Yuba Verde Sandwich From Superiority Burger

I love the yuba verde sandwich from superiority burger. It’s the closest vegetarian approximation of deli meat I’ve had and also references a Philly Italian Pork Sandwich which is delicious and filled with broccoli rabe. I adapted this from my memory and also the intro paragraph to the Bittman Project’s knock-off, but I haven’t read that full recipe because it’s paywalled. My version adds cheese instead of a bean spread as well as mayo, so it’s def not vegan, but arguably more delicious. I’ve also used kale instead of broccoli rabe which is easier to eat in a sandwich, though I did miss its bitterness.

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette / yuba marinade

• 1.5 cups olive oil
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• 1 tbsp capers
• 1/6-1/4 of a preserved lemon
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2-3 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 cup packed parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

For the broccoli rabe:

• 1 bunch brocolli rabe
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper

For the kale (if using instead of brocolli rabe):

• 1 bunch kale
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 lemon
• salt and pepper

For the yuba:

• 1 pack of yuba (5 oz)

For assembling the sandwich:

• kewpie mayo
• cento hoagie spread
• 1.5 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese.
• 2 heros
• other optional goodies (sliced tomatoes, pickled carrots, etc.)

Instructions

Make the vinaigrette and marinade the yuba:

• Combine vinaigrette ingredients in a blender and pulse until its creamy and a nice light green color. Add salt and pepper, blend, and taste until it’s right.
• Pour a bit of vinaigrette in the bottom of a medium-size tupperware container. Separate the sheets of yuba and layer one sheet at a time pouring vinaigrette between each sheet like you were assembling a lasagna. Reserve the leftover vinaigrette.
• Let the yuba marinade in the fridge for at least an hour.

Make the broccoli rabe:

• pre-heat the oven to 400-425
• toss the broccoli rabe with olive oil and salt and pepper
• bake for ~ 20 minutes. you might want to take the leaves out sooner or else they’ll burn.
• before assembling the sandwiches you might want to roughly chop the brocolli rabe so it’s easier to eat.
• NOTE: you can save some time by baking the brocolli rabe with the yuba

Make the kale (if using instead of broccoli rabe):

• cut out the kale stalks
• roll the kale up and cut it into thin strips
• dice the garlic and set aside
• heat the oil (on high) in a pan until it’s smoking
• add the kale and stir for about a minute until it changes color
• add the garlic and stir for 15-20 seconds
• squeeze the lemon juice over the kale and stir to incorporate
• turn off the heat and add salt and pepper to taste
• remove from the pan and set aside

Make the yuba:

• pre-heat the oven to 400-425
• lightly grease a baking sheet (you might need two) and lay the yuba out so no sheets are overlapping
• bake for ~10 minutes until the yuba starts to bubble up off the pan and turn light brown
• finish under a broiler on high until the yuba has some brown spots, but don’t let it burn! this step helps give the yuba the taste and texture of smoked meat

Toast the bread and melt the cheese:

• lightly brush olive oil on each half of the heros
• cover the top half in grated cheese
• place in the oven for 3-4 minutes
• NOTE: You can save a bit of time by doing this while the yuba is browning under the broiler, but just put the bread on a lower rack.

Assemble the sandwich

This is only my suggestion. Assembling a sandwich is a personal journey:

• On the bottom half of the hero, lather mayo and hoagie spread.
• Stack up the yuba on top.
• Place the kale/broccoli rabe on top of the melted cheese
• Optionally add other goodies on top of the yuba (sliced tomatoes, spicy pickled cucumbers, whatever you like!)
• drizzle some of the vinaigrette marinade on top of the yuba and kale/broccoli rabe.
• put the two halves together.

Eat!