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Sandwiches of all kinds are perfect vehicles for vegetables, and I am always perplexed when I stand at a refrigerator case in an airport looking at the selection of sandwiches and see little more than a thin slice of tomato or lettuce here and there amid layers of cheese, tuna or chicken salad, roast beef and sandwich meats. Vegetables can take the place of those salty sandwich meats and cheeses. They also provide one way to reduce sodium in a sandwich, which is more effective than trying to reduce sodium in breads, which require salt for all sorts of reasons, palatability being just one of them.

Chefs refer to the ingredients you stack up in a sandwich as “the build.” This week I decided to make five sandwiches that include at least two vegetables each. I came up with a list of foods you could prep on the weekend to throw into sandwiches through the week, as well as foods to keep on hand in the refrigerator. This is by no means exhaustive. Keep in mind that small amounts of leftovers from dinner can make great sandwich fixings; that small portion of leftover roasted carrots? Save it for tomorrow’s lunch.

Vegetable sandwich builds:

Blanched kale or other greens (in today’s recipes)

Shredded raw kale

Pan-cooked mushrooms (in this week’s recipes)

Roasted carrots

Grated carrots

Roasted peppers

Kimchi

Shredded cabbage

Baby spinach

Baby arugula

Parsley pesto (in today’s recipe)

Chermoula

Georgian cilantro sauce

Baked seasoned tofu (in this week’s recipes)

Tomato, Kale and Mozzarella Sandwich With Parsley Pesto

You can use a country whole wheat bread for this sandwich, but what I really like to use is focaccia. Ciabatta works well too, sliced laterally. Items to make ahead: blanched kale and parsley pesto.

1 5×5-inch square of focaccia, preferably whole wheat, sliced in half laterally, or 2 slices whole wheat country bread

1 heaped tablespoon parsley pesto (see recipe below)

1 small roma tomato, sliced

3 thin slices (1 1/2 ounces) fresh mozzarella cheese

Freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup (1 ounce) chopped blanched kale, seasoned if desired (see recipe below)

A drizzle of olive oil (optional)

Spread the bottom half of the focaccia or the bottom slice of bread with pesto. Top with sliced tomatoes, and top the tomatoes with the cheese. Grind some fresh pepper over the cheese. Top the cheese with chopped blanched kale and drizzle on a small amount of olive oil if desired. Top with the other half slice of focaccia or bread and press down. Wrap in plastic until ready to eat.

Yield: 1 sandwich

Advance preparation: The blanched kale will keep for three days in the refrigerator. The pesto will keep for one to two weeks in the refrigerator. The sandwich will be good for a half day; keep in the refrigerator or in a lunchbox.

Seasoned Blanched Kale

Stem the kale and wash the leaves in 2 changes of water (not necessary if using bagged, cleaned and stemmed kale). Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add salt to taste and the kale. Blanch for 3 minutes, then transfer to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking, and drain. Take the blanched kale up by the handful and squeeze hard to expel excess water, then chop fine.

For seasoned kale, heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil over medium heat in a heavy, medium size skillet and add 1 to 2 minced garlic cloves. Cook until the garlic begins to sizzle and smell fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add the kale and salt and pepper to taste, and stir and toss in the pan for about a minute, until nicely infused with the oil and garlic. If desired, add 1 teaspoon each chopped fresh thyme and chopped fresh rosemary (for a 12-ounce bunch of kale) along with the garlic.

Parsley Pesto

2 garlic cloves, halved, green shoot removed, roughly chopped

Salt to taste

2 cups, tightly packed, flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon, tightly packed, mint leaves, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, as needed

6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

Freshly ground pepper (optional)

Turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop in the garlic. When it is chopped and adhering to the sides of the bowl stop the machine and scrape down the bowl. Alternatively, mash with a generous pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle. Add the parsley and mint to the food processor (or to the mortar and pestle) and process until finely chopped or grind to a paste. With the machine running slowly add the olive oil and process until the mixture is smooth (or slowly work into the mixture using a mortar and pestle). Stop the machine, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the cheese. Pulse to combine.

Yield: About 1/2 cup / 5 ounces/ 150 g

Advance preparation: This keeps for a week in the refrigerator and doesn’t lose its bright color.

Nutritional information per sandwich: 415 calories; 26 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat’ 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 34 milligrams cholesterol; 30 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 388 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 19 grams protein

Nutritional information per tablespoon parsley pesto: 104 calories; 10 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 milligrams cholesterol; 1 gram carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 67 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 2 grams protein

Martha Rose Shulman is the author of “The Very Best of Recipes for Health.”