Not eating meat doesn't mean that you can't enjoy amazing, hearty sandwiches, as proof I bring you this lovely Roasted Eggplant Vegan Sandwich.
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One thing most vegans, vegetarians, and meat-eaters agree on, is that eggplants are an amazing vegetable. It's so versatile, and there's so much we can do with it. This vegan grilled eggplant sandwich may be a thing you can serve at the table, and few people will thumb their nose at it.
If you live up north, these are the last days to fire up the grill and make try this vegan eggplant sandwich recipe. If you're lucky to live in La Tierrita, well any day (not raining) is a good day for it.
About this recipe
The idea for this sandwich came to me when I published my very-popular vegan avocado mayonnaise recipe. Yes, this recipe was written, tested, and photographed almost 8 years ago!
If you're not an eggplant fan (why?!), you can use a few large portobello mushrooms instead, which I found gave it a lovely meaty taste. You can also use another type of leaves instead of basil, but I loved basil in it.
And if you aren't vegan, and can't tolerate cheeseless sandwiches, add a slice of mozzarella or two. It's the cheese that goes best in this sandwich.
Buen provecho!
[Recipe] Roasted Eggplant Vegan Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon crushed garlic
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano, crushed
- Freshly-crushed pepper
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 large eggplants, , sliced diagonally
- 2 medium red onions, , cut into slices
- 2 large tomatoes, , cut into slices
- 4 mini-baguette loaves, , cut in half, lengthwise
- 1 cup packed of basil leaves
- ½ cup vegan avocado mayonnaise, (our recipe)
Instructions
- Preheat grill: Heat grill to high (about 400 ºF [200 ºC]). We want short cooking at high temperature to get grill marks without the vegetables turning mushy.
- Make seasoning: In a small bowl mix garlic, oregano, ½ teaspoon of pepper, 1 teaspoon of salt, vinegar, and oil. Stir to combine.
- Season vegetables and bread: Brush all the vegetable slices with the seasoning. Use the remaining seasoning to brush the inside of the bread loaf halves.
- Grill vegetables: Grill the eggplant 2-3 minutes on each side to get grill marks and slightly soft, but not mushy (we want a somewhat meaty texture). Grill the onions and tomatoes 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until you have some grill marks, but they're still somewhat firm.Place the bread, the inside towards the fire, and heat until they have grill marks.
- Assemble: Place an equal number of basil leaves on four of the bread loaf halves. Top with the grilled vegetables, and then the remaining bread. Serve alongside avocado mayo and extra salt and pepper so each person adds them to their taste.
Would love to try this! What would you recommend using instead of a grill? Would an oven work?