Every week, I try to incorporate one vegetarian or vegan dish in my weekly menu. A big part is the very small impact it has on the environment… my dinky part as a meat-eater! Another reason is that generally, if done right, vegetarian and vegan dishes are just so much more healthy for you! And lastly, because I want to keep expanding my son’s palate, so when he goes off into the big, wide world, he will continue to explore all that it has to offer and not shun away because something may seem different!
However, trying to come up with new things each week can be trying! Not that there isn’t a plethora of recipes out there, but because I still have to walk the fine line of pushing new bounds while also ensuring that the food will actually be eaten! If my son had a say, vegetarian night each week would be falafels, which are certainly healthful and delicious… but rather redundant. I also don’t want to just toss some pasta together and say “vegetarian!” Even if it is vegetarian… again, too many great recipes out there! (And obviously, I certainly do turn to pasta as an option occasionally!)
I feel like I generally do a pretty good job diversifying my Meatless Monday menu… even if it means picking my vegan friend’s head or my semi-vegetarian BFF’s thoughts (again, I’ll let her explain that!). But, every once and a while, the perfect meal/recipe/dinner pops into my head and everything else quickly falls into place!
So, I have always been a fan of grilled vegetarian sandwiches. For my Chicago readers, some Portillo’s locations also have Barnelli’s… for my non-Chicago readers, Portillo’s is a fast food restaurant that serves some of the best hot dogs and Italian beefs around. Barnelli’s offered pasta, salad, and, what I always ordered, these delicious vegetable sandwiches!
Even the one time I visited my BFF when she lived in North Carolina, we went to a sandwich shop that had such a delicious vegetable sandwich. If a vegetable sandwich is done right, you certainly do not miss the meat!
I have always loved eggplant and portobello on any vegetable sandwich I’ve order. So, from there, it wasn’t difficult to piece together a delicious vegetarian dish to highlight on Meatless Monday! Full disclaimer! My husband would not stop talking about this sandwich for days after I made it!
So, obviously there are a ton of different veggies you can throw on a sandwich. And I have my favorites for both cooked and raw veggie sandwiches. As I said, I love eggplant and portobello on my sandwiches, and that’s where I started for this recipe. They’re perfect winter vegetables! And, they immediately made me think “Mediterranean.” Obviously not everything on this sandwich is screaming Mediterranean, but the general taste is going for that region!
Now, you have two options… you can venture out into the cold and cook all these veggies up on your grill. Or, you can stay warm and safe inside and cook them on your stovetop. I cooked the onions and roasted red peppers in my cast iron pan and the rest, simultaneously, on my cast iron griddle pan. Super easy!
The two things that took this sandwich over the top though were, first, my homemade leaf lard bread, and second, the spread! My homemade leaf lard bread is the perfect texture and perfect flavor for this sandwich, so I highly recommend making it! If you don’t though, no worries! Just find a delicious round crusty bread at your local market. Or even a large baguette! I sliced up the bread and toasted it under the broiler for about 1 to 2 minutes per side.
The spread is delicious! Made with creamy goat cheese, feta, sun-dried tomatoes, and lemon zest and juice all whipped together in a food processor… this spread will become your new addiction, and I can’t think of anything better to accompany Mediterranean vegetables! Except topping the vegetables off with a balsamic glaze!
My husband ate this as a full sandwich, while I opted to eat it as an open-face sandwich with a fork and knife… less messy, less carbs… just as delicious! Whichever way you prefer, you do you! This dish is so healthful and super easy to make. And this is one Meatless Monday dinner that your kids will not hesitate eating!
Let me know what y’all think! Enjoy!
Mediterranean Grilled Vegetable Sandwich with Sun-dried Tomato Whipped Goat Cheese
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 sandwiches 1x
- Category: Mediterranean
- Cuisine: Dinner
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Vegetables
1 small eggplant, peeled on two sides and sliced about ½” thick
2 large portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 avocado, sliced
1 large red onion, sliced
12 oz jar of roasted red peppers, drained
2 cups arugula
salt & pepper
Balsamic Glaze
2 TBs balsamic vinegar
1 TB olive oil
½ TB fresh oregano, chopped
½ – 1 tsp red pepper flakes
3 garlic cloves, minced
large pinch salt & pepper
Whipped Goat Cheese
4 oz garlic & herb fresh creamy goat cheese
6 oz feta
5 oz. sun-dried tomatoes, leaving about ½ TB oil reserved
zest & juice of 1 lemon
pinch of salt & pepper
Bread
Leaf Lard Bread, recommended ~ otherwise, store-bought round loaf ~ 4 large slices cut off
Instructions
Grill the Vegetables
Heat the grill or a griddle pan over medium heat. Spray with grill non-stick spray. Cooking in batches, if necessary, grill the eggplant, mushrooms, and avocado until dark grill lines form ~ about 3 to 4 minutes per side for the eggplant & mushrooms and 2 minutes per side for the avocado. Remove and place on a plate ~ cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
Meanwhile, heat a cast iron pan over medium heat and spray with the non-stick spray. When hot, add the onions and cook, stirring often, until lightly charred ~ 8-10 minutes. (Note: use the spray and not olive oil for a faster char ~ olive oil will sauté the onions and will take longer to get the desired consistency). Remove the onions from the pan and plate with the other vegetables. Add the roasted red peppers and cook until heated through ~ about 3 minutes.
Lightly season the vegetables with salt and pepper.
Make the Balsamic Glaze
In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, oregano, red pepper flakes, garlic, and salt & pepper. Set aside.
Make the Whipped Goat Cheese
In a food processor, add the goat cheese, feta, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon zest & juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend until thoroughly combined and the cheese is thoroughly whipped. Set aside.
Assemble
With the grill still over a medium flame or with the oven broil set to high and the oven rack on the second highest position, place the slices of bread on the rack. Toast for about 1 minute per side. If using the oven broiler, I recommend toasting two slices at a time with the bread toward the middle of the rack, for more even toasting.
Cut each slice in half. Smear the whipped goat cheese over one half. Layer on the eggplants, mushrooms, avocado, onions, roasted red peppers, and about ½ a cup of arugula. Lightly drizzle over the balsamic glaze. Top with the second half of bread… ALTERNATIVELY, keep this as an open-faced sandwich and eat with a fork and knife ~ less carbs, just as delicious 😉.
Keywords: meatless Monday’s, meatless Monday, meatless Monday recipes, Mediterranean vegetables, Mediterranean grilled vegetables, Mediterranean grilled vegetable sandwich, whipped goat cheese
