Special to the Press-Citizen

Growing up, sandwiches were a staple for lunchtime. I have fond memories of pulling over at the little rural grocery store to pick up a deli-fresh sandwich. These days, as a vegan, a hummus sandwich does not always cut it. I have tried all the plant-based deli meats from the grocery store, which make an okay sandwich, but something was always missing.

This year, however, I was fortunate enough to make it to two cool vegan sandwich shops: The Herbivorous Butcher in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Vegan Deli and Butcher in St. Louis, Missouri. What lovely places and people. The attention to detail regarding tastes and textures blows you away when you take that first bite.

When I got home from my travels, I was inspired to find sandwich ideas I could make in my own

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