Open-Faced Grilled Eggplant, Red Onion, and Heirloom Tomato Sandwiches with Creamy Celeriac Sauce

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Open-Faced Grilled Eggplant, Red Onion, and Heirloom Tomato Sandwiches with Creamy Celeriac Sauce

Jennifer Martiné

1 hr total
50 mins prep

Recipe Filed Under
Tofu, Tomato, Eggplant, Bread, Onion, American, Broiling, Barbecue & Grilling, Easy, Vegetarian, Nut Free, Vegan, Main Dish, Sandwich, Lunch

Provided By: Kitchen Daily Editors

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SOUNDTRACK: “Summertime” by John Coltrane from My Favorite Things

BOOKS: Mindful Loving by Henry Grayson, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of Your Dreams by Deepak Chopra

While a slice of rustic bread supports the vegetables on this open-faced sandwich, grilled eggplant is the real foundation. Grilled eggplant has a sweet, smoky flavor and would be delicious eaten alone. But I layer tangysweet grilled onions and ripe, seasonal heirloom tomatoes into the mix to add beautiful colors and additional flavors that meld well with the buttery eggplant. Right before serving, the sandwich is brightened with Creamy Celeriac Sauce.

If you can’t grill, the eggplant and onions can also be cooked in an oven. Just place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet 3 to 4 inches from the heat and broil for 3 to 4 minutes, until browned and slightly crisp. Turn them with a fork and broil for another minute or so. After removing the vegetables, place the bread under the broiler for about 1 1/2 minutes per side, until lightly browned.

Recipe courtesy of The Inspired Vegan: Seasonal Ingredients, Creative Recipes, Mouthwatering Menus by Bryant Terry, 2012. Published by Da Capo Lifelong Books.

Ingredients

Serves:

CREAMY CELERIAC SAUCE:

1/2 pound silken tofu

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon agave nectar

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon paprika

A few pinches of cayenne

Coarse sea salt

Freshly ground white pepper

1/4 cup minced green onions (green and white parts)

1/2 cup loosely packed peeled and coarsely grated celery root (celeriac)

SANDWICHES:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 medium-size eggplant (about 1 pound), sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch rounds

2 medium-size red onions, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch rounds

4 heirloom tomatoes, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices

1 loaf of rustic bread cut diagonally into eight 1/2-inch slices

Freshly ground white pepper

Directions

For the sauce: In an upright blender, combine the tofu, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the parsley, garlic, agave nectar, mustard, olive oil, paprika, cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and blend until smooth. If necessary, season with additional salt and pepper to taste

Transfer the sauce to a bowl, stir in the green onions and celery root, and garnish with the remaining parsley.

For the sandwiches: Preheat a grill or broiler. Soak eight 12-inch wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, salt, cayenne, and black pepper and mix well with a fork.

Add the vegetables to the bowl and toss to coat.

If grilling, thread the onion slices onto two skewers each. Transfer the onions and the eggplant rounds to the grill and cook, turning once with tongs, until browned and slightly crisp, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

After turning the vegetables, add the bread to the grill. Cook, turning once, until crisp and golden on the surface but still soft inside, about 4 minutes.

Assemble the sandwich by layering a slice of eggplant, a slice of tomato, and several slices of onion. Slather on some celeriac sauce, then sprinkle with salt and pepper before serving.