A fabulous, vegetarian sandwich for tailgating, picnicking, lunch or party. Italian Pressed Sandwich is easy to make and feeds a small crowd! Similar to my Grilled Veggie Sandwich with Pesto Mayo, this recipe is make ahead ready. This recipe is vegetarian or vegan.
While my Ma was here, she convinced me that we needed to go see a movie. I enjoy movies but generally prefer to watch at home rather than in a theater. I usually seem to get in front of someone who is constantly digging in a bag or unwrapping candy. If not that, then crunching popcorn or slurping soda. It happens every time, so it seems anyway.
We went to see A Walk in the Woods.
Have you seen it?
I read the book by Bill Bryson years ago, and am a bit skeptical with a book turned movie because I typically like the book much better. But I thought I’d give this one a go. After-all, my Ma recommended it, the cast was brilliant and I hadn’t seen Nick Nolte or Robert Redford in forever.
Needless to say, we laughed ourselves silly.
And no one sat behind me crunching popcorn. Hooray!
I will say, though, I enjoyed the book more-so. But even still, I loved laughing with my Ma and Rob over some hilarious scenes. I think I’ll read the book again.
And this vegetarian sandwich would be one that I would enjoy while reading a book, taking a walk in the woods or picnicking.
I discovered pressed sandwiches years ago and have played with ingredients, bread types and ingredient variations ever since. They are versatile in that they pack easy and feed a small crowd.
Thing is, there’s no need for a panini press to make this pressed sandwich. It’s a cold sandwich, snugly wrapped in plastic wrap then placed in the fridge and weighed down with something heavy like box wine, or a cast iron skillet. It needs to rest for a few hours or overnight in the fridge. Flavor improves with resting.
This Italian Pressed Sandwich is packed with roasted eggplant, red bell pepper, garlic, a sturdy green of your choosing, artichoke hearts and a mouth-watering Olive Tapenade. Add smoked provolone, or not.
The bread? I use a rustic sourdough potato loaf, but ciabatta is a sturdy bread that’ll hold up to the weight of these ingredients too.
For a make ahead, feeds a small crowd, veggie and flavor packed, take with you anywhere vegetarian sandwich, this is it, y’all.
More Vegetarian Sandwich Recipes to Love
- Smashed Pimento Chickpea Sandwich
- Almond-Sage Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Gruyere
- Mushroom and Goat Cheese Veggie Panini
- Smashed Chickpea Salad Sandwich
Italian Pressed Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 Head of Garlic large
- 13 oz Red Bell Peppers about two medium* (See note), 368g
- 1 lb Eggplant 454g
- 2 C Olive Tapenade * 462g, See Notes, I use homemade
- 1 Tbs Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 lb Loaf of Ciabatta or Rustic Sourdough Loaf (454g),
- 3 Tbs Pickled Banana Peppers or pepperoncini
- 1 C Canned Artichokes halved, rinsed, drained and any tough leaves removed, 234g
- 2 Leaves of Swiss Chard or a few hand-fulls of another sturdy leafy green such as spinach.
- 3 Slices of Smoked Provolone optional
- Sea Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
- 2-3 Tbs Olive Oil as needed divided
Instructions
To Prep:
- Preheat oven to 450F (232C). Set oven rack in center of the oven. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Cut the top end (not the root) off of the garlic head, exposing the tops of each garlic clove. Drizzle 1 tsp of olive oil over the cloves and wrap loosely in foil. Set it on the parchment lined pan. Slice the bell peppers in half, deseed and lay flat, flesh side down, on the parchment lined sheet pan. It's okay to press on them a bit. Set the timer for 20 minutes and roast the peppers and garlic. As the peppers roast, the skin will start to char. This is what we want so that the skins release easily. Keep an eye on this however, as oven temperatures vary (see note on oven thermometers).
- While the peppers and garlic are roasting, trim the stem of the eggplant. Slice the eggplant lengthwise into at least 6, 1/4" (2 1/2cm) pieces. Sprinkle each side with a pinch of sea salt and place in a colander to drain for 15 minutes. Rinse and pat dry. Spread each side with a about 1/4 tsp olive oil. Place the eggplant on the same sheet pan as the peppers are roasting on and roast for 20 minutes. Now is a good time to check on the peppers. The tops should be charring and the flesh should be getting soft. The peppers, garlic and eggplant should come out of the oven at the same time. (Peppers and Garlic roasts for about 40 min. total, eggplant roasts for 20 minutes)
- Place peppers in a lidded container for 20 minutes. This will make the skin release with ease. Peel pepper skin, and pat the peppers with a tea towel or paper towel to dry them off. Set peppers aside. Peel the garlic then mash the cloves until a paste forms. Set aside.
