Smokey E(ggplant).L.T. Sammy
For this week’s featured recipe, our inspiration came from a newsletter (via The Bittman Project) that suggests different ways to use up your late summer tomatoes. In it, Mark Bittman shares an eclectic variety of tomato-y recipe recs and storing tips. We’re making a few minor adjustments to the vegetarian BLT he shares, and we hope you’ll love it as much as we do. You can also click here to check out our “making the sandwich” instagram reel.
In order to make this fully plant-based, we’re sharing an additional recipe for a vegan paprika aioli that I developed a few months back, which I share on my personal newsletter, here. If the idea of making your own aioli doesn’t interest you, no sweat! There are plenty of vegan mayos out there (such as this brand & this brand), and you can easily doctor it up by adding grated garlic and paprika to create the smoky paprika aioli that gives this sammy that extra pizzazz. We’re sharing suggested measurements below.
Smokey E(ggplant).L.T. Sammy
—
Yields: 2-3 sandwiches
Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant, thinly sliced
1 medium heirloom tomato, thinly sliced
a few leaves of your choice of lettuce (we’re using butter lettuce)
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
dash of smoked paprika
salt & pepper
avocado (optional)
sliced bread, lightly toasted
a few tablespoons of vegan paprika aioli (or your preferred mayo/aioli)
Directions:
Step 1
To roast eggplant: Line 1-2 pans with aluminum foil, then pre heat oven to 400 degrees F. Generously coat both sides of your sliced eggplant with olive oil. Place eggplant onto the pan and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika on each side. Then, depending on the thickness of your sliced eggplant, bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are lightly browned.
Turn down your heat to 325 degrees F, and bake for another 5-10 minutes, until the pieces are quite dry and easy to remove from the foil.
Step 2
Gather the remaining ingredients: While the eggplants in the oven, slice your tomato, tear a few pieces of lettuce, and slice your (optional) avocado. After roasting the eggplant, allow it to cool down slightly. Toast your bread, then spread a generous amount of paprika aioli on both slices.
Assembly
Assemble your sammy by creating (at least) 2 layers of ELT with one layer of (optional) avocado. I start with the avocado layer first, then add tomato, then eggplant, then lettuce; then one more layer in that order: tomato, eggplant, lettuce.
Vegan Paprika Aioli
—
Yields: approx. 10 oz
Ingredients:
240g firm tofu (about 1/2 of a 15oz container)
1/3 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 tsp paprika (plus more if needed)
3 cloves garlic, grated
2 tsp spicy grainy mustard
1/2 tsp salt (smoked sea salt if you have it! I used this brand)
pinch of black pepper
Directions:
Add all ingredients into a blender and blend for 1 minute. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides, then blend again for another 2-3 minutes to achieve that ultra creamy rich consistency.
Side-note: If you choose to ‘doctor up’ your mayo of choice, simply add 2-3 cloves of grated garlic, 2 tsp paprika, and a dash of pepper to 1 cup of mayo.
Enjoy!
Photography, Food Styling, and Recipe Development by Renee Sandoval
