Sabich Sandwich (2024)

Make this mouthwatering Sabich for a vegan twist on the traditional Israeli breakfast sandwich. With roasted eggplant, potato, creamy legumes and a fresh Israeli salad, it's easy to make, great for food prepping and lick-the-plate delicious.

This recipe was originally posted on May 21, 2016 and updated June 13, 2021 with process images, ingredient substitutions and recipe shortcuts.

If you love vegan shawarma or my vegan Reuben sandwich, you are going to love this Israeli breakfast sandwich.

What is Sabich ?

If you haven't tried a sabich sandwich you are in for a treat.

Sabich or Sabih is a vegetarian Israeli street food made by stuffing pita with fried eggplant and hard boiled eggs. Traditionally the sandwich also has pickles, tahini sauce, hummus, cabbage and Israeli Amba sauce. Some versions - like the one I'm sharing today - use potatoes.

Sabich is traditionally a breakfast food but you can enjoy it any meal of the day.

Why We Love This Recipe

This vegan sandwich is a taste explosion bursting with texture and flavour. Hands down, this sabich is one of our favourite things to eat.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Eggplant. I use two medium-size globe eggplants but you can use Italian (use 3).

Legumes. Depending on what I have in the pantry, I make my sabich with either cooked chickpeas or white beans. The legumes are smashed together with mayonnaise, black salt and a little harissa to mimic the texture of traditional eggs.

Potatoes. Choose a potato that is good for boiling. I use Ruby Lou potatoes from my local store but Sebago and Desiree will work too. Northern hemisphere friends can use Yukon Gold or Red Bliss.

Israeli Salad. Israeli salad is simply made with chopped cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, mint, parsley, lemon and olive oil. If you don't have cherry tomatoes, dice a large ripe tomato instead.

Time-Saving Tip. Buy pre-made tabbouleh instead of making your own Israeli salad. It's not traditional but it's quick and delicious.

Amba Sauce (optional). A staple Israeli condiment, amba sauce is made with pickled mango. You'll often find it served on sabich but I don't tend to use it. If you'd like to try it, Amy at "What Jew Wanna Eat" has a great quick amba sauce recipe.

Harissa. Harissa is a North African (Tunisia) chilli paste made with chillies, citrus, oil and warming spices. It is slightly smoky, slightly sweet, with a hint of tang. Harissa can be found in the international aisle of some supermarkets but you may have to check online or at speciality grocery stores. In a pinch, I have used sriracha - it doesn't have the smoke but you'll get a little heat.

You could also try a good dollop of Shatta chilli paste too.

Step-by-Step Guide

You'll find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

While there are a few elements in Sabich, they all come together at the same time.

For the Eggplant

Step 1. Pre-heat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Slice the eggplant globes in to 1-inch slices and pop them in a large bowl. Massage the slices with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and pop them in the oven for around 30-minutes, turning them over half-way.

For the Potatoes

Step 2. While the eggplant is roasting, peel the potatoes and pop them in a saucepan with enough cold water to cover them by an inch. Salt the water with a good pinch of salt and bring it up to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10-minutes or until you can pierce the potato with a fork. Strain the potatoes and set them aside to cool. Once cooled, slice then in to 1cm slices.

Make The Israeli Salad

Step 3. For the Israeli salad, cut your cherry tomatoes in to eighths, cut the cucumber in to small cubes, dice the onion and chop the mint and parsley. Combine all the ingredients, including the lemon, olive oil and salt and pepper in in bowl. Taste and adjust as needed.

To Make The "Egg" Mixture

Step 4. In a medium bowl, mix together the beans/chickpeas, mayonnaise, kala namak and harissa paste together, mashing some of the legumes as you go.

Assembling the Sabich

Step 5. To make sabich, smear a good dollop of hummus on one side of a pita. Cover half the pita with a layer of sliced potato. Slice the pickled cucumber in to ½ cm slices and lay them over the potato using a whole pickle per sandwich. Spoon 2 tablespoons of white bean mix on to the pickle.Add 2-3 tablespoons of cooked eggplant.Add a few heaped tablespoons of the salad and fold the pita in half and serve.

And that's it. This recipe makes enough for 4-5 good-sized sabich making it perfect for meal-prepping or a family meal. It's healthy, quick, full-bodied and so, so delicious. Full of creamy textures mixed with the acidity of pickles and an Israeli salad, this is a classic you'll want again and again. Enjoy, x.

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