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    Home » Recipes » Vegetarian/Vegan Meals

    Grilled Eggplant Halloumi Sandwich

    May 13, 2017 By Monika Last Updated July 28, 2021 22 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    This easy to make grilled eggplant sandwich with halloumi cheese is a deliciously satisfying lunch idea both vegetarians as well as omnivores will love. Ready in under 20 minutes.

    Side view of eggplant sandwich cut in half on top of paper.

    My original idea for this recipe was to create a veggie burger using eggplant but in the end I decided against it.  You can try to replicate a meat burger recipe by chopping, mincing and shaping vegetarian ingredients into round patties, but this is often labour intensive.

    So instead I grilled slices of eggplant (often considered a ‘meaty’ vegetable) along with intensely savoury halloumi cheese and created a filling and delicious vegetarian sandwich, perfect for summer.

    Why you will love this recipe

    • Grilling the eggplant does not require a lot of oil, 2 tablespoons should be enough for 1 large eggplant. So this recipe is pretty low in fat.
    • You can serve this sandwich using your favourite sauce - see Serving Suggestions below.
    • It's filling, healthy and delicious!

    Eggplant sandwich ingredients

    There is a lot of flexibility as to what ingredients you can use in this recipe.  Grilled eggplant and halloumi pair well with tomatoes, but you can use a red pepper instead if you prefer.  I added a handful of arugula leaves but baby spinach or any other salad leaves would work too.  

    I usually season the eggplant before grilling it but as I am also using halloumi cheese (which is very salty) in this recipe I only sprinkled a little garlic powder over the eggplant slices.

    Eggplant sandwich ingredients on top of black tray.

    How to prepare the eggplant

    Outdoor grilling is fun but is often reliant on good weather so I tend to do indoor grilling using a griddle pan.  This can produce excellent results if you follow a few simple rules.

    To prepare the eggplant cut it into about 1 cm thick slices, brush both sides with a little oil and season with garlic powder. (If I wasn't using halloumi in this recipe I would also sprinkle a little salt over the eggplant). 

    5 eggplant slices on top of white plate.

    Ensure the pan is hot before you place the eggplant slices in it.  Then lower the heat and cook the slices for about 5 minutes on each side.  The trick is to cook it long enough so it's tender inside while nicely browned on the outside.  That's why it's important to grill the slices over a fairly low heat.

    Once your eggplant slices are tender you can increase the heat towards the end of cooking to get nice brown markings (this may not be needed).

    4 grilled eggplant slices in griddle pan.

    Assembling the recipe

    1.Once you have grilled your eggplant lightly grease and heat up the griddle pan to prepare the halloumi cheese.  Grill the halloumi over a medium heat for about 2 minutes on each side. The cheese will soften as it heats up so be careful turning it over - it may tear.

    3 slices of grilled halloumi cheese on top of black platter.

    2. Assemble the sandwich immediately (the halloumi will harden as it cools) by creating layers of salad leaves, eggplant, halloumi and tomato slices.  Add a dollop of your favourite sauce (see Serving Suggestions below), cover with the other bread slice and enjoy!

    Side view of open eggplant halloumi tomato sandwich on top of paper, with grilled eggplant slices and tomato in background.

    Expert Tips and FAQs

    • Do not overcrowd the griddle pan.  Fry the eggplant over a fairly low heat so it has time to cook through without becoming brown too quickly.  Grill the halloumi briefly over a medium heat.
    • Prepare the halloumi when you are ready to assemble the sandwich.  Grilled halloumi should be served immediately as it becomes tough and chewy as it cools.
    • What bread to use: Any! Use burger buns, ciabatta bread, regular bread and even wraps to make your sandwich.
    • Grilled eggplant can be served hot or cold.
    • Not suitable for freezing.

    Serving suggestions

    What I really love about this eggplant sandwich is that it can be served with a variety of sauces.  It's equally delicious with healthy ranch dip and homemade bbq sauce.  Or you can give it a Mediterranean twist and serve it with avocado pesto sauce or a drizzle of homemade sun dried tomato pesto. 

    Top down view of open grilled eggplant and halloumi sandwich with tomato on top of paper.

    You might also like

    • Simple Roasted Eggplant (Baba Ganoush)
    • Vegan Beets Quinoa Burgers
    • Vegan Stuffed Eggplant with Quinoa in Tomato Sauce
    • Sweet Potato Burgers (Vegan, Gluten Free)

    You might also like my post on how to eat more veggies for breakfast as well as this collection of healthy vegetarian pasta meals.

    Keep in touch!

    If you made this grilled eggplant sandwich I'd love to know how it turned out for you. What sauce did you serve it with? Let me know in the comments below, thanks:)

    Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for regular recipe updates! Or you could subscribe to this blog and receive all my latest recipes right into your mailbox!

    Side view of eggplant sandwich cut in half on top of paper.

