Make this mouthwatering Sabich for a vegan twist on the traditional Israeli breakfast sandwich. With roasted eggplant, potato, creamy legumes and a fresh Israeli salad, it's easy to make, great for food prepping and lick-the-plate delicious.
This recipe was originally posted on May 21, 2016 and updated June 13, 2021 with process images, ingredient substitutions and recipe shortcuts.
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If you love vegan shawarma or my vegan Reuben sandwich, you are going to love this Israeli breakfast sandwich.
What is Sabich ?
If you haven't tried a sabich sandwich you are in for a treat.
Sabich or Sabih is a vegetarian Israeli street food made by stuffing pita with fried eggplant and hard boiled eggs. Traditionally the sandwich also has pickles, tahini sauce, hummus, cabbage and Israeli Amba sauce. Some versions - like the one I'm sharing today - use potatoes.
Sabich is traditionally a breakfast food but you can enjoy it any meal of the day.
Why We Love This Recipe
This vegan sandwich is a taste explosion bursting with texture and flavour. Hands down, this sabich is one of our favourite things to eat.
How to Eat Sabich
A word on etiquette. Sabich is a meal. A real meal. Not a snack, not a light lunch. A meal.
It is messy, drippy, oozy and packed with wonderful flavour. Think trying to eat a mango without any utensils and one hand tied behind your back. But better! The etiquette is there is no etiquette. Ignore the stares, take a huge bite and whatever you do, don't mention the glob of hummus on your chin.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Eggplant. I use two medium-size globe eggplants but you can use Italian (use 3).
Legumes. Depending on what I have in the pantry, I make my sabich with either cooked chickpeas or white beans. The legumes are smashed together with mayonnaise, black salt and a little harissa to mimic the texture of traditional eggs.
Potatoes. Choose a potato that is good for boiling. I use Ruby Lou potatoes from my local store but Sebago and Desiree will work too. Northern hemisphere friends can use Yukon Gold or Red Bliss.
Israeli Salad. Israeli salad is simply made with chopped cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, mint, parsley, lemon and olive oil. If you don't have cherry tomatoes, dice a large ripe tomato instead.
Time-Saving Tip. Buy pre-made tabbouleh instead of making your own Israeli salad. It's not traditional but it's quick and delicious.
Amba Sauce (optional). A staple Israeli condiment, amba sauce is made with pickled mango. You'll often find it served on sabich but I don't tend to use it. If you'd like to try it, Amy at "What Jew Wanna Eat" has a great quick amba sauce recipe.
Harissa. Harissa is a North African (Tunisia) chilli paste made with chillies, citrus, oil and warming spices. It is slightly smoky, slightly sweet, with a hint of tang. Harissa can be found in the international aisle of some supermarkets but you may have to check online or at speciality grocery stores. In a pinch, I have used sriracha - it doesn't have the smoke but you'll get a little heat.
You could also try a good dollop of Shatta chilli paste too.
Step-by-Step Guide
You'll find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
While there are a few elements in Sabich, they all come together at the same time.
For the Eggplant
Step 1. Pre-heat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Slice the eggplant globes in to 1-inch slices and pop them in a large bowl. Massage the slices with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and pop them in the oven for around 30-minutes, turning them over half-way.
For the Potatoes
Step 2. While the eggplant is roasting, peel the potatoes and pop them in a saucepan with enough cold water to cover them by an inch. Salt the water with a good pinch of salt and bring it up to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10-minutes or until you can pierce the potato with a fork. Strain the potatoes and set them aside to cool. Once cooled, slice then in to 1cm slices.
Make The Israeli Salad
Step 3. For the Israeli salad, cut your cherry tomatoes in to eighths, cut the cucumber in to small cubes, dice the onion and chop the mint and parsley. Combine all the ingredients, including the lemon, olive oil and salt and pepper in in bowl. Taste and adjust as needed.
To Make The "Egg" Mixture
Step 4. In a medium bowl, mix together the beans/chickpeas, mayonnaise, kala namak and harissa paste together, mashing some of the legumes as you go.
