A delicate tea sandwich is the best thing that can happen to you on a summer afternoon. I am sharing two types of teatime sandwich recipes that are worth bookmarking.
What is a Tea Sandwich?
A tea sandwich is a small, snack-size, finger sandwich meant to be eaten at afternoon teatime to stave off hunger until the main meal.
I love teatime sandwiches most because they are never out of fashion. A classic dish that is always part of the English high tea menu. There are two reasons, they are easy to eat and digest and taste best when served cold or room temperature with a warm cup of tea.
Tea Sandwiches fill your appetite but, at the same time, will not fill up your stomach like other loaded, enormous American sandwiches. No dripping sauce or plunging stuffing. All you need to do is unwrap them and take a bite. They are as sophisticated as an English high tea society.
My Favorite Teatime Sandwich
Indians fell in love with double roti (bread) and sandwiches during the British Raj era. Today, we have thousands of sandwich recipes widely popular across the country. But one of my favorites is the English-style tea sandwich.
The fresh and moist white bread slices, stuffed with a creamy coleslaw seasoned with salt and pepper, served cold is my idea of a perfect tea sandwich.
I have grown up eating them from the local bakeries in my hometown. During the 90s, these tea sandwiches were a staple snack easily available at railway stations, airports, and popular coffee places.
I am sharing two types of tea sandwich recipes – Dill Cucumber Sandwich and the forever classic Coleslaw Sandwich.
Ingredients Dill Cucumber Sandwich
Cream Cheese: You can substitute cream cheese with hung curd or goat cheese.
Herbs: I use a combination of fresh dill leaves and flat parsley. You can use finely chopped Italian basil and cilantro or curled parsley.
Honey: It gives a mild sweetness to the filling. Use maple syrup as a substitute.
Italian Herbs: It is a readymade mix of oregano, sage, thyme, chili flakes, onion powder, and garlic powder.
Other Ingredients: Garlic, Salt, Pepper, Dijon Mustard, Extra Virgin Olive Oil
How To Make
Step 1) Combine all the ingredients in a bowl to make the sandwich filling. Whisk them nicely to make a smooth and creamy sandwich spread.
Step 2) Remove the side crust of the bread slices. Spread one tablespoon of cream cheese filling on each bread slice (image 1).
Step 3) Cover the cream cheese layer with cucumber slices (image 2).
Step 4) Once again, spread one tablespoon of cream cheese filling over the cucumber slices. Cover the sandwich with another bread slice (images 3 & 4).
Step 5) Cut the dill cucumber sandwich into two halves. Serve this tea sandwich immediately or store it in the refrigerator to cool down before serving.
Ingredients Coleslaw Sandwich
Mayonnaise: You can use plain, garlic, or vegan mayonnaise to make this tea sandwich.
Cream Cheese: It gives a creamy mouthfeel to the sandwich filling. Substitute It with hung curd, heavy whipping cream, or Greek yogurt.
Vegetables: Carrot, Onion, Cabbage
Tomato Sauce: It gives a deliciously sweet flavor to the sandwich filling.
Seasoning: Salt, Pepper, Garlic, Italian Herbs
How To Make
Step 1) Combine all the ingredients in a bowl to make the sandwich filling. Whisk them nicely to make a smooth and creamy coleslaw sandwich spread (image 1).
Step 2) Remove the side crust of the bread slices. Spread two tablespoons of coleslaw filling on each bread slice (image 2).
Step 3) Cover the sandwich with another bread slice (images 3 & 4).
Step 4) Cut the coleslaw sandwich into two halves. Serve this tea sandwich immediately or store it in the refrigerator to cool down before serving.
Serving Suggestion
Tea Sandwiches are a perfect lunch idea for the summers.
One, they do not require grilling; second, they taste best when served cold or at room temperature. They are perfect for summer picnics, after-school snacks, teatime, and road trips.
These sandwiches are mess-free to eat while traveling and can be prepared in advance. No dripping sauce or plunging stuffing. All you need to do is unwrap them and take a bite.
You can pull together a fancy high tea with a pitcher of chilled iced tea and these tea sandwiches.
Storage Suggestion
Line a wide container with parchment paper. Arrange the tea sandwiches neatly in a row without stacking. Cover them with another piece of parchment paper. Seal the container with a tight-fitting lid. Store in the refrigerator for 2 – 3 days.
TIP: To keep the tea sandwiches moist and soft for a few hours, wrap them in a clean, moist muslin cloth. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.
You can pack each piece of sandwich in parchment paper as well. It makes carrying sandwiches or packing them for the lunchbox easy.
More Sandwich Recipes
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Tea Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients
- 20 slices sandwich bread
Ingredients For Dill Cucumber Tea Sandwich
- 1 Cup cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 Cup cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoon dill, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Italian herb mix
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil or melted butter
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, crushed
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
Ingredients For Coleslaw Tea Sandwich
- 1 Cup plain mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon cream cheese softened
- 1 tablespoon tomato sauce or ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
- ¼ Cup onion, finely chopped
- ⅓ Cup cabbage, finely chopped
- ¼ Cup carrot, grated
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, crushed
Instructions
Dill Cucumber Tea Sandwich
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl to make the sandwich filling. Whisk them nicely to make a smooth and creamy sandwich spread.
- Remove the side crust of the bread slices. Spread one tablespoon of cream cheese filling on each bread slice using a knife.
- Cover the cream cheese layer with thin cucumber slices
- Once again, spread one tablespoon of cream cheese filling over the cucumber slices. Cover the sandwich with another bread slice.
- Cut the dill cucumber sandwich into two equal halves. Serve this tea sandwich immediately or store it in the refrigerator to cool down before serving.
Coleslaw Tea Sandwich
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl to make the sandwich filling. Whisk them nicely to make a smooth and creamy coleslaw sandwich spread.
- Remove the side crust of the bread slices. Spread two tablespoons of coleslaw filling on each bread slice.
- Cover the sandwich with another bread slice.
- Cut the coleslaw sandwich into two halves. Serve this tea sandwich immediately or store it in the refrigerator to cool down before serving.
Recipe Notes:
- Add salt cautiously to the sandwich filling as cream cheese, mayonnaise, and tomato sauce already contain some salt. Hence, it is best to taste and add salt accordingly.
- Take the freshest bread possible for making the tea sandwiches. DO NOT use stale and dry bread slices. I use either white, thinly sliced milk bread, potato bread, or sandwich bread.
- You can either remove the crusty edges of the bread or use crustless bread slices to make sandwiches.
- For meal prep, you can either make these sandwiches in advance and store them in the refrigerator. Or prepare the sandwich filling in advance and last minute assemble the sandwich.
- While storing, do not stack the sandwiches. Arrange them neatly in a row. This will not disorient the shape of the sandwich.
Iyman says
Nice recipe…will surely try it
Neel says
Looks very beautiful.
Hina Gujral says
thank you so much!