pesto
Ingredients
Lettuce Slaw:
- ½ cup iceberg lettuce , shredded, 40 g
- 2 tablespoons pepperoncini peppers , sliced, 20 g
- ¼ cup vegan mayo , 60 g
- 2 tablespoons red onion , sliced, 15 g
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar , 5 mL
- 2 tablespoons vegan parmesan , grated, 10 g
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast , 5 g
- 1 teaspoon prepared mustard , 5 g
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder , 3 g
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning , 1 g
- 2 teaspoons fresh parsley , 2 g
- Sea salt and black pepper , to taste (I did about ½ teaspoon sea salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper)
Soy Curl “Chicken”:
- ¾ cup soy curls , 45 g
- Enough broth to cover and rehydrate soy curls
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning , plus any other seasonings you love, 6 g
- Sea salt and black pepper , to taste
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch , 4 g
- 1 tablespoon oil , 15 mL
- 3 slices tempeh bacon , or use my recipe to prepare for more texture and protein
To Serve:
- 1 hoagie or sub roll , toasted
- Vegan cheese slices
- Lettuce slaw
- Cooked soy curl “chicken”
- Tempeh bacon
- ½ tablespoon melted vegan butter , 7 g
- 1 teaspoon chopped Parsley , 1 g
- ½ tablespoon vegan Parmesan for the top of the sandwich , 2.5 g
Instructions
Lettuce Slaw:
- In a bowl, combine mayo, vinegar, parmesan, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix until smooth.
- Add lettuce, peppers, and red onion. Toss well to coat everything in the dressing.
- Chill while you prep the soy curl “chicken.”
Soy Curl “Chicken”:
- Add soy curls to a bowl and cover with hot broth. Let rehydrate for 3-5 minutes until plumped, then drain and gently squeeze out excess liquid.
- Toss soy curls with poultry seasoning, sea salt and black pepper and cornstarch to coat lightly.
- Heat a bit of oil (or use a nonstick skillet) over medium heat.
- Sear soy curls for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and lightly crispy. Set aside.
Tempeh Bacon:
- Prepare tempeh bacon according to package directions. Set aside.
Sandwich Assembly:
- Layer the soy curl “chicken” on the bottom half of the roll. Add the tempeh bacon on top.
- Top with vegan cheese and melt slightly if you’d like. I like to melt it in the oven for about 5 minutes on 350F OR melt the cheese separately then drizzle on top.
- Remove some of the bread filling from the over half of the sandwich to create a pocket.
- Pile on the lettuce slaw over it. You may have leftover – add as much as you desire.
- Add any extra pickled peppers or sauce you love.
- Optional if desired – in a small bowl, mix the extra melted vegan butter, chopped parsley and vegan Parmesan cheese. Close the sandwich and brush on top of the sandwich.
- Toast for a few minutes, being careful not to burn it.
- Allow to cool, cut in half and enjoy!
Notes
Vegan “Chicken” Grinder Sandwich
Ingredients
Lettuce Slaw:
- ½ cup iceberg lettuce shredded, 40 g
- 2 tablespoons pepperoncini peppers sliced, 20 g
- ¼ cup vegan mayo 60 g
- 2 tablespoons red onion sliced, 15 g
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar 5 mL
- 2 tablespoons vegan parmesan grated, 10 g
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast 5 g
- 1 teaspoon prepared mustard 5 g
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder 3 g
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning 1 g
- 2 teaspoons fresh parsley 2 g
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste (I did about ½ teaspoon sea salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper)
Soy Curl “Chicken”:
- ¾ cup soy curls 45 g
- Enough broth to cover and rehydrate soy curls
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning plus any other seasonings you love, 6 g
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch 4 g
- 1 tablespoon oil 15 mL
- 3 slices tempeh bacon or use my recipe to prepare for more texture and protein
To Serve:
- 1 hoagie or sub roll toasted
- Vegan cheese slices
- Lettuce slaw
- Cooked soy curl “chicken”
- Tempeh bacon
- ½ tablespoon melted vegan butter 7 g
- 1 teaspoon chopped Parsley 1 g
- ½ tablespoon vegan Parmesan for the top of the sandwich 2.5 g
Instructions
Lettuce Slaw:
- In a bowl, combine mayo, vinegar, parmesan, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix until smooth.
- Add lettuce, peppers, and red onion. Toss well to coat everything in the dressing.
- Chill while you prep the soy curl “chicken.”
Soy Curl “Chicken”:
- Add soy curls to a bowl and cover with hot broth. Let rehydrate for 3-5 minutes until plumped, then drain and gently squeeze out excess liquid.
- Toss soy curls with poultry seasoning, sea salt and black pepper and cornstarch to coat lightly.
- Heat a bit of oil (or use a nonstick skillet) over medium heat.
- Sear soy curls for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and lightly crispy. Set aside.
Tempeh Bacon:
- Prepare tempeh bacon according to package directions. Set aside.
Sandwich Assembly:
- Layer the soy curl “chicken” on the bottom half of the roll. Add the tempeh bacon on top.
- Top with vegan cheese and melt slightly if you’d like. I like to melt it in the oven for about 5 minutes on 350F OR melt the cheese separately then drizzle on top.
- Remove some of the bread filling from the over half of the sandwich to create a pocket.
- Pile on the lettuce slaw over it. You may have leftover - add as much as you desire.
