This roasted eggplant sabich is my version of the popular street food that is often considered a quick breakfast sandwich in Israel and Iraq! Just layer a pita with roasted red pepper hummus, perfectly roasted eggplant, cabbage, Israeli salad, lemon tahini sauce, crunchy chickpeas, and if you want, some butternut squash or sweet potatoes. It’s the falafel sandwich’s lesser known rival!

Pita with red pepper hummus, roasted eggplant, cabbage, Israeli salad, lemon tahini sauce, crunchy chickpeas, and butternut squash.

Leftover homemade pita is a gift to us all. Make it a vehicle for a bunch of scrumptious fillings and can I say breakfast or lunch goals?! I think so. Sabich is an Israeli-Iraqi hybrid that is a classic street food option. The name “sabich” is actually the name of its inventor, a man name Sabich Zvi! The sandwich came to be in the 1940s and 1950s, when Iraqi Jews fled their native land in the face of anti-Semitic violence. During this time, it became a typical blue-collar lunch.

The authentic version usually has eggs, parsley, pickles, and amba–a mango chutney that was added to the mix because of Iraq’s trade relations with India! But I made this a vegan version with ingredients I had on hand, so this recipe is my twist on the traditional version. Let’s break down the components of this roasted eggplant sabich.

The Rundown

1. Roasted or fried eggplant. I roasted some in the oven, along with some red bell pepper and

2. Hummus. Use whatever hummus you’d like, but once you try homemade I’m sure you’ll be obsessed. Make sure to use a smaller food processor (smaller than a Vitamix!) for the roasted red pepper hummus recipe I included here. I also recommend using cooked chickpeas, but canned will work too. If you’re using canned chickpeas and want a smoother hummus, consider boiling the canned chickpeas with 1/2 tsp baking soda for 15 minutes or so.

3. Israeli salad. I did not measure this and don’t think measurements are necessary for it. Just toss together chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, mint leaves (or parsley), lemon juice, olive oil, paprika, and sea salt.

4. Crunchy chickpeas. Just air fry them for 12 minutes or roast them alongside the eggplant and red bell pepper.

5. Lemon tahini sauce to tie it together!

Roasted Eggplant Sabich with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

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Servings 4

Ingredients

1 large eggplant, cut into ~ 1 inch cubes
1 red bell pepper
½ butternut squash optional
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
chopped cabbage
chopped cucumber
chopped tomatoes
mint leaves or parsley
1 tbsp lemon juice adjust to taste
1 tbsp olive oil adjust to taste

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

1 roasted red bell pepper see above
1.5 cups cooked chickpeas
2 garlic cloves
¼ cup tahini
1.5 tbsp lemon juice
¼ tsp sea salt
½ tsp red chili powder or cayenne
¼ tsp black pepper
4-6 ice cubes
4 tbsp chickpea cooking water or ice cold water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 F or air fryer to 400 F.
Cut eggplant and red pepper. And butternut squash if you want. Toss with garlic powder, oregano, paprika, sea salt, black pepper, and olive oil.
Add veggies to a baking sheet and bake for 18-22 min in the oven or for 12 min in the air fryer. Throw in some chickpeas tossed with a little olive oil, sea salt, and pepper to make them crunchy!
Process all ingredients for the hummus in the order listed to make it easiest. Add a few spoons of chickpea water or ice cold water until you are at desired texture.
Toss together the Israeli salad: cucumbers, tomato, mint leaves, lemon juice, olive oil, and sea salt. Add lemon juice, olive oil, and sea salt to taste!
Make sure your pita is warm. Spread hummus, then add cabbage, Israeli salad, eggplant, butternut squash if using, and crunchy chickpeas. Drizzle with lemon tahini sauce, which is basically just lemon juice, tahini, salt, and a little date syrup to sweeten.