How To Make Anthony Bourdain's Iconic Mortadella Sandwich Vegan

There's an old clip of Anthony Bourdain in which he says, "Vegans are the enemy of everything that's good and decent..." Considering Bourdain built an entire career (not to mention, a life) on pushing the limits of culinary culture, eating everywhere from Pok Pok restaurants in Chiang Mai to a Waffle House in Charleston, it's no wonder he never quite related to those with a limited diet. However, since Bourdain's death, the conversation around veganism has shifted toward understanding, so we're hoping he'll forgive us for turning one of his favorite sandwiches into a vegan treat.

Anthony Bourdain's beloved five-ingredient Mortadella sandwich is a thing of legend — and beauty. Of the five ingredients (the sandwich roll, Mortadella, provolone cheese, mayonnaise, and dijon), only two, the bread and mustard, are vegan. (Note: Many breads are vegan, but sometimes eggs or dairy find their way into the dough, so it's always best to check first.) Still, it's fairly easy to make this sandwich vegan. Simply substitute the regular mayo for a plant-based mayonnaise (we've ranked nine from worst to best), the cheese with a vegan option such as Violife Provolone Slices, and the Mortadella with a hearty, savory veggie like eggplant, avocado, or jackfruit. Some recipes call for added bread and butter pickles and a teaspoon of chives. This is a small deviation from Bourdain's straightforward snack will only help elevate some of the flavors you may lose from not having the Mortadella in your sandwich. 

With the availability of alternatives such as Beyond Meat and decent dairy-free cheese options, many are opening their eyes to the benefits of decreasing meat and dairy consumption. This is all the justification we need for making delicious, chef-loved dishes like Anthony Bourdain's iconic Mortadella sandwich accessible to vegans.

These swaps are the best way to get a close meat-free duplicate of Anthony Bourdain's simple sandwich. However, if you're willing to add a little cooking creativity to your repertoire, there are tons of excellent vegan Mortadella recipes. To replicate the emulsified Italian sausage, the ingredient list is fairly simple: peanuts, cashews (or white beans to make it nut-free), beetroot, garlic, thyme, red peppers, and olives — along with agar powder, which will help bind your ingredients together. All you need to do is heat up the agar with the water and add it to your blended ingredients (minus the sliced olives, diced red pepper, and parsley, which you can fold into the paste so you get those delicious chunks in your log of Mortadella). Once everything is properly mixed, place it in a cylindrical storage container and let it firm up overnight in the fridge. This may not be a perfect Mortadella substitute, but we hope that Anthony Bourdain would at least be proud of you for venturing out into parts unknown.