Why Sandwiches From A Restaurant Taste So Much Better Than Yours

There is no need to settle for dry, boring sandwiches when there are plenty of tips and tricks to level up your sandwich game or steps to take to ensure that you build a sandwich that doesn’t fall apart. Still, what most people forget about are the greens. Dry greens thrown in between your fillings won’t cut it if you’re after restaurant standard sandwiches. Lindsey Baruch, content creator and recipe developer of @‌lindseyeats, and Lexi Stahr, sous chef at Lucky Charlie, spoke with Chowhound for an exclusive on making a sandwich that elevates the taste to restaurant-level.

Dressing your greens is a simple and ideal trick to keep your sandwich juicy and bursting with the types of flavors that make you the designated household sandwich-maker. The trick lies in layering the flavors and textures. Stahr explains how greens make or break a sandwich: “Greens are often the light, acidic part of a sandwich, and even a little lemon, olive oil, and salt will balance out your bite and completely change the eating experience. But sometimes greens are more of a protective barrier to add texture, or it simply doesn’t make sense for the sandwich”.

Dressing your greens is not only about the texture, but also the seasoning. Without dressing your salad, you can expect a bland set of greens which are far from restaurant-worthy. Dressing your greens also results in the other vegetables in your sandwich absorbing that flavor. Baruch recommends a few simple additions to upgrade your sandwich greens, such as using “salt and a dressing, such as olive oil and lemon juice”. Other ingredients to consider when dressing sandwich greens are Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, pepper, and pickle brine. 

The truth is, not all greens can be dressed prior to adding them to your sandwich creation. Lindsey Baruch warns that you’ll want to watch out for romaine lettuce and spring mixes when it comes to dressing the salad ahead of time, as they are more prone to wilting. Instead, she recommends little gem lettuce, which is likely to resist the wilting too quickly. 

Other things to keep in mind include how far in advance you’ll prep the dressing. Baruch suggests about 10 to 15 minutes as the sweet spot for most greens. For hardier greens like kale, mustard greens, or collard greens, you’ll be able to dress them a day ahead. Remember that one of the best ways to prepare a kale salad dressing is by massaging it with your hands (and maybe take some inspiration from this easy kale Caesar salad recipe). Oh, and if you’re prepping a sandwich ahead of time (say overnight), Baruch says you’ll want to completely skip out on dressing your greens for a truly satisfying, non-soggy bite into your sandwich.

Lexi Stahr also recommends being mindful of the type of sandwich you’re making when deciding whether or not to dress your greens in the salad. They note that sandwiches that you intend to warm up (like melted subs) won’t be best for dressed greens. If you prioritize a crispier texture over a mouthful of well-dressed greens in your sandwich, Stahr also recommends leaving the dressing out of the equation.