    Grilled Eggplant Halloumi Sandwich

    This easy to make grilled eggplant sandwich with halloumi cheese is a deliciously satisfying lunch idea both vegetarians as well as omnivores will love. Ready in under 20 minutes.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Lunch
    Cuisine: vegetarian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 305kcal
    Author: Monika Dabrowski

    Ingredients

    • 1 large eggplant cut into 1cm/⅓in thick slices
    • 14.11 ounces (400 g) halloumi cheese cut into 8mm/¼in thick slices
    • 2 large tomatoes sliced
    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • ⅓ teaspoon garlic powder
    • 4 servings bread ciabatta, burger buns, white, whole wheat, wraps etc
    • Handful of arugula for serving or baby spinach/other salad leaves

    Instructions

    • Cut the eggplant into about 1 cm thick slices, brush both sides with a little oil and season with garlic powder. (If I wasn't using halloumi in this recipe I would also sprinkle a little salt over the eggplant).
      Ensure the pan is hot before you place the eggplant slices in it.  Then lower the heat and cook the slices for about 5 minutes on each side.  The trick is to cook it long enough so it's tender inside while nicely browned on the outside.  That's why it's important to grill the slices over a fairly low heat.
      Once your eggplant slices are tender you can increase the heat towards the end of cooking to get nice brown markings (this may not be needed).
    • Once you have grilled your eggplant lightly grease and heat up the griddle pan to prepare the halloumi cheese.  Grill the halloumi over a medium heat for about 2 minutes on each side. The cheese will soften as it heats up so be careful turning it over - it may tear.
    • Assemble the sandwich immediately (the halloumi will harden as it cools) by creating layers of salad leaves, eggplant, halloumi and tomato slices.  Add a dollop of your favourite sauce (see Serving Suggestions below), cover with the other bread slice and enjoy!

    Notes

    • Do not overcrowd the griddle pan.  Fry the eggplant over a fairly low heat so it has time to cook through without becoming brown too quickly.  Grill the halloumi briefly over a medium heat.
    • Prepare the halloumi when you are ready to assemble the sandwich.  Grilled halloumi should be served immediately as it becomes tough and chewy as it cools.
    • What bread to use: Any! Use burger buns, ciabatta bread, or regular bread and even wraps to make your sandwich.
    • Grilled eggplant can be served hot or cold.
    • Not suitable for freezing.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 305kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Sodium: 1211mg | Potassium: 408mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 539IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 1016mg | Iron: 1mg

    *Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.

    **A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.

    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @Monika8021 or tag #EverydayHealthyRecipes!
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    1. Cheri Mello

      June 03, 2019 at 5:41 am

      5 stars
      This Looks GREAT!👍🏼❤️ Thank you for Sharing!!😊 G-d Bless ❤️

      Reply
      • Monika

        June 03, 2019 at 7:32 am

        Thank you!

        Reply
    2. Jacqueline Meldrum

      May 22, 2017 at 10:14 pm

      They look great, a bit like modern sloppy joes. Thanks so much for submitting them to Meat Free Mondays. I loved them so much I featured it this week. The roundup is now live.

      Reply
    3. turkswhoeat

      May 22, 2017 at 6:12 pm

      What a great take on a veggie burger!

      Reply
      • Monika

        May 22, 2017 at 6:38 pm

        Thank you! Glad you like this idea:)

        Reply
    4. Jhuls

      May 20, 2017 at 10:58 am

      I just had eggplants few minutes ago, but I think I'd love another eggplant dish. This looks really fabulous, Monika. I could have this everyday. Thank you for linking up to this week's Fiesta Friday party.

      Reply
      • Monika

        May 20, 2017 at 11:08 am

        Thank you Jhuls, I love eggplant dishes too:)

        Reply
    5. Life Diet Health

      May 19, 2017 at 12:53 pm

      Monika what a fab idea! I was intrigued to know how you made a burger out of imam bayildi - something I would never have considered! ? Recipe still sounds authentic though so ?from me☺ I think we'll try this soon... thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday ☺

      Reply
      • Monika

        May 19, 2017 at 1:55 pm

        Thank you! So glad you like the recipe, I was trying to stick to the imam bayildi idea as much as possible.

        Reply
    6. Honest Mum® (@HonestMum)

      May 17, 2017 at 12:15 pm

      Oh yummy, adore this. Imam Bayildi is a fave of mine x

      Reply
      • Monika

        May 17, 2017 at 2:10 pm

        Thank you! Glad you like the recipe:)

        Reply
    7. joskitchenlarder

      May 16, 2017 at 12:37 pm

      Love the idea of having grilled aubergine in place of meat burger! And the puy lentils stew... I wouldn't mind having it on its own with a side of basmati rice 🙂 Beautiful dish!

      Reply
      • Monika

        May 16, 2017 at 4:05 pm

        Thank you! The beauty of vegetable recipes is that you can enjoy them in so many ways. Thanks for stopping by:)

        Reply
    8. Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie

      May 15, 2017 at 4:47 pm

      What a lovely alternative to the traditional veggie burger - I love aubergines and puy lentils, so I am pretty sure I would really love these! Thanks for linking it up to #CookBlogShare 🙂 Eb x

      Reply
      • Monika

        May 15, 2017 at 6:28 pm

        Thank you! So glad you like the recipe:)

        Reply
    9. All That I'm Eating

      May 15, 2017 at 10:19 am

      These sound amazing - I love lentils and aubergine. It's sort of like a veggie sloppy Joe!

      Reply
      • Monika

        May 15, 2017 at 10:29 am

        Thanks! Yes, it is a bit like that:)

        Reply
    10. Mandy Mazliah

      May 14, 2017 at 8:20 pm

      This sounds amazing Monika - what a brilliant idea! I would be so happy with this as a veggie option.

      Reply
      • Monika

        May 14, 2017 at 9:19 pm

        Thanks Mandy! I've been eating mostly vegetarian food lately and this was great for lunch the other day.

        Reply
    11. Zeba@Food For The Soul

      May 13, 2017 at 11:05 pm

      I could have this all day...Just beautiful!

      Reply
      • Monika

        May 14, 2017 at 7:49 am

        Thank you! So glad you like the recipe:)

        Reply

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