- Add any extra pickled peppers or sauce you love.
- Optional if desired - in a small bowl, mix the extra melted vegan butter, chopped parsley and vegan Parmesan cheese. Close the sandwich and brush on top of the sandwich.
- Toast for a few minutes, being careful not to burn it.
- Allow to cool, cut in half and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Vegan “Chicken” Grinder Sandwich https://jessicainthekitchen.com/vegan-grinder-sandwich/ November 21, 2025
Vegan marshmallows, a rich chocolate dough, and melted chocolate on top make these Hot Chocolate Cookies an instant classic! They’re easy to make and perfect for the holidays.
Oh boy, you are in for a treat with these Hot Chocolate Cookies! I’m already planning on adding them to my Christmas cookie trays with this year, along with my usual Vegan Sugar Cookies and Gingersnap Molasses Cookies . They’re chewy, gooey, and chocolatey, with a chewy chocolate cookie base, fluffy vegan marshmallow, and melted chocolate chips to seal it all together. I use my Vegan Marshmallows to make these, but you can also use store-bought to make things easier.
Why These Cookies Are the Perfect Addition to Your Holiday Cookie Menu
I always look forward to putting together the list of cookies I’m going to make for the holidays each year. Do you do that too? Here’s why I think these hot chocolate cookies deserve a spot on your baking list!
- Easy to make . Even though these look a little more elaborate than your average Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies , they’re quite easy! They just take a few extra steps for the topping.
- Your favourite winter drink in cookie form . With all the chocolate and those puffy, gooey marshmallows, these hot chocolate cookies are everything you love about Vegan Hot Chocolate !
- Simple vegan swaps . I use applesauce as the vegan egg substitute in this recipe, along with vegan butter to give the cookies a rich flavour and chewy texture.
Notes on Ingredients
Like most cookie recipes, this one starts with a lot of pantry staples. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- All-purpose flour – To make these hot chocolate cookies gluten-free, swap in a 1:1 gluten-free flour.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – Not hot cocoa powder, which is sweetened!
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Vegan butter – I like to use my homemade Vegan Butter .
- Light brown sugar – Using light brown sugar helps give the cookies a chewy texture.
- Applesauce – Make sure it’s unsweetened.
- Vanilla extract
- Vegan dark chocolate – This is added to the dough to make it extra chocolatey.
- Vegan marshmallows – Homemade or store-bought. The jumbo-size Dandies would be perfect. Just slice them into rounds! (Learn more: Are Marshmallows Vegan? )
- Semi-sweet chocolate – To melt for the topping.
How to Make Hot Chocolate Cookies
Here’s a step-by-step look at making these festive cookies.
Mix the dry ingredients.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Whisk the melted vegan butter, brown sugar, applesauce, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Combine wet and dry.
- Finish the dough. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, then fold in the chopped vegan dark chocolate.
- Chill. Cover the bowl of dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Form the cookies.
- Form the cookies . Roll 2 tablespoons of dough into a ball for each cookie. Set them on a parchment-lined baking sheet with 2 inches of space between each.
- Bake. Bake the cookies in a 350ºF oven for 10 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers are still soft.
Add marshmallows and bake again.
- Add the marshmallows. Remove the pan from the oven and gently press a marshmallow half into the center of each cookie. Return the pan to the oven for 2–4 minutes, just until the marshmallows puff slightly.
- Cool. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Add chocolate.
- Melt the chocolate. Melt the semi-sweet chocolate in a double boiler or the microwave.
- Add the topping . Spoon the melted chocolate over the hot chocolate cookies and let the chocolate set before serving or storing.
Tips and Variations
- Don’t skip the chilling . This keeps the cookies from spreading when you bake them so they’re thick and chewy.
- Add sprinkles to the chocolate . They’ll give these cookies a festive touch!
- Make them minty . Crush candy canes or starlite mints and sprinkle those over the chocolate before it sets as an alternative to sprinkles that will add a little crunch and minty flavour.
How to Store
Once the chocolate sets, you can store these hot chocolate cookies in an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers. They’ll keep up to 1 week.
More Vegan Cookie Recipes
- Brownie Cookies
- Chai Sugar Cookies
- Kitchen Sink Cookies
- Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour , 190 g
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder , 60 g
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda , 3 g
- ¼ teaspoon salt , 1 g
- ¾ cup vegan butter , melted – 170 g
- 1 cup light brown sugar , 200 g
- 6 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce , 90 g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract , 5 mL
- ½ cup vegan dark chocolate , chopped – 80 g
- 10-11 vegan marshmallows , about 1 inch thick*
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate , finely chopped – 226 g (for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the melted vegan butter, light brown sugar, applesauce, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in the chopped vegan dark chocolate.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes to firm up.
- Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie and roll into balls. Place on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches of space between each.
- Bake for 10 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers are still soft.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and gently press a marshmallow half into the center of each cookie. Return to the oven for 2–4 minutes, just until the marshmallows puff slightly.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While cookies cool, melt the chopped semi-sweet chocolate using a double boiler, or in a microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between intervals until smooth.
- Spoon the melted chocolate over each marshmallow-topped cookie. Add sprinkles if desired. Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature for 30–60 minutes before serving.
Notes
- *I cut out rounds from my marshmallows just for the look, but it’s completely optional.
- To store : Once the chocolate sets, you can store these hot chocolate cookies in an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers. They’ll keep up to 1 week.
