I have my child to thank for this cucumber sandwich. Their obsession with cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches started the idea, and my love of flavored cream cheeses followed. This easy, fresh summer sandwich is perfect for picnics, road trips, or a quick lunch at home.
The layers of the cucumber sandwich
When making fresh sandwiches to pack on the go, I tend to keep things simple but focus on the quality of each item. This cucumber sandwich is the perfect example.
Good Bread
Good bread is a bit obvious, but I like to repeat it. And I like to remind you that good bread is whatever type of bread is good for you. While I love solid whole-grain bread, the thick crusts might not be for everyone. This cucumber-cream cheese combination is equally delicious on a pillowy bed of milk bread.
The cucumbers
Whatever cucumber you have on hand is the cucumber you should use. However, if you have a choice, I adore Japanese and striped Armenian cucumbers. Both are slender, often have relatively few seeds, and hold their shape well in a sandwich.
A flavored cream cheese
The real power, however, in this sandwich is the flavored cream cheese. You could go in many directions with this buying, either store-bought or trying to go wild with variations at home. Obviously, I’m lobbying for this charred scallion cream cheese, but an herbed, chile, or even a honey walnut cream cheese.
Finally, you can fill out this sandwich however you like. I like the added bulk of the lettuce because it balances the crunchy cucumbers and cream cheese, but shredded carrots, thinly sliced beets, thick slices of tomatoes, or roasted red peppers could be added.
Salt + a Cucumber Sandwich
This cucumber sandwich is fairly easy to assemble, but there is one way to ensure your sandwich stays out of the soggy zone: Do not salt your cucumbers ahead of time! Cucumbers are a large part of water, and salt draws out the water. If you salt the cucumbers, your sandwich will turn soggy within minutes.
If I plan to pack this sandwich for eating later, I like to pack a small container of salt. Then, when I’m ready to eat, give the cucumbers a light sprinkle. Bonus points if it’s chile salt!
Charred Scallions
Finally, my last words of wisdom: don’t skip charring the scallions. Yes, regular scallions have a great flavor, but softening the small green bulbs and roasting the greens until they are brittle makes all the difference. The charred scallions are what make this sandwich simple!
If you don’t have scallions but want to make something similar, I recommend caramelized onions, grilled shallots, or a bit of garlic confit whipped into the cream cheese.
Charred Scallion Cream Cheese (makes enough for 6 sandwiches)
- 1 bundle of scallions (4oz, 115g)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- 8 ounces cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
- 2-4 tablespoons heavy cream
Sandwiches (ingredients needed per sandwich)
- 2 slices of bread
- ⅓ pound cucumber cut into ¼” thick slices
- 3-4 lettuce leaves
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To char the scallions: Position a rack roughly 5 to 6 inches away from the broiler and turn your broiler on. Trim the ends from the scallions, separate the whites from the greens, and place both on a sheet tray. Drizzle with olive oil and kosher salt, tossing to coat well.
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Place the tray under the broiler and roast until the whites are quite tender and the greens have blackened. If you find the greens are done well before the whites, use tongs to remove them and set them aside. Cook until you have plenty of crispy bits. This takes around 6 minutes under my broiler, but your oven makes a huge difference on time, so check often! Once the scallions are to your liking, remove them from the oven and let them cool.
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To make the cream cheese spread: Place the room temperature cream cheese in a food processor along with the whites and greens of the charred scallions and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Run until well combined and the cream cheese is lighter in texture. If the cream cheese still feels dense, add another tablespoon or two of the heavy cream and continue. Taste and add more salt if desired.
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To assemble the sandwiches: Spread a tablespoon or so of cream cheese on one piece of bread, layer with lettuce and cucumbers, and then spread another tablespoon of cream cheese on the top piece of bread before smooshing together.
As the post above notes, I wait to salt the cucumbers until I’m ready to eat. Your other option is to be a bit saltier with the cream cheese!
