Harissa Eggplant Picnic Sandwich

Most of the time the vegan sandwich selection at delis leaves a lot to be desired. But not anymore, because we’re skipping the takeout and making this Harissa Eggplant Picnic Sandwich instead! It is the perfect sandwich for your next lunch outing. The eggplant is coated in a harissa sauce before being roasted until crispy. It is then layered on toasted ciabatta with pesto, tahini sauce and LOTS of veggies. This sandwich is delicious and packed with flavor!

Step One: Make the Harissa Eggplant

Ok, there is a lot going on in this sandwich. But the star of the show is this harissa eggplant. It adds flavor and crunch to the sandwich. And I know harissa looks spicy, but it adds the tiniest kick, nothing super spicy!

Start out by slicing and salting the eggplant. The salt will remove any bitter flavor and the stored liquid from the eggplant. Just sprinkle some salt on the eggplant and let it sit for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, you will see moisture on top of the eggplant. Grab a paper towel and wipe off the liquid and the salt.

While the eggplant is being salted, add harissa paste, soy sauce, oil and dry seasonings to a bowl. Mix to combine and set aside.

Transfer the eggplant slices to a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush both sides of each slice with a light layer of the harissa sauce. Place in the oven on the middle rack for 15 minutes. Flip and cook for another 5 minutes. The eggplant should have a slight crunch, but shouldn’t be too charred.

Step Two: Make the Tahini Sauce & Prep the Veggies

While the eggplant is roasting, we are going to prep everything else. For the tahini sauce you will need:

• tahini
• lemon juice
• dijon mustard
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• dried parsley
• dried chives
• dried dill
• pepper

Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine. Add water to thin and adjust the seasonings as needed. Set it aside.

To prep the veggies, drain a jar of roasted red peppers and dry the peppers off with paper towels. Once dry, sliced into strips.

You will also need, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, arugula, avocado & sprouts. Having everything ready to go will make assembly a lot easier!

Step Three: Assemble & Serve

When the eggplant comes out of the oven, turn the oven to broil. Cut the ciabatta load in half lengthwise and spray with a little oil. Place under the broiler for a couple minutes, or until toasted.

Place the toasted bread on a cutting board and spread the pesto on the bottom half of the ciabatta. Top with the avocado chunks and gently press the avocado into the pesto. Add the eggplant slices, red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, arugula & sprouts. Spread some of the tahini sauce on the top slice of ciabatta and close the sandwich.

Gently press the sandwich down before slicing it into 5 pieces. Serve the sandwiches with any leftover tahini sauce on the side.

If you are taking these sandwiches on the go, wrap each one in parchment paper to keep them put together.

You are going to have this sandwich on repeat all spring and summer…it’s that good!