- Mix the tapenade with red wine vinegar, set aside.
To Assemble:
- Slice the bread lengthwise with a serrated knife. Dig out the inside of the bread on both sides. Try to leave enough crust as to keep the sandwich sturdy. Save the bread dug out and make croutons or bread crumbs with it. Optional - brush on a bit of olive oil, no more than 1 Tbs., on the insides of the bread. Be careful here, the bread can get soggy.. so only this if you love a bit more olive oil (I brush it on mine).
- Spread the garlic on both sides of the bread. It will be thin. Spread the tapenade on both sides of the bread. Yes, all of it. Press as you spread.
- On the bottom side of bread, layer in the following order: 3 slices of eggplant, artichoke, bell pepper, 3 slices of eggplant, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper, pepperoncini, chard or spinach and optional cheese. Place top on sandwich and gently press down.
- Tightly wrap the sandwich three times to ensure nothing leaks out and place it in the fridge. Place a heavy object on top of the sandwich, such as cast iron skillet, or box of wine. Let marinate and press for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Cut into 2" wide pieces and then cut in 1/2 for a smaller sandwich. I yield 5, 2" wide (5cm) pieces, but cut the center cuts in half to make smaller sandwiches. Cut to your needs.
- Although a fresh sandwich is best, rewrap any remaining pieces tightly in plastic wrap and store for up to two days (the bread will get soggy as it sets).
Notes
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
How pretty tell can this be a 40-minute prep time and a 20-minute cook time and ready in 1 hour. When you have 3 hour to overnight chilling in the refrigerator? You might want to adjust that.
Thanks for pointing that out, David! Updated.
This is the first recipe I’ve ever commented on lmao it’s that good!! Best sandwich I’ve ever had and I brought it to a vegan potluck/meetup and I keep getting messages for the recipe!
Yayaayy, Raven! Thank you so much for coming back and leaving a comment and *star* rating! Your note made my day! SUPER happy you and your friends enjoyed the sandwich. I appreciate your sharing too :D
I also don’t normally comment on recipes, but I always come back to this sandwich and make it over and over again. It’s so delicious, and everyone I’ve ever made it for has loved it as well, including hardcore meat eaters. Thank you for creating and sharing this delicious recipe! Truly one of the best (if not the best) sandwiches I’ve ever had.
Oh my gosh, Molly! I truly appreciate your note and five star rating! Yes to satisfying the hardcore meat eaters, LOL! Day made!
I don’t normally comment on recipes, but this is so good! Even my meat eating husband loves it! We are having it again tonight for the 2nd time. The only thing is I use muffalatta mix in a processor with the other ingredients, and we didn’t marinate the sandwich(I read the recipe wrong last time and we didn’t have time). We actually turned it into a pressed sandwich. I’m also very impatient lol
Although I’m an omnivore, I loves me a salad sandwich and have been making them for decades. I typically use Boscoli Italian Olive Salad — the kind that’s used in muffulettas — and brush the oil/juice from the jar on both sides of the bread, but I’d like to make your tapenade. I love spreading the bread with roasted garlic paste! After I wrap the sandwich tight, I weigh it down for at least one hour, but ON THE COUNTERTOP, not in the fridge! Maceration is SO underrated, don’t you think?
I learned how to make salad sandwiches from two unlikely sandwich recipes: the South Jersey Italian Hoagie and the New Orleans Muffuletta. I just leave out the meat because it gets in the way.
Hi,
I continue to make and love your recipes!!! I am not an olive lover. Do you have any thoughts on what I could use as a substitute for the tapenade? I was thinking basil, sundried tomatoes…
Thank you!
Sylvia
Hi Sylvia! Thank you for your kind words and note. You can use just about any “loud” spread here. I’m thinking pesto mixed with mayo would be fabulous, or like you said, a basil sun dried tomato spread. I hope this helps!
I am really excited to have this wonderful sandwich recipe at home. And truly appreciate the way you made it. Eggplants are my favorite and I am lucky to have this recipe with this. Thanks and looking forward for more such recipes in future too.
