Possibly one of my favorite sandwiches of all time to make (both personally and professionally as a chef) is a traditional muffuletta. Not sure if it’s the freshly pressed bread or the combination of flavors layered inside – but what I do know is that once I put a plant-based spin on this recipe, I’d never have to miss out on this classic again. This recipe creates the tastiest muffuletta style sandwich I’ve ever consumed (and I’ve eaten A LOT). I hope you enjoy the process and the final product as much as I do!
Vegan Roasted Eggplant Muffuletta
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant
- Sea salt as needed
- 1 cup sundried tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp. chickpea miso paste
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- Water as needed
- 2 cups arugula
- ½ cup basil
- 1 Tbsp. mustard
- 2 Tbsp. mustard seeds
- 3 cups red wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- 2 red bell peppers
- 1 cup plant-based mozzarella
- 2 Tbsp. pepperoncini
- 1 tsp. capers
- 1 Tbsp. garlic puree
- ⅓ cup parsley
- 2 Tbsp. plant-based mayo
- 2 sourdough sandwich loaves
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
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Cut eggplant into ½-in. thick medallions. Transfer to bowl.
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Sprinkle liberally with sea salt and toss. Set aside for 45 minutes to an hour. Meanwhile, prepare remaining ingredients.
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Boil and rinse mustard seeds three times. After the final rinse, set seeds aside to dry.
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In pot, combine vinegar, honey and mustard seed. Simmer until the liquid is almost gone and seeds are creamy
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Arrange red bell peppers on baking sheet and roast in oven until the outsides blister. Transfer to bowl and cover with clean towel. Once cooled down a bit, peel off skin and remove seeds.
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In small blender, combine capers, mayo, garlic and parsley until chunky, creamy mixture forms.
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In high-speed blender, combine soft sundried tomatoes, maple syrup, chickpea miso, olive oil and lemon juice. Add water, a little at a time, and puree until marinade is thick, but still runny.
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When it’s time to return to eggplant, pat dry with towel and transfer to clean bowl. Pour marinade on top and toss to coat.
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Arrange marinated eggplant on baking sheet (avoid having them touch) and roast in oven until soft and charred. Note: All of the prep work up until this point can be done ahead of time.
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To assemble, slice a sandwich loaf of sourdough lengthwise. Hollow out bread. Chef’s tip: I like to take these pieces and dip them into the marinade as a snack.
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On the top half, spread on pickled mustard seeds. Then, on both halves, spread on caper mayo. On the bottom piece, layer on arugula and basil. After, layer on greens, pepperoncini and roasted peppers. Lay eggplant on top followed by plant-based mozzarella.
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Cover with top piece of bread, then wrap the sandwich in butcher paper, parchment paper or a clean dish towel. Cover with something heavy (like a big book or heavy pot) to flatten top. Let sit for 1-2 hours (if you can wait!) or slice into it now and serve.
Recipe Notes
Order the ingredients you need to make this recipe at Vitacost.com!
