Grilled Eggplant Sandwich

Just like grandma used to make, my grilled eggplant sandwich recipe is marinated, then grilled, topped with tofu feta cheese, pickled onions, tomatoes, Romaine lettuce, and drizzled with a lemony tahini sauce. You'll love this vegan eggplant sandwich recipe!

I love Greek food, so I often recreate my Greek grandma's recipes, like her grilled eggplant sandwich. Most kids aren't fond of eggplant, but when you grow up in a Greek family, you quickly learn to appreciate eggplant. My grilled vegan eggplant sandwich recipe is healthier than Grandma used to make, but it tastes just as delicious.

Jump to:

• How to Marinate and Grill Eggplant
• Other Cooking Options
• Vegan Grilled Eggplant Sandwich Ingredients
• Vegan Grilled Eggplant Sandwich Substitutions
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• Try These Summer Sandwich Recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

On Sundays, my grandparents took my sister and me to Greek Town in Detroit for the best Greek food I've ever eaten. In fact, before moving to Arizona, I spent many weekends visiting my favorite Greek restaurants as an adult.

Because I love Greek food and all the flavors and spices from my childhood, I enjoy making healthy Greek food for my family.

I decided to use grilled eggplant as the''meat'' for my sandwich recipe tonight. Eggplant has a great texture when prepared correctly.

How to Marinate and Grill Eggplant

• First, I sliced the eggplant evenly into two equal-sized slices using my mandolin slicer.
• Then, I salted the pieces to remove the bitterness of the eggplant. Then, I flipped it over and salted the other side.
• Although many people skip this step, salting the eggplant brings out the buttery taste while removing some of the water. Because no one likes soggy eggplant or a soggy sandwich.
• After about 30 minutes, rinse the salt from the eggplant.
• Then, marinate it in lemon, garlic, and some Greek spices.
• Once marinated, grill the eggplant slices on a 375-degree grill.

Even though I often use grilled mats, I prefer to cook eggplant directly on the grill for the beautiful grill marks. It takes about 4 minutes per side on low heat.

Other Cooking Options

Since everyone doesn't have a grill, other options exist for cooking sliced eggplant.

Baked Eggplant

• Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Follow the directions for salting, rinsing, and marinating.
• Arrange the eggplant and single layer on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Roast the eggplant in the oven for 10 minutes. Flip and roast for an additional 10 minutes.

Cooking Eggplant in a Skillet

• Cut, salt, rinse, and marinate the eggplant slices.
• Place the sliced eggplant slices in a large skillet on medium heat.
• Working in batches, add the eggplant slices in a single layer.
• Saute the eggplant for 3-5 minutes on each side until soft, browned, and caramelized.

Air Frying Eggplant

• Preheat the air fryer to 370°F.
• Again, cut, salt, rinse and marinate the eggplant slices.
• Place a single layer of eggplant in the air fryer and air fry for 10 to 15 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown, flipping halfway through cooking.
• Work in batches if necessary.

Vegan Grilled Eggplant Sandwich Ingredients

• Whole-grain Hoagie Buns: Most bread in the fresh bakery section of the grocery store is oil-free. And, if you want less bread, remove some of the bread from each side of the bun, and create a well for all the ingredients to fit inside.
• Eggplant: Eggplant has a flavor similar to summer squash or zucchini: tender, mild, and sweet with a slight vegetal bitterness. Eggplant will absorb the flavor of whatever it's cooked with.
• Lemon juice: I prefer fresh lemon juice. For additional lemon flavor, add zest.
• Garlic: Garlic has a unique, savory flavor that borders on spicy when raw and nutty when cooked.
• Oregano: Oregano's taste is sweet, spicy, and peppery.
• Salt: Salt brings out the umami flavors in recipes. A little salt is all you need.
• Pepper: Black pepper is delicious and has a range of different flavors.
• Tomato: Tomato flavor is commonly described as sweet, tart, tangy or balanced.
• Pickled Red Onions: I make my own pickled red onions. Pickled onions are tangy, a bit sweet, and crunchy all at the same time.
• Tofu Feta Cheese: I make my own tofu feta cheese. Vegan feta cheese adds a creamy, salty component to the sandwich.
• Romaine Lettuce: Romaine lettuce is crunchy and brings a freshness to the eggplant sandwich.
• Parsley: Parsley and eggplant go hand in hand. Parsley enhances the taste of eggplant, garlic, and lemon.

