Roasted Eggplant Sabich Bowl

Though a pita stuffed with freshly-fried falafel will always have a place in my heart (and on my dinner table), there’s another Middle Eastern sandwich that has totally won me over. It’s called sabich, and it’s packed with flavorful goodies.

The street food sandwich starts off with a pita, which is then swooshed with hummus and stuffed with fried eggplant, hard boiled egg, Israeli salad, tahini sauce, and an assortment of condiments. Kudos to anyone who can eat one without making a complete and utter mess. I myself cannot, which is why I’ve deconstructed it and turned it into a hummus bowl. (I’ll also use any excuse to eat out of a bowl).

I’ve also simplified things a bit — though without sacrificing flavor. The eggplant is roasted instead of fried, and as a nod to the cabbage often added to the sandwiches, I’ve put coleslaw on the sheet tray, too. Using store-bought coleslaw lets you skip the fuss of shredding a head of cabbage, and leaves less waste. Both veggies become caramelized in the oven: tender with crispy edges. When they’re done, you’ll toss them with some crunchy pita chips. After all, it’s not a sabich without pita.

As the veggies roast, you’ll whip up a fresh tomato-cucumber salad and a three-ingredient tahini sauce. Then boil some jammy eggs. (You can fully hard-boil them if you like, but I prefer the softer yolks. Besides, it’s okay if the yolks are a bit runny. This isn’t a sandwich anymore!) Now all that’s left is assembly.

This meal is absolutely doable on a weeknight. If you get the eggplant in the oven quickly, you can make everything else as it roasts, and the whole thing will come together in under an hour. That said, it requires a lot of hands-on time. Why not make it easy on yourself and prep most of it in advance?

The tomato-cucumber salad will last in the fridge for at least three to four days — simply drain off any liquid it releases before serving. You can make the tahini sauce directly in a lidded jar, which makes storage easy. It will last all week in the fridge. You can even cook the eggs ahead of time, too. Keep them in their shell, then peel and slice them just before serving.

The roasted eggplant mixture is best warm from the oven, but it perks up just fine if you decide to reheat it — though you should expect a little less crispiness to the veggies. Just be sure to hold off on adding the pita chips until you’re ready to serve, so they don’t get soggy.

Try this bowl as-is, then start experimenting. You can bulk up any leftovers with quinoa. Or, hey, stuff all the ingredients into a pita, if you wish. It’s good like that — if a little messy.

Whether you eat plant-based full-time or want to go meat-free once a week, Tonight We Veg will bring you the feel-good vegetarian meals you crave. Once a month, in addition to our existing lineup of great veggie recipes, we’ll share easy weeknight recipes that prove how diverse produce-forward food can be, each packed with smart tips we’ve picked up over the years. Cook along with us, and share your creations using #tonightweveg.