Assembling the Sabich
Step 5. To make sabich, smear a good dollop of hummus on one side of a pita. Cover half the pita with a layer of sliced potato. Slice the pickled cucumber in to ½ cm slices and lay them over the potato using a whole pickle per sandwich. Spoon 2 tablespoons of white bean mix on to the pickle.Add 2-3 tablespoons of cooked eggplant.Add a few heaped tablespoons of the salad and fold the pita in half and serve.
And that's it. This recipe makes enough for 4-5 good-sized sabich making it perfect for meal-prepping or a family meal. It's healthy, quick, full-bodied and so, so delicious. Full of creamy textures mixed with the acidity of pickles and an Israeli salad, this is a classic you'll want again and again. Enjoy, x.
FAQs
If you use gluten-free pita and the Israeli salad - rather than tabbouleh - you can make a gluten-free sabich.
Sabich is great to make ahead and meal-prepping. The fillings will keep in separate containers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Sabich is pronounced "saab-eeck" - "saab" like the car and "eeck" has a kind of guttural sound to it. You can hear it here.
More Vegan Sandwiches to Try
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Make This Recipe
Sabich | Israeli Breakfast Sandwich
Ingredients
For the Vegetables
- 2 medium globe eggplants or 4 small
- pinch sea salt
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 potatoes see recipe notes for varieties
For the Israeli Salad
- 1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes around 12 tomatoes
- 1 Lebanese cucumber diced, or a small English cucumber
- ½ red onion peeled and diced
- ½ cup fresh mint well chopped
- ½ cup flat-leaf parsley well chopped
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- zest of 1 lemon
- lemon juice begin with the juice of ½ a lemon and add to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
For the "Egg Mixture"
- 400 g canned white beans or chickpeas drained and rinsed well
- 3 tablespoon vegan mayonnaise
- ¼ -½ teaspoon harissa paste more if your like it hotter
- ¼ teaspoon kala namak (Indian Black Salt) (optional)
To Finish
- 4 whole dill pickles sliced
- 5 pita bread pockets
- ¾ cup hummus
- Amba sauce (optional)
- harissa or hot sauce
Instructions
For the Eggplant
- Pre-heat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Slice the eggplant globes in to 1-inch slices and pop them in a large bowl. Massage the slices with olive oil making sure to coat them all well. If you need more oil, add it. Season the eggplant with salt and pepper and pop them in the oven for around 30-minutes, turning them over half-way. We want the eggplants soft in the centre and beginning to golden. Remove them from the oven when done.
For the Potato
- While the eggplant is roasting, peel the potatoes (cut them in half if they are large) and pop them in a saucepan with enough cold water to cover them by at least an inch. Salt the water with a good pinch of salt and bring it up to a boil over high heat. Reduce the water to a simmer and cook for 10-minutes or until you can pierce the potato with a fork. Strain the potatoes and set aside.
- When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice them in to 1cm (½-inch) thick rounds.
For the Israeli Salad
- To make the salad, cut your cherry tomatoes in to eighths, dice the cucumber, finely dice the onion and chop the mint and parsley well. Combine all the ingredients, including the lemon, olive oil, and salt and pepper in a bowl and stir well. Taste and adjust as needed.
For the "Egg" Mixture
- In a medium bowl, mix together the beans/chickpeas, mayonnaise, kala namak and harissa paste together, mashing some of the legumes as you go.
To Assemble the Sabich
- Slice the dill pickles in to vertical slices around ½ cm thick.
- Lay the pitas out on a board or plate to build the Sabich sandwich and smear a good amount of hummus on to each bread.
- Cover half the pita with a layer of sliced potato.
- Lay sliced pickle over the potato and spoon a few tablespoons of the "egg" mixture on to the pickle followed by 2-3 slices of eggplant.
- Add 2 heaped tablespoons of the Israeli salad. Add Amba sauce (optional) and hot sauce (also optional).
