Deconstructed Eggplant Sandwich

This twist on a regular sandwich with grilled eggplant, fresh tomato, arugula, pickled onions and creamy walnut aioli all on ciabatta bread is a recipe you will go back to over and over again. Enjoy as a meal, or an appetizer and remember, it’s heart healthy, nutrient dense, and delicious. 

Deconstructed Eggplant Sandwich

Ingredients: 

For Aioli:

• 1/2 cup walnuts

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 3 tablespoon avocado oil (walnut/canola/extra virgin olive oil work great too!)

For Pickled Onions:

• 1 red onion, thinly sliced 

• 1 cup warm water

• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

For Eggplant: 

• 1 medium eggplant

• 2 egg whites

• 1 teaspoon thyme

• 2 tablespoons avocado oil (do use avocado or canola oil here)

For Sandwich:

• Ciabatta bread, toasted

• 1-2 tomatoes, sliced

• 1/2 cup arugula

Directions:

1. First, prepare eggplant. “Sweating” an eggplant is a key step to cooking with eggplant in any recipe. This tenderizes the eggplant and minimizes the bitter taste. Having less moisture in the eggplant also helps it absorb less oil used when grilling the eggplant. Start by slicing the eggplant into 1/4-inch slices to a colander and set in the sink. Add a liberal amount of salt to the eggplant slices, ensuring each slice is salted. This will help to “sweat” the eggplant by pulling the moisture out. Leave to sit for about one hour. After one hour, rinse the salt off each eggplant slice and pat dry on paper towels. Leave to sit for another 30-45 minutes to reduce any excess moisture in order to avoid soggy eggplant.  

2. While eggplant is “sweating”, prepare the pickled onions. Combine warm water, apple cider vinegar, sugar and salt in a medium bowl and whisk together. Add red onions to the mixture and set aside. The longer the onions sit in the vinegar mixture, the softer and tangier they will be. 

3. Next, prepare walnut aioli. First, add walnuts to food processor and blend until fine. Add ground walnuts to a medium size bowl and then add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, minced garlic, and oil of your choice. Mix aioli well and set aside. 

4. Once eggplant slices have finished “sweating” and are dry after rinsing with water, prepare eggplant to be grilled. Separate egg whites in a bowl and add thyme. With a brush, spread egg white on sliced eggplant, coating both sides. By coating eggplant with egg whites, less oil needs to be used in the skillet. 

5. Add oil to a skillet on medium-high heat. Grill eggplant in skillet for a few minutes on each side, until light golden brown. Set eggplant slices aside. 

6. Toast ciabatta bread and spread aioli on toasted bread. Add arugula, grilled eggplant, sliced tomatoes, and pickled onions to create an open-face sandwich. Eat while it is warm and toasty and enjoy!

Recipe developed by Hannah Hobson,dietetic intern in the Individualized Self Study Program at California State University, San Bernardino.