We like vegetables. Like, a lot. And if you’ve ever had a great veggie sandwich, you know just how insanely delicious they can be – against all odds. We understand when L.A. pals say they prefer Bay Cities’ infamous Godmother with all the meats and we can appreciate the virtues of Canter’s old-school reuben, but give us a sliced, maybe grilled, high stack of raw veggies on grainy bread and we’re in heaven.

According to us, one of the best veggie sandwiches in the city comes from the small and unassuming John’s Garden at the Malibu Country Mart. We’ve had veggie sandwiches every which way – grilled, wrapped, and smothered in goat cheese – but none of the versions we’ve tried compare to this little stack up for two simple reasons: pumpkin seeds and hummus.

Hummus or just a little smooshed avocado (we say both!) make incredible additions to a veggie sandwich and add enough fat to make the sandwich a legit lunch. Add to that creamy magic a thorough sprinkling of mineral-rich pumpkin seeds and you’ve got a lightly textured sandwich that can’t be beat.

If you’re a die hard vegan maybe you’re disappointed – you already eat seeds like a fat kid eats cake. Trust us when we say the secret sauce here is all in the combination of the hummus and seeds together (beneath a mile of sliced cucumbers and peppers). Here’s how we advise you make your next veggie sandwich below, inspired by John’s vegan “Veggie Delight” sandwich. Remember, with a simple raw recipe like this one, ingredient quality really counts!