I’m trying to ease my family into a more plant based diet, and these eggplant sandwiches make it a delicious transition. Eggplant is a vegetable that I gravitate towards often, but my husband isn’t a fan. I was trying to come up with an inventive way for all of us to enjoy it, and came up with this delicious recipe. The result was surprisingly satisfying, fresh as could be, and it earned me “that was tasty and interesting” from the Mr. (much better than the usual response, AND his plate was left clean). This would be fantastic with a side salad, on a ciabatta roll or even with a side of pasta if you’re not on a low carb diet.
Eggplant Sandwiches with Avocado & Tomato
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise
- 2 avocados thinly sliced
- 2 tomatoes
- 3/4 cup breadcrumbs dairy-free, gluten-free if needed
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1/2 all purpose flour
- salt and pepper to taste
For the pest:
- 1 cup basil chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 tbsp olive oil good quality
- 1/2 tsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp pine nuts optional
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F and spray a large cookie sheet with nonstick spray.
- Place flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs on three separate dishes good for dredging your eggplant. Dip the eggplant first in the flour, then in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs, covering all sides. Place on cookie sheet in a single layer.
- When all of the eggplant slices are coated, pop them in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden, flipping halfway through.
- While your eggplant is cooking, put all of the ingredients except the salt and pepper into a food processor and blend well. Give it a taste before seasoning with salt and pepper, because the nutritional yeast can be on the salty side. It should end up looking something like this:
- When your eggplant is done cooking, lay one piece on a plate. Smother a bit of pesto on top of the eggplant, then layer with sliced tomatoes, then avocados.
- Top with a grind or two of freshly ground pepper, then top with another slice of eggplant. Serve it with a nice side of mixed field greens or a salad.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @milkfreemom on Instagram and hashtag it #milkfreemom
You may also like my Tomato Avocado Salad or Poached Eggs with Tomato and Avocado
…so last night when I was posting my comment about the quinoa chili, I saw THIS sandwich and that’s what I had for dinner tonight! I would have never thought of anything like this ( and I had everything in my fridge)It was just so good! http://pinterest.com/pin/4503668348444552/ …you’re going to make losing weight a breeze for me!! Another winner!
Thanks, Jenn! So glad you liked it! I love eggplant so this is a favorite for me.
For the eggplant sandwich any recommendations to replace the egg for a vegan dish? Also gluten free bread crumbs?
Hi Crystal,
You could use a dairy free milk of your choice to replace the egg. Also, there are lots of gluten free breadcrumbs online at Amazon, but we’ve had good luck with Kinnikinnick Gluten Free Crumbs.