Fresh tomatoes and basil over gooey melted mozzarella and roasted eggplant make this the best eggplant sandwich for a lazy summer day! No measuring required, it’s an easy sandwich recipe.
It’s the dog days of summer, people. We don’t want it to end, but it’s hot and we are kinda feeling too lazy to enjoy it. So let me put your mind at ease. This open-faced sandwich allows you to enjoy all of those end-of-summer tomatoes and everything that goes with them with very little effort. No cook, (sorta) no fuss, no guilt. I mean, right now I am almost too lazy to write this post. But you need to eat this sandwich, so I will carry on.
And this is really your last weekend to be lazy, because something switches on after Labor Day Weekend. Even though summer isn’t really over, tomorrow there will be a certain energy in the air that says fall. So let’s take advantage of this day, allow ourselves to be lazy, and relax.
This eggplant sandwich recipe is even lazy. No measuring, just handfulls and bunches and drizzles. And you could make that balsamic reduction, but let’s remember the theme here – laziness means I bought it at the Italian market.
Eggplant is outstanding on its own, but when you combine it with everything that makes a caprese salad so good – fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, balsamic vinegar – you’ve got yourself an eggplant sandwich that just might be the embodiment of summer.
So be lazy. Enjoy the last, lazy, crazy days of summer. No sweat.
Related recipes: For more sandwich recipes with an Italian twist, try my Salami Sandwich with Frico and Mostarda, or this Italian Steak Sanwich with Grilled Radicchio.
Eggplant Caprese Sandwich Recipe
1 medium eggplant
1 mini-baguette (or half a baguette)
6-8 slices whole milk mozzarella cheese
handfull of tiny tomatoes – cherry, juliet, yellow pear, etc
bunch of fresh basil
drizzle balsamic reduction
olive oil
Kosher salt
Slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch slices. Brush with olive oil and salt. (Some people tell you to salt the eggplant and let it drain in the colander for a while. I have never found this to make any difference either way in my cooking. If you prefer this step, by all means, go ahead. But remember, we are being lazy here…)
Place eggplant on a grill or grill pan, turning once, and cook through until soft. Set aside to cool.
In the meantime, slice tomatoes in half and slice basil leaves into thin strips. (chiffonade)
Slice baguette in half.
Layer eggplant slices on top of baguette and top with cheese slices. Place under the broiler until cheese begins to melt and bubble.
Top the eggplant sandwiches with tomato slices and sprinkle with salt. Drizzle with balsamic reduction, and sprinkle the basil over the top.
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant sliced into 1/4 inch slices
- 1 baguette small
- 6 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes or other small heirloom tomatoes
- fresh basil
- balsamic glaze
- kosher salt
- olive oil
Instructions
- Slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch slices. Brush with olive oil and salt.
- Place eggplant on a grill or grill pan, turning once, and cook through until soft. Set aside to cool.
- In the meantime, slice tomatoes in half and chiffonade the basil leaves. Slice baguette in half.
- Layer eggplant slices on top of baguette and top with cheese slices. Place under the broiler until cheese begins to melt and bubble.
- Top eggplant sandwiches with tomato slices and sprinkle with salt. Drizzle with balsamic reduction, and sprinkle basil over the top.
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