Grilled eggplant combines with fresh mozzarella, peppery arugula and basil leaves in an easy sandwich recipe. Drizzled with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette, our Caprese Eggplant Sandwich is bursting with summer flavors.
You can serve this sandwich warm or at room temperature. Either way it is a most delicious vegetable sandwich!
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Grilled Eggplant Sandwich
Let me begin by explaining that here in Jersey we don't go to the beach. We go down the shore.
With that said, I recently went "down the shore" for the day with some of my foodie friends.
Now when you're hanging with foodies you don't just do PB&J and a peach for lunch! Heavens no!
We had an absolutely lovely day, with our toes in the sand, dining on hummus, salami, cashews, almonds, a variety of fresh fruits and, of course, this amazing grilled eggplant sandwich!
Grilled eggplant slices complement the balsamic vinaigrette, cheese, arugula leaves and fresh basil making this sandwich so delicious.
Add red onions for an added savory flavor.
These eggplant sandwiches just get better as they sit in the cooler and patiently wait for their grand entrance.
The balsamic vinaigrette permeates into each lovely layer making every bite a party in your mouth!
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How to make a caprese eggplant sandwich
Scroll down for the full recipe instructions and ingredient amounts in the recipe card below
- Preheat the grill for direct heat grilling.
- Brush both sides of eggplant slices with 1/4 cup olive oil. Grill until tender, about 4-5 minutes depending on the thickness,turning once; set aside.
- Combine the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon, kosher salt, garlic powder and sugar, until blended; reserve 1 Tbs. vinaigrette.
- Assemble the sandwiches by brushing the flat sides of the rolls with some of the vinaigrette and then layering eggplant, tomato, mozzarella, basil leaves and eggplant on bottom half of roll, brushing EVERY layer with some of the vinaigrette.
- Toss the arugula with the reserved 1 Tablespoon vinaigrette and place on top of eggplant.
- Top with the top half of the roll.
Swirls of Flavor Recipe Tips
- Don’t have a grill? Just sauté the eggplant in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until tender, turning once
- Wrap your eggplant mozzarella sandwich in plastic wrap and store in your cooler for tailgating, a picnic or a day down the shore. Sandwiches can be served immediately too
- Serve on your favorite rolls
- Add roasted red peppers
Substitutions
- No time to make a homemade vinaigrette? Just use your favorite bottled balsamic vinaigrette
- Substitute baby kale or baby spinach for the baby arugula
- Use your favorite cheese in place of the mozzarella cheese
- I love the texture of potato rolls, but you can easily serve on ciabatta rolls instead
- Give this eggplant sandwich recipe a Greek flair and replace the mozzarella cheese with feta cheese
- Replace the arugula with romaine lettuce
Storage
- Wrap the sandwiches with plastic wrap or in aluminum foil.
- I also place them in an airtight container for an easy way to take them to the beach
Side Dishes for Sandwiches
Easy sandwich recipes
Ingredients
Ingredients for grilled eggplant sandwich
- eggplant
- olive oil
- balsamic vinegar
- Dijon mustard
- kosher salt
- garlic powder
- sugar
- tomato
- fresh mozzarella
- fresh basil leaves
- arugula
- soft potato rolls
Related Recipes
- Cauliflower Grilled Cheese with Fig Jam and Cheddar
- Caprese Grilled Cheese
- Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons
Caprese Eggplant Sandwich Recipe
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Ingredients
- 8 slices eggplant about 12 ounces
- 1/2 cup olive oil divided
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 4 slices tomato
- 4 slices fresh mozzarella
- 8 large fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup packed arugula
- 4 soft potato rolls
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Instructions
- Preheat grill for direct heat grilling.
- Brush both sides of eggplant slices with 1/4 cup olive oil. Grill until tender turning once; set aside.
- Combine remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon, kosher salt, garlic powder and sugar, until blended; reserve 1 Tbs. vinaigrette.
- Assemble sandwiches by brushing flat sides of rolls with some of the vinaigrette and then layering eggplant, tomato, mozzarella, basil leaves and eggplant on bottom half of roll, brushing EVERY layer with some of the vinaigrette.
- Toss arugula with reserved 1 Tbs. vinaigrette and place on top of eggplant. Top with top half of roll.
Notes
- No grill? No worries! Just sauté the eggplant in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until tender, turning once.
- These sandwiches can be wrapped in plastic wrap for tailgating, a picnic or a day down the shore.
- They can also be served immediately.
- Any way you have them, they'll be fabulously delicious!
Delicious! The dressing was perfect. I used homemade ciabatta bread and mixed greens, it was devoured.