Bill Bryson is hilarious! We listened to his audio “A Walk In The Woods” and laughed until tears rolled down our faces! I’m like you, Traci, the book is much better than the movie. Going to try this sandwich for a crowd. Looks delicious.
Hi Traci,
I just happened upon your site today while planning my meals for the week, and OMG, am I so glad I did! You have an absolutely STUNNING blog, filled with equally radiant photos and recipes. I now have about 20 of your recipes lined up to try over the next few weeks, so thank you for helping my meal planning! I’m a vegetarian, so I’m always searching for vegetarian recipes that are unique and not just typical, boring curries and chilies. I am SO excited to give your recipes a try – I’m sure they’ll all be sensational!
I did have one question about this sandwich recipe – do you think it’d be okay to sub roasted zucchini in place of the eggplant? I’m just a really big eggplant hater (I know, terrible), so not sure if I could handle it in this recipe. I’m assuming zucchini would be an agreeable swap, but wouldn’t mind your opinion (or maybe a different veggie recommendation?). Thanks in advance!
Hey Shannon! Thank you SO much for your note and kind words. Zucchini would be delicious with this recipe! What I would do is lightly salt and strain thin sliced zucchini. That’ll help reduce any sogginess. Then roast or grill the zucchini. I hope this helps and you enjoy the recipe!
Hehe… I hope you’ll give it a try!
I just made 2 of these on Country French loaves I bought at Costco. They are beautiful and everything is delicious but I just sliced them to take to an event and they are soggy. I wrapped them in plastic wrap late last night and by this afternoon they were soggy. Was it too long in the fridge? (About 18 hours) or was it the wrong bread? They are still tasty just one side is mushy.
Oh No.. Kathy! I’m so sorry to hear this. I’ve not tried costco’s bread.. is it sourdough? Sourdough tends to be sturdy bread so it can take on these toppings. I’m thinking 18 hours may have been too long for a fresh sandwich. If you give it a go again, try sourdough and perhaps make sure the veggies are well drained (maybe even patting the veggies dry – like the artichokes and canned red bells if using). Tapenade recipes can vary in their oil content too.. this could have affected the outcome as well. (I have a recipe for this here: https://vanillaandbean.com/olive-tapenade/ but the link didn’t transfer above). I hope this helps.
Thank you so much for this delicious sandwich recipe. During the summer I make this all the time. Your recipe doesn’t need anything more or less, it is perfect the way it is. I honestly prefer this sandwich over anything you can get in a sandwich shop. Even my husband gobbles it up. It doesn’t last long in my frig. hehehe not even two days. Your a wonderful chief. Thank you for sharing this delightful recipe that has become a regular in our house hold. Just wanted to let you know we appreciate your recipe.
I mean chef. Sorry Long day over here.
Hey April! Thank you so much for your kind note and taking time to share you thoughts. I love this sandwich too… it’s versatile and is ready when you are. I even stuff a whole sandwich in my backpack when traveling via airplane. It’s heavy, but worth the added weight! It doesn’t last long around here either. Thank you again! :D
I have to give this a try– 1/2 recipe, tho. I’ve yet to meet an eggplant I can stand, but with all the other yummy stuff going on, I’m ever hopeful…
Hey J.. my husband can’t stand eggplant, but he loves this sandwich! I keep trying to sneak it in and he lets me know when it’s disagreeable. Yet he requests this! I hope you enjoy the recipe! :D
I just did the sandwich and the tapenade with the grilled vegetables. It was awesome! So good, tasty ! Thank you very much for all your good recipes. One friend forward me your blog and I have done the same to many friends already. Nicole
Oh Nicole! This makes my day! Thank you for your note. Grilling the veggies is genus and so good during Summertime heat! I’m thrilled you’re enjoying the blog. Thank you so much for sharing! :D
Looks so beautiful and delicious!
Thank you Katie! :D
I always wanted to make food that is interesting looking and delicous at the same time!
I will make sure that my mom and I have a fun cooking day and we will make this :)
My mom taught me how to cook, bake and everything and I want to make sure my little Alyona (due in May-2016) knows how to cook also.
My mom wanted to have her own baked goods shop but never got the chance, so I am saving up money for her to one day go to cooking school and start a bake shop. (maybe I will just make a page like this for her to post her blogs and recipes)
I love you’re page : )
Thank you Larissa! So sweet of you to support your Mom like that! :D