Grilled Vegetable Sandwich with Tapenade

Perfectly cooked vegetables provide all the “meat” you need in this summery grilled vegetable sandwich. Goat cheese, olive tapenade, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar turn this vegetarian sandwich into a Mediterranean flavor bomb that even the most devoted meat-lover can appreciate.

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As soon as the sun comes out in May I’m cooking on the patio as much as I can. I love cooking and eating outside, and we own not only a barbecue, but also a smoker and a Blackstone griddle. I enjoy cooking with all three of them, but lately I’ve been really feeling like grilling again now that the newness of the Blackstone has worn off. Maybe it has something to do with this grilled vegetable sandwich!

If you are hesitant to believe that a vegetarian sandwich with no meat can be good, this recipe will absolutely change your mind. The secret to a good grilled vegetable sandwich, I discovered, is texture. You can throw ALL the flavors at a vegetable sandwich, but if the texture isn’t robust enough it’ll just be a mushy mess. Vegetables cooked so they still have a bit of crunch in the middle make all the difference.

Easy tips for perfectly grilled vegetables

Getting a perfectly cooked vegetable on a grill depends on which vegetable you are cooking and what you want to use it for. For something like a sandwich, you want the outside of your veggies cooked, with some spots that are nicely browned but not burned, and the insides lightly cooked but still with a bit of crunch. Here are five of my go-to strategies for getting your vegetables just right on the grill:

• Start with a hot preheated surface: Cooking your vegetables at medium high heat will ensure that the outsides are done before the middles are overcooked. You don’t need the temperature to be screaming hot and smoking like you would if you were searing a steak, but you definitely want it to be hotter than the standard medium heat you might be used to using.
• Slice your veggies to the optimal thickness for cooking: For most vegetables, I recommend a minimum of a quarter inch of thickness. For those that I really want to serve crisp-tender on the inside (such as summer squash), I’ll often slice them even a little thicker. 
• Pat those veggies dry and use a minimal amount of oil: If you want your vegetables to be browned or grill marked, then moisture is your enemy. Too much moisture on the surface, and your vegetables will steam before they brown. So pat all of your vegetables as dry as you can get them before you cook them, and use only a very light coating of cooking oil before adding them to the grill.
• Don’t overcook!: The key to perfectly cooked grilled vegetables is to not cook them until they are limp. Take them off when they have nice browning on the outside but are still firm. I use the "flop test" to make sure my veggies aren't getting overcooked. You want to pull them off before they flop when you pick them up with your tongs.

Ingredients and substitutions

Yellow squash: Look for firm, unblemished, bright yellow squash that is more uniform in thickness. Cut on the diagonal. Zucchini works here too,

Red onion: Red onions have a milder flavor than other varieties, and are especially delicious when grilled. 

Bell pepper: Red, yellow, or orange peppers will work here. You can grill them as described in this recipe or follow my directions for how to roast sweet or hot peppers. 

EVOO: I like to use an olive oil spray when I’m grilling because it helps provide good coverage.

Grill spray: I use an expeller-pressed canola oil spray for the grill.

Balsamic glaze: I got mine at Safeway. You can also find a good balsamic glaze at Costco.

Ciabatta or whole grain bread: You want the freshest ciabatta you can find or a very robust whole grain bread. Fresh focaccia also works. 

Goat cheese: If you don’t like goat cheese, substitute another soft spreadable cheese like Boursin or cream cheese. If you are vegetarian, keep an eye on the ingredients to be sure your cheese doesn't contain animal rennet.

Olive tapenade: This grilled vegetable sandwich would not be complete without tapenade! It is especially delicious with my olive and sundried tomato tapenade, which is SO simple and made from pantry staples. If you don’t like olives, I recommend substituting sundried tomato pesto.

Arugula: Peppery arugula adds a bit of crunch and heat. You can substitute spinach or a baby salad mix, or leave the greens off altogether.

Switch up your grilled vegetable sandwich

• Use different vegetables. Try eggplant, zucchini, portobello mushrooms, grilled tomato slices, or whatever grilling vegetables you have on hand. 
• Experiment with cheeses. This sandwich would be really good with a variety of cheeses, including boursin, fresh mozzarella, burrata, or an herbed ricotta. 
• Switch out the tapenade. Try pesto, baba ganoush, or romesco sauce.
• Spice it up! Add harissa, calabrian chilis, or muhammara. 

Prep ahead and storage

You can prep all of the ingredients ahead of time and cook the vegetables just before serving. But whatever you do, don’t salt the yellow squash until just before cooking! It will turn to mush if it is salted too far in advance.

It also works just fine to cook the vegetables ahead of time. You can gently reheat them…or not…this sandwich is good either hot or cold. Just hold off on assembling the sandwich until it’s time to serve.

If you have sandwich leftovers, wrap them in plastic wrap and the sandwich will keep in the fridge for a day or two. It might get soggy, depending on the moisture content of the vegetables and the tapenade. I’ve been known to disassemble the sandwich for storing and pull the pieces out for lunch and reassemble it the next day.

I love hearing from you!

Do you have a favorite vegetarian barbecue dish? I'd love to know what it is. Drop me a question, a comment, or a rating and let me know...you’ll make my day! And don’t forget to save and share this recipe by pinning it to Pinterest or saving to Whisk, or Flipboard.