- Fold the pita in half and serve.
Jen says
So I have a question. I’m not a huge egg lover so I don’t feel the need to reproduce them . Would you suggest adding pain chick peas or leaving them off altogether? Thank you!
Amanda says
Hi Jen. Perhaps add some chickpeas or white beans for added protein. They will also give the sabich more texture - toss them through the Israeli salad before popping them in your sandwich 🙂
Kat Varcoe-Cocks says
Absolutely delicious. I love this sandwich, anything with a pickle in it for me - but this was next level. Thank you again.
Peter says
Sabich is one of my favourite things to eat. This vegan version is epic. I didn’t have Amba sauce but I am going to try it next time. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
LOU Barrett says
Most vegan meals have tofu if you dont like tofu or soy what do you make.
Amanda says
Hi Lou, sorry for the delayed response. I have a tonne of recipes here without tofu. You could try chickpeas, lentils, young jackfruit (bought in a can), oyster mushrooms. They are all great ingredients to use.
I hope that helps! A.
Owen says
How would store this recipe to meal prep?
Amanda says
Hi Owen,
I would store the elements separately in smaller containers if you have them. The bean mix and the tabbouleh will both keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Hummus keeps well - usually 4 - 5 days after opening. I hope that's helpful. A.
Hollie says
This is the best sandwich I think I’ve ever made. I will say that if you’re planning to make the tabbouleh and hummus from scratch then it gets labor intensive but it was super worth it.
Amanda says
That's so cool Hollie! I am so glad you liked it. I cheat pretty much every time I make this and buy the tabbouleh. I always have hummus on hand but we eat that by the truckload here. Thanks so much for taking the time to write. I really appreciate it x
Daniel says
This looks delicious!
This might be something I could pack for lunch, in lieu of my usual tuna salad sandwich as I try to reduce animal products in my diet.
Amanda says
Hi Daniel,
Thanks so much! This Sabich sandwich is one of the first sandwiches I posted and still one of my favourites. You can prep a lot of the ingredients on a Sunday and make it a couple of times during the week. I hope you make it and well done for making the choice to reduce animal products from your diet. It's great for your health and the planet 🙂 If you ever need any help, just drop me a line.
Renee says
LOL! No worries. I’m just glad that I don’t have to go searching for some “exotic” ingredient! 🙂
Amanda says
Nope! Thank goodness! 😉
Renee says
What is 1/2 cup "heaped" beans??
Amanda says
Hi Renee. I have no idea! I am sorry, it is just 1/2 cup of white beans. I changed my recipe program a wee while ago and I must have missed a typo in the transition. So sorry for the inconvenience. I hope you enjoy the sandwich. Cheers, A.
Tristin says
I'd never heard of a Sabich sandwich until I tried your recipe!! I'm now a believer!!!
Amanda says
Hiya, Tristin! Do you know what, lady? I haven't made a sabich in AGES and you've inspired me to make them for dinner tonight. Thanks so much! I am so happy you like them. Amanda, x. ps. I just checked out your blog and it's fabulous!
Yeet says
How many calories?
Amanda says
Under the recipe section now. I am updating all my recipes to include nutrition. Thank you!
Ashirah says
Yaaaaasssss! This looks awesome! I will be making this fire lunch today!
Amanda says
Yayyyy! I hope you love it.
Vee says
Looks so yummy!! I'm making it for lunch tomorrow
Amanda says
That's awesome, Vee. I hope you love it. Thanks so much for your lovely note.
steven says
Bloody brilliant. Delicious stuff right here, gonna make it again
Amanda says
That's awesome, Steven. I am so glad you like it. I love this sandwich too. Thank you!
Coley says
I love this idea! They look so yummy and healthy. Can't wait to give them a try! 🙂
Amanda says
Thanks so much Coley! I love this sandwich, I hope you do try it.
Anne says
This sandwich looks absolutely wonderful!! Love the twist too 😉
Amanda says
Thanks Anne. I had trouble photography this - I just wanted to eat it!