If you're looking to up your lunch game, then this Tomato and Aubergine Sandwich is just the ticket. Jammy aubergine and cherry tomatoes with salty olives on crusty sourdough with feta and basil - this is a simple but vibrant, filling lunch!
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Packed with Mediterranean flavours and so easy to make, this tasty sandwich is the most requested lunch in my house. It's great for using up any aubergine hanging around in your fridge at the end of the week.
The aubergine is cooked down with the cherry tomatoes to make a delicious ragu-style topping for the toasted bread. I add feta cheese to the bread, then top it with the veggies, add a few toasted pine nuts, basil leaves and a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil.
You'll be making this on repeat during the summer months when tomatoes are in season! Not keen on aubergine, then try my Tomato and Goat's Cheese Bruschetta, or my Garlic Mushrooms on Toast.
🙋♀️ What is an Open Sandwich?
An open sandwich is simply a single slice of bread generously piled high with toppings. There is no need to add another slice of bread on top, as the toppings are usually the star of the show! They are sometimes called tartines and are very popular in Scandinavian cuisine.
❤️ Why You'll Love This
- Bold Mediterranean Flavours - bringing you sunshine on a plate
- Great for Using Up Veggies - perfect for using ripe summer tomatoes and aubergines
- Really Easy To Make - This is a one-pan dish, no roasting or grilling needed.
- Very Adaptable - You can easily adapt this recipe to add in different vegetables.
🛒 Ingredients Needed
Please see the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and instructions.
👩🍳 Top Tips
- Use good quality, ripe tomatoes - This is very important, as the tomatoes bring acidity, flavour and sweetness to balance the earthy aubergine. I use Cherry tomatoes on the vine as they have more flavour.
- Be patient with the aubergine - The aubergine chunks need to brown and take time to break down into that jammy ragu-style topping.
- Serve immediately for best results - This really is best served warm on freshly toasted bread. You can serve the aubergine and tomato mixture cold too, but try it on untoasted bread.
Tomato and Aubergine Open Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon pine nuts optional
- 1 tablespoon olive oil more if needed
- 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 medium banana shallot (45g) finely diced
- 1 medium aubergine topped and tailed, then cut into chunks
- 200 g cherry tomatoes (on the vine)
- 1 clove of garlic thinly sliced
- 6 kalamata olives sliced
- ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ½ tablespoon tomato puree (tomato paste)
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground sea salt more if needed
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper more if needed
- ½ a lemon, the juice of
- 70 g feta cheese
- 2 slices of sourdough bread
- Basil leaves for garnish
- Extra olive oil for drizzle
Instructions
- If you're using the pine nuts, then toast them in the frying pan now and set aside.Then heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the chopped shallot and thyme leaves along with a small pinch of salt. Cook over a medium heat for a few minutes. Now add the aubergines and cook until the aubergine is starting to brown.
- Once the aubergine has softened, add the tomatoes and garlic and stir well. Once the tomatoes start to split from the heat, crush them with a wooden spoon to release their juices.
- Now add half a tablespoon of red wine vinegar, half a tablespoon of tomato puree, the lemon juice and a splash of water.Sauté the vegetable mixture until you have a thick, jammy mixture. Check the seasoning now and add more salt if needed.Remove the thyme sprig before serving.
- Toast the bread, and smash the feta over the bread.Add the topping to the bread, top with the pine nuts if using, add a couple of leaves of basil, and then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- Bread - I used sourdough bread for this recipe; you can use other breads, but I recommend toasting the bread.
- Topping - you can serve the topping warm or cold, it is best served warm though.
- Olives - I use kalamat olives for this sandwich, you can use black olives if you perfer.
- Weights and measurements - For US readers, I use Cuisipro measuring cups and spoons, and a Pyrex measuring jug for liquids. These are the industry standards. Cup/spoon volumes can differ from brand to brand. For accuracy, I recommend weighing all ingredients using a digital scale if possible, for the best results.
- Nutritional Information - is calculated using an online nutrition tool and is approximate. It does not include the drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Nutrition
🔁 Variations
- Spice It Up - Try adding a pinch of red chilli flakes to heat it up, or add a teaspoon of harissa to get a smoky spiced version.
- Turn It Into Brunch - Add a poached egg to turn this into a tasty veggie brunch dish!
- Add More Veggies - You could easily add some wilted baby spinach to this sandwich or add some chopped courgette to the pan when cooking.
💭 FAQs
Yes, you can. You can make the topping up to two days before serving. Once the mixture has cooled, keep it in the fridge in a covered airtight bowl until you are ready to use it.
I think that a good sourdough bread is best. Sourdough can hold up to the weight of the filling, and it gives you that extra texture once it is toasted.
To prevent the bread from going soggy, I would toast the bread just before serving and serve it immediately.
🥙 More Lunch Recipes
Tried this recipe? Leave a comment below and tell me how you topped yours!
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