Sabich | Israeli Breakfast Sandwich

A man's hands holding a stuffed pita in sandwich paper.

4.60 from 25 votes

Sabich | Israeli Breakfast Sandwich

This mouthwatering vegan sabich is a twist on the traditional Israeli classic. Soft roasted eggplant, creamy legumes, sliced potato, crunchy pickles, Israeli salad and hummus combine in each flavour-packed bite.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Breakfast/Brunch, Sandwich

Cuisine: Israel

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 645kcal

Author: Amanda Logan

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.

Notes

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.

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.

Time-Saving Tip: buy pre-made tabbouleh instead of making your own Israeli salad. It's not traditional but it's quick and delicious.

Nutrition