Many people struggle with food options when they’re new to veganism. And as we decided to start eating more plant-based meals last year, I honestly had no idea how to make even the simplest things vegan! Things like sandwiches! With the massive amount of info available online, a few cookbooks, and then I was trained as a vegan chef. I now know how to make epic vegan food that is not just healthy and delicious but is also really satisfying. When you decide to go on a plant-based diet or have plant-based days, you start looking at plants in a whole different way. In the past, I felt like eating plants meant just eating a salad. Now, I find plants so filling and satisfying and there are so many different ways to cook with them to create full meals.
Vegan Sandwiches
This simple and seriously tasty vegan eggplant sandwich is a good example. Most people want good bread in a sandwich, some kind of meat, cheese or/and sauce and perhaps a few lettuce leaves. This vegan sandwich has it all but in a plant way! I mean, eat all the plants! The smoky aubergine/eggplant resembles the meat, the vegan mayo is the sauce and together with the smoky eggplant gives you the cheese effect, the tomatoes add tartness and softness to the sandwich, and finally, the cucumbers and rocket/arugula leaves add the freshness and the crunch. The most important thing though? Use fresh good quality bread!
Vegan Eggplant Bacon
To make the vegan bacon using eggplants, you will need to make the marinade and brush it over the peeled, sliced, and pre-soaked eggplant slices. To make the marinade, you will need:
Olive oilSoy sauce or tamari sauce for gluten-freeAgave syrup or maple syrupSmoked paprikaA pinch of saltGround black pepper
Mix all of the ingredients in a small bowl, then brush the marinade over the eggplant slices. Bake on a baking sheet for 20 minutes or so, or shallow fry and pat dry on kitchen towel paper.
How to Make a Really Good Vegan Sandwich With Eggplant Bacon?
Start by slicing the panini or ciabatta bread in half lengthwise. Spread a layer of vegan mayonnaise, add a layer of smoky eggplant slices, followed by tomato slices, cucumber slices, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and finally, top with rocket/arugula leaves and cover with the other half of the panini or ciabatta bread. Cover with some foil, then toast the sandwich in a grill. Once you take it out, cut in halves (cut through the foil) if you’re going to have it right away. Or leave it packed in foil to take to work, a picnic or just have it later. Another vegan sandwich filling that I LOVE is this tempeh bacon, it’s smoky, delicious, and so good!
More Great Eggplant Recipes
Here’s a list of my best eggplant recipes:
Middle Eastern stuffed eggplantsVegan eggplant sandwichEggplant and chickpea curryBaba ganoushFesenjanMtabbal eggplant dipEggplant cinnamon jam
For more tasty vegan recipes, check out my vegan category page. © Little Sunny Kitchen
