Eggplant Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich

Makes about 4 sandwiches
Prep Time: about 45 minutes total

Sometimes you just want a deli sandwich. This eggplant bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich will bring the deli right into your kitchen. It is easy to prepare and you can enjoy the smokey, savory essence of bacon while leaving the little piggy in the meadow.

There is no need to marinade the eggplant beforehand. Brushing the eggplant slices with the marinade on both sides prior to roasting in the oven is sufficient. You can alter the cooking time to your liking. If you want crispier, add a few minutes. Be sure to watch the eggplant bacon roasting because it can go from soft to burnt very quickly.

I love Follow Your Heart veganaise on this eggplant bacon sandwich. Follow Your Heart has classic mayo flavor but it is vegan.

I made this eggplant bacon sandwich with a side of sweet potato fries that I prepared in my air fryer. If you don’t have an air fryer yet, I highly recommend you invest in one. I purchased the Instant Pot Vortex Air Fryer for about $120 and it makes perfect fries without all of the oil and fat in the classically deep fried version.

Ingredients Needed To Make Eggplant Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich

Eggplant Bacon
2 small eggplants
¼ cup Olive Oil
1 TBS smoked paprika
1½ TBS liquid smoke
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 TBS tamari
1 TBS pure maple syrup

Sandwich
Sliced tomato
Vegan mayonaise
Sliced red onion
Romaine lettuce
Toasted gluten free bread

Hot to Prepare Eggplant Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich

Preheat oven to 300 degrees
Slice eggplant into thin slices using a mandolin slicer
Lay sliced eggplant on a parchment lined cookie sheet
Mix all other ingredients together
Brush the marinade on to the eggplant slices
Turn them over and brush the other side with marinade
Slip them into the oven for about 30 minutes
Remove from oven
While the eggplant bacon is cooling a bit, you can assemble the sandwiches

Spread mayo onto the bread slices
Place the tomato, lettuce, red onion and eggplant bacon onto the bread
Close the sandwich by placing the second slice of bread on top
Cut in half and serve