Veggie Panini (Vegetarian)

veggie panini cut in half and stacked on top of each other

This melty, cheesy vegetarian panini is loaded with canned artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, basil and shredded fontina. Once you see how easy and delicious it is, this veggie panini is going to find a regular spot in your recipe rotation.  

veggie panini cut in half and stacked on top of each other

Why We Love This Veggie Panini Sandwich Recipe

This Italian-inspired panini is a great solution for a quick dinner or a weekend lunch. Make them when you are craving a deli-style panini or restaurant-quality pressed sandwich, but don’t want to leave the comfort of your own kitchen. There is even a wau to make them if you don’t have a panini press.)

These Veggie Paninis are made with Italian-inspired flavors requiring a few simple pantry staples, fresh basil and cheese. They are easily customizable for your favorite vegetarian ingredients and come together in minutes! 

Recipe Highlights

  • Only takes a few minutes to get on the table
  • Made with simple ingredients and shelf-stable pantry ingredients so you can keep the ingredients on hand for when you need a quick meal
  • Can make it with or without a panini press

Love Your Veggies!

If you are looking for more simple ways to add veggies to your menu, check out these veggie-packed recipes:

Key Ingredients for this Vegetable Panini

italian bread, fontina cheese, garlic, salt, basil, artichoke hearts, and sun dried tomatoes laid out to make vegetarian paninis
  • Artichoke Hearts: Use one 14-ounce can of quartered artichoke hearts. Drain them well.
  • Sun Dried Tomatoes: You’ll need half a cup of oil packed sun dried tomatoes. Drain them well and slice or roughly chop them.
  • Cheese: Use shredded fontina, Italian cheese blend or pizza cheese, and 8 thin slices of deli provolone.
  • Garlic: Peeled
  • Basil: Stems removed, roughly chopped.
  • Italian Bread: Use slightly softer Italian bread. Chewier rustic breads are too tough and will have the veggies spilling out of the sides.
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Coarse Kosher Salt

How To Make This Vegetarian Panini

preparing the griddle and mixing the vegetables

Step 1: Preheat Panini Press

Preheat your panini press to 400 degrees F. This is the panini press we have and love!

Step 2: Mix Together Veggies

Meanwhile, fit a food processor with the steel blade attachment. With the motor running, drop the peeled garlic through the feed tube and allow it to mince. Remove the lid and add the artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, basil and salt. Pulse everything together until it’s evenly chopped into small pieces, but not paste-like. Add shredded cheese and pulse once or twice to combine.

Alternatively, you can mince the garlic and chop the other ingredients by hand. Mix it all together in a medium-sized bowl.

brushing bread with olive oil and adding the veggie and cheese mixture to each piece

Step 3: Prepare Bread

Lay the Italian bread on your work surface and brush it lightly with olive oil. Flip it over.

Step 4: Add Provolone Cheese and Veggies

Lay a slice of Provolone cheese on each slice of bread and then divide the artichoke heart combination among four slices of bread. Close the sandwiches with the remaining four slices of bread. 

panini in a press

Step 5: Cook Panini

Cook two paninis in the panini press at a time until the bread is browned and the cheese is melted, which should take about 5 to 7 minutes. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches, and then cut them in half and serve hot.

How To Make a Panini Without a Panini Press:

If you do not have a panini press, heat a grill pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until it’s very hot. Place sandwiches on the hot grill pan or skillet and place a second heavy skillet over them to weigh them down and press them. Flip them over after the bottoms are browned, which should take about 3 minutes.

Cook the paninis on the second side until the bottoms are browned and the cheese is melted, which will take about 2 to 3 minutes. 

veggie panini with sun dried tomatoes and cheese cut in half with a side salad beside it

FAQs and Expert Tips For This Panini Sandwich Recipe

Can veggie paninis be made ahead of time?

The filling can be mixed and the fontina can be shredded up to 2 days ahead of serving. Then, right before serving you can assemble the mixture and cheese on your Italian bread and press the paninis. Note: chop the fresh basil leaves and add to the filling just before cooking.

What kind of bread is best for paninis?

We think a white loaf of Italian bread is the perfect texture for these paninis. We found that deli-style bread or sourdough was too chewy for the panini and the filling spilled out the sides. You could also try Pane Toscano (Tuscan bread), or Ciabatta. For more fiber try a soft whole wheat bread.

Variations To Try

  • Grilled or Roasted Veggies: Add your favorite veggies! Try with grilled zucchini or roasted portobello mushrooms. Try with jarred roasted red peppers (drained well), yellow squash, or caramelized onion.
  • Raw Veggies: Generally cooked veggies are better than raw in paninis but there are some exceptions: Creamy avocado, raw baby spinach and thinly sliced raw red onions are also great veggies to add to a panini.
  • Cheeses: You can also play around with different types of cheese, like mozzarella cheese paired with some tomato and basil for a Caprese panini.
  • Balsamic: Before adding the top piece of bread, add a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar.

Serving Suggestions

a veggie panini cut in half with cheesey strings pulling between the two pieces while sitting on a parchment covered chopping board

Additional Vegetarian Sandwich and Wrap Recipes To Try

Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!

Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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the panini on a plate with a garden salad on the side

Veggie Panini (Vegetarian)

  • Author: Katie Webster
  • Total Time: 20 mins
  • Yield: 4 sandwiches
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

These Veggie Paninis are made with Italian-inspired flavors. All you need are a few simple pantry staples, fresh basil, and cheese and they’ll come together in minutes! 

Ingredients

1 clove garlic, peeled

1 14-ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, drained 

½ cup oil packed sun dried tomatoes, drained and sliced or roughly chopped

1 small bunch basil, stems removed roughly chopped (.75 ounces)

Generous pinch coarse kosher salt

1 cup shredded fontina, Italian cheese blend or Pizza cheese

8 slices Italian bread

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

8 thin slices deli provolone

Instructions

  1. Preheat panini press to 400 degrees F.
  2. Meanwhile, fit food processor with steel blade attachment. With motor running, drop garlic through feed tube and allow to mince.  Remove lid and add artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, basil and salt. Pulse until evenly chopped into small pieces, but not paste-like. Add shredded cheese and pulse once or twice to combine. Alternatively, mince garlic and chop the other ingredients by hand. Mix together in a medium bowl.
  3. Lay bread on work surface. Brush lightly with olive oil. Flip over.
  4. Lay a slice of Provolone on each slice of bread. Divide the artichoke heart combination among four slices of bread, about 1/2 cup per sandwich. Close the sandwiches with the remaining four slices of bread. 
  5. Cook two panini in the panini press at a time until the bread is browned and the cheese is melted, 5 to 7 minutes. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches. Cut in half and serve hot.

Notes

Ingredient Note: We found that slightly soft Italian bread was our favorite for these paninis. Chewier rustic breads are too tough and the veggie filling spilled out the sides.

Tip: If you do not have a panini press, heat a grill pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the sandwiches and place a second heavy skillet over them to weigh them down and press them. Flip after the bottoms are browned, about 3 minutes. Cook on the second side until the bottoms are browned and the cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes. 

Make Ahead: The filling can be mixed and the fontina can be shredded up to 2 days ahead.

  • Active Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 5 mins
  • Category: Sandwiches
  • Method: Panini Press
  • Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

  • Calories: 504 cals
  • Sugar: 4 g
  • Fat: 26 g
  • Carbohydrates: 39 g
  • Fiber: 3 g
  • Protein: 25 g

Keywords: veggie panini, vegetarian panini, Italian panini, vegetable panini

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