Vegan Grilled Eggplant Sandwich Substitutions

• If you don't like bread, try using lettuce as a bun or wrap.
• Choose pita bread or a wrap instead of a Hogie bun.
• If you don't care for eggplant, try portobello mushrooms or grilled zucchini instead.
• Substitute raw red onions or yellow onions for the pickled onions.
• Skip the tofu feta cheese if you avoid soy. Or purchase vegan feta cheese at your grocery store.
• Basil is an excellent substitute for parsley in this eggplant sandwich recipe.
• Try any lettuce or greens.

Tahini Dressing Ingredients

To complement the marinated grilled eggplant, I made a lemony tahini sauce.

• Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves bring a warm and earthy flavor to the dressing.
• Sea Salt: Sea salt offers a strong flavor and a less salty taste. Placing a small amount of this natural salt on your tongue offers a sweeter and pleasant taste after a while.
• Tahini (Middle Eastern sesame paste): Tahini isn't sweet like most nut butter; the nutty flavor and is earthy and can be a little bitter.
• Fresh Lemon Juice: I prefer fresh lemon juice for this dressing. If you use bottled lemon juice, add a couple of teaspoons more than if using fresh juice.
• Water: Water thins the dressing like an emulsifier.
• Dill: Dill has a deliciously fresh, citrus-like taste, with a slightly grassy undertone.
• Sumac: Made from the dried and ground berries of the wild sumac flower, sumac is a tangy spice with a sour, acidic flavor reminiscent of lemon juice. This fragrant spice is used to brighten up dry rubs, spice blends like za'atar, and dressings.
• Cumin: Rich and hearty, earthy and warm with an edge of citrus; Cumin adds instant depth to any dish. Use ground Cumin rather than whole Cumin seed in recipes where you want the flavor to disperse evenly throughout.

Tahini Dressing Substitutions

• If you are looking for a different sauce without tahini, I suggest using oil-free hummus. To make hummus similar to a sauce, add a little lemon juice and red wine vinegar to an oil-free hummus. Then, whisk together, and it thins it perfectly for an oil-free sauce option.
• Try replacing the tahini with an equal amount of peanut butter and sunflower seed butter.
• Or, try plain vegan yogurt, chopped roasted peppers, and kalamata olives blended.
• Sumac replacements range from lemon zest, lemon pepper, lemon juice, or vinegar to replicate the tart flavor of sumac.
• Substitute ground coriander for Cumin.
• Choose bottled lemon juice if fresh lemon juice isn't available.

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• Marinating and grilling the eggplant slices in advance saves time.
• Marinate, grill, and refrigerate the eggplant slices in the leftover marinade for extra flavor.
• When making the grilled eggplant sandwich, reheat it when broiling the bread in the oven.
• When lemons are in season, juice them and freeze them in ice cube trays to have fresh lemon juice all year round. It's convenient as wIt'sas inexpensive if you juice lemons in season.
• If you don't want bread, tIt's wrap, collard green, or large Romaine lettuce leaf, and add the same sandwich ingredients.
• Instead of tahini dressing, thin out some oil-free hummus with a couple of teaspoons of lemon juice and red wine vinegar. Whisk and use as a sauce substitution.
• Complement the grilled eggplant sandwich recipe by adding a salad with Mediterranean flavors and spices.
• If you want more vegan eggplant recipes, try my Vegan Eggplant Parmesan!

Try grilling some eggplant this weekend for this vegan grilled eggplant sandwich. It's a great summer sandwich!

Try These Summer Sandwich Recipes

If you love this vegan grilled eggplant sandwich recipe, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!

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