Sub roll halved with layers of 'melty' leeks, cream cheese, pickled carrot ribbons, and watercress, on a plate.

Sub Rolls with Pickled Slaw

Elevate your lunch with sautéed "melty" leeks, tangy pickled carrot ribbons, and peppery watercress. Perfectly nestled inside a soft, rich Hovis Buttermilk Sub Roll for the ultimate vegetarian sandwich experience.

A blue pack with Hovis on reads '4 Buttermilk Rolls' with 4 soft rolls inside.

Made with Hovis® 4 Buttermilk Sub Rolls

Preparation time: 7 mins

Cook time: 5 mins

Serves 1 person

Ingredients

1 Hovis Buttermilk Sub Roll
1 medium leek (use only the white and light green parts)
A large handful of watercress (stems are fine, they have great crunch!).
2 tbsp Cream cheese
1 tbsp Butter or Olive oil.
A pinch of salt and cracked black pepper for seasoning
Optional: A drizzle of honey or balsamic glaze.

Tip

If your watercress feels a bit wilted, soak it in a bowl of ice water for 2 minutes before drying it. It will "snap" back to life and give you maximum crunch against the soft leeks!

Method

Thinly slice the white and light green parts of the leek into rounds. Give them a quick rinse in a bowl of water to remove any garden grit, then pat them dry.

Hands slicing fresh leeks into rounds on a wooden cutting board, surrounded by whole leeks and a grey kitchen towel.

Heat the butter or oil in a small pan over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and a pinch of salt. Cook them slowly for about 5–8 minutes until they are very soft and translucent. You don’t want them crunchy; you want them "melty."

A person pours oil from a glass carafe into a skillet filled with chopped leeks on a modern glass stovetop.

While the leeks cook, peel the outer skin off your carrot and discard it. Then, keep using the peeler to shave the rest of the carrot into long, thin ribbons. Stop when you get to the woody core.

A person uses a Y-shaped peeler to remove the skin from a bright orange carrot over a wooden cutting board.

In a small bowl, whisk together the white wine vinegar, a spoonful of honey salt until the solids are mostly dissolved. Add your shaved carrot ribbons to the bowl. Use your fingers or a fork to toss them thoroughly so every ribbon is coated. Let the carrots hang out in the liquid for at least 5 minutes (this is the perfect time to finish sautéing your leeks). You’ll notice the carrots becoming slightly more flexible and vibrant in color. When you’re ready to build the sandwich, lift the carrots out with a fork, shaking off the excess liquid.

A white ramekin filled with thinly shredded, vibrant orange carrots sits on a rustic wooden surface.

Slice your sub roll in half. Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on both the top and bottom pieces of bread.

A person uses a butter knife to spread creamy white cheese onto a sliced multi-seed baguette roll.

Now time to assemble! Spoon the warm, buttery leeks onto the bottom slice. Then, lift the carrots out with a fork, shaking off the excess liquid. Drizzle balsamic glaze over the carrots now. Finally, stuff a layer of fresh watercress into the top half of the bread so it sticks to the cheese. Close the sandwich and give it a firm press with the palm of your hand. This helps the flavors meld and makes it easier to take a big, crunchy bite!