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Recipe Detail Page
Tel Aviv-Style Sabich Sandwiches
Autumn 2019
This classic beach-and street-side pita sandwich is heaped with roasted eggplant (instead of fried) and the traditional hardboiled egg, homemade hummus, cabbage, pickles, tahini, Israeli salad and hot sauce. Sound good? It’s even better than you imagine.
Serves 4
EGGPLANT
3 baby eggplants, sliced into ½-inch (1-cm) rounds
2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste
HUMMUS
1 can (540 mL) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 small garlic cloves, chopped
1 lemon, juiced
2 tbsp (30 mL) tahini
½ tsp (2 mL) sea salt
Black pepper to taste
¼ tsp (1 mL) cumin seeds
2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
¼ cup (60 mL) warm water
4 large eggs, room temperature
ISRAELI SALAD
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 baby cucumbers, diced
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh parsley, minced
Juice of ½ a lemon
1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
TAHINI SAUCE
½ cup (125 mL) tahini, well stirred
1 small garlic clove, minced
¼ tsp (1 mL) sea salt
Warm water, if needed
4 pita, warmed
1 cup (250 mL) finely shredded red cabbage
2 large sour dill pickles, sliced in half lengthways
Hot sauce, optional
1 Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
2 Lay eggplant slices on a baking sheet and generously brush with olive oil on both sides; season with salt and pepper. Roast until golden brown for 20 minutes, then flip each slice and roast 5 minutes more.
3 To make hummus, combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth, making sure to scrape down the sides. Adjust for seasoning, cover, and refrigerate. (Extra hummus will keep well, covered in an airtight container, for several days.)
4 Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil, lower to a simmer and add eggs. Cook for 12 minutes, then drain and cover with cold water. Let sit for 5 minutes, then peel and slice eggs in half, lengthways.
5 To make the Israeli salad, toss the tomatoes, cucumber, green onion, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil and some salt and pepper in a medium bowl to combine. Cover and set aside.
6 To make tahini, whisk together tahini, garlic and salt. Taste for seasoning and add a touch of warm water to thin it out if needed. (Tahini sauce will keep in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.)
7 Slice the top off each pita (about 1 inch/ 2.5 cm) and carefully open the pocket. Spread a few tablespoons of hummus in each pita, add 3 to 4 slices of roasted eggplant, some cabbage, half a pickle, some Israeli salad, tahini sauce, and then the eggs. Add hot sauce if desired. Wrap each sandwich in parchment and serve at once.
Serves 4
