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Sandwich spread
It must have been years since I last had sandwich spread. It’s such a shame!
This British classic of a mid 20th century teatime staple is delicious and brings back so many happy childhood memories of summer holidays and picnics at the beach!
The original jarred version has a fantastic blend of creaminess, a good tang and of course some crunch from the vegetables. Spread on white bread, it was the taste of childhood for many of us.
This homemade sandwich spread is every bit as good and comes with all the usual benefits of making your own.
It’s fresher, you can adjust it to your own taste and there are no ingredients that make you ask ‘what’s that?’. It also perfect for ex-pats who want an affordable taste of home.
I love this recipe, which has exactly the right balance of tang and crunch, thanks to my two secret ingredients!
Why make sandwich spread?
- It is easy and delicious
- Recreating a classic gives a huge sense of achievement
- Homemade is healthier than store bought
- It is packed with fresh and pickled vegetables
- It is adaptable
Homemade sandwich spread ingredients
To make this you will need:-
- Mayonnaise – Choose your favourite. I always get a full fat version.
- English mustard – You can’t taste this, but it adds something that you would miss otherwise. If you don’t have English mustard, add twice the quantity of any smooth mild mustard.
- Salad cream – From a bottle is convenient but you can also use homemade salad cream.
- Vegetables & pickles – You can vary these. I consider the celery, carrot and gherkins essential, and the others optional. Pick from the list below, aiming for a good variety of flavours and colour. You want fresh, firm, crunchy veggies, and nothing too watery.
- carrots
- bell peppers (I used red for the colour but any would do)
- spring onions (scallions) or chives
- capers
- radishes
- kohlrabi
- asparagus
- crunchy apple
- green beans
- Vinegar from the pickle jar – like the mustard, this is something of a ‘secret ingredient’. You won’t necessarily recognise that flavour but it makes a big difference.
Homemade sandwich spread recipe – step by step
Grab the ingredients.
Step one – Put the mayonnaise, salad cream and mustard into a medium mixing bowl, along with 2 teaspoons of vinegar from the jar of gherkins or pickles. Mix well.
Step two – Prepare the vegetables. Peel, cut into thin batons and then dice them as small as you can.
Fuss Free Tip
You need about twice the volume of chopped vegetables to dressing.
Step three – Throw the vegetables into the dressing, season with salt and pepper, and then mix well.
Step four – Decant into a jar with a good seal. Then store in the fridge and use within 3 days. Like many recipes, this tastes far better if you leave it for an hour or so before serving.
To really feel like a domestic goddess serve on homemade bread (try my soft and fluffy yogurt bread, or my no yeast bread) thickly spread with homemade butter!
Or serve as a dip with homemade tortilla chips or melba toast.
Sandwich Spread – hints, tips & FAQs
How long does sandwich spread keep?
Up to three days in a sealed jar in the fridge.
The spread will get a bit thinner after a day or so as the water comes out of the vegetables.
How can I change the flavour?
You can mix up the vegetables to suit what you have available and to take account of personal preferences. I think that the celery, gherkins and carrot are essential, but beyond that you can mix it up and even add some crunchy fruit! Just don’t use watery salad vegetables like cucumber or tomatoes.
For an upmarket variation, try adding a pinch of cayenne pepper for some heat, and/or a generous amount of chopped fresh herbs. Parsley, dill or coriander (cilantro) would all be delicious.
More dips & sandwich fillings
Easy Homemade Sandwich Spread
Ingredients
Sandwich Spread Sauce
- 3 tbs mayonnaise (full fat)
- 3 tbs salad cream
- 2 tsp pickle vinegar
- 1 tsp English mustard (or other smooth mustard to taste)
Vegetables (About one generous cup in total once chopped)
- 1 stick celery
- 6 small gherkins
- 1 small carrot
- ½ bell pepper
- 1 tbs capers
- 2 spring onions
- Other crunchy, non watery vegetables of choice
Instructions
- Put the mayonnaise, salad cream and mustard into a medium mixing bowl, along with 2 teaspoons of vinegar from the jar of gherkins or pickles and mix well.Â
- Prepare the vegetable by peeling, cutting into thin batons and then dicing finely. They need to be small, but not so fine they don't have any texture.
- Add the diced vegetables to the mayonnaise mixture, season with pepper and salt and mix well.
- Store in a jar in the fridge and use within 3 days.
Notes
- radishes
- kohlrabi
- asparagusÂ
- crunchy appleÂ
- green beans
Victoria
This really is the thing of seaside picnics of my childhood. What an amazing find, thank you so much.
Maggie T
I haven’t seen this in years and yet it is one of those sandwich fillers that just works. This recipe is actually nicer than shop bought, and I highly recommend it.