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    Home » Sandwiches & wraps

    Vegan eggplant parmesan sandwich in the air fryer

    Updated: Oct 14, 2024 · Published: Sep 16, 2019 by Cadry Nelson · This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 4 Comments

    Jump to recipe
    Vegan eggplant parmesan sandwich with pick.

    Vegan eggplant parmesan sandwich is cozy, saucy, comfort food at its best.

    This decadent sandwich is filled with crispy breaded eggplant that’s been “fried” in the air fryer. It’s topped with your favorite jarred marinara sauce, non-dairy cheese, fresh basil, and thinly sliced onion.

    Serve it on a pretzel bun for a satisfying lunch or dinner.

    Vegan eggplant parmesan sandwich on plate by polkadot napkin.

    There’s nothing like leftovers to make your life a little easier. Sometimes you just don’t have the time or patience for cooking. Re-purposing last night’s dinner into today’s lunch means less stress in your life.

    But you know what’s even better than having tasty leftovers just waiting in the refrigerator? Finding a way to re-purpose them that’s arguably even more delicious than when they were freshly made!

    That’s what happened with this vegan eggplant parmesan sandwich.

    Slices of breaded eggplant in bowl of pappardelle with fresh basil garnish.

    First, you can enjoy the vegan eggplant parmesan with a big bowl of pasta with marinara for dinner.

    (I give step-by-step instructions on how to make eggplant parm in the air fryer in this post!)

    Breaded eggplant slices in air fryer basket.

    Then the next day, reheat the breaded eggplant slices in the air fryer.

    I recommend adding more marinara and non-dairy cheese on top. It freshens things up. And it makes it even saucier & cheesier. That means 20% more yums at least.

    To re-heat, air fry at 390 degrees for 5 minutes. Since the breaded eggplant slices are topped with sauce and non-dairy cheese, don’t flip them, of course.

    Vegan eggplant parmesan on checkered paper.

    Add the breaded eggplant to a toasted bun with fresh basil leaves & thinly sliced onion.

    If you wanted to add a schmear of cilantro basil pesto to the bun as well, that would not go amiss.

    A vegan eggplant parm sandwich is kind of like the vegetarian’s answer to the meatball sub. There’s all of that rich tomato sauce, and ooey gooey non-dairy cheese, encased in soft bread.

    Then for the filling you get crisp-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside eggplant that’s breaded with panko & seasonings.

    What kind of bread should I use?

    Breaded eggplant parmesan on pretzel bun.

    I used a pretzel bun, but feel free to use the bun of your choice.

    Be sure to pick something hearty that can hold up to the sauce. So a hoagie bun would fit well here too.

    What marinara sauce do you recommend?

    I usually buy organic pasta sauce from Trader Joe’s.

    You can see a picture of a longtime favorite in my post on vegan Trader Joe’s products.

    But you can use any marinara sauce you like, as long as it isn’t too watery.

    Wet, soggy sandwiches are a real letdown. So be sure to pick something that’s saucy and thick.

    What kind of non-dairy cheese is best for this recipe?

    For a vegan eggplant parm sandwich, I recommend a non-dairy cheese that will melt well.

    I especially like Miyoko’s mozzarella & Violife mozzarella. I used Violife shreds here.

    With Miyoko’s, you can either shred it by hand or slice it very thinly like I did with my air fryer bagel pizzas.

    If you prefer to make your vegan mozzarella, I’ve heard nothing but raves about Somer’s moxarella.

    Vegan eggplant parmesan sandwich with pick.

    If you try this recipe and love it, let me know! Leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It truly makes my day and is such a help!

    📖 Recipe

    Vegan eggplant parmesan sandwich on pretzel bun with fresh basil.

    Vegan eggplant parmesan sandwich

    Author: Cadry Nelson
    5 from 2 votes
    This saucy, cheesy sandwich is unadulterated comfort food. It's also a great way to re-purpose leftovers from a dinner of eggplant parm the night before. Reheat the breaded eggplant slices in the air fryer. Add them to toasted buns with fresh basil and thinly sliced onion. Then savor every last bite.
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 4 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 sandwiches
    Course: Sandwich
    Cuisine: Air fryer, Italian, Vegan
    Keyword: comfort food, hearty sandwich

    Ingredients

    • 4 burger buns (I used pretzel buns)
    • 1 batch vegan eggplant parmesan
    • ¼ cup basil leaves
    • ¼ cup thinly sliced yellow onion

    Instructions

    • Bring a dry, large skillet to a medium heat. Put burger buns face down on the skillet, so that they can toast on the cut side. Once they are nicely browned, remove them from heat.
    • Compile the sandwiches. Top the bottom burger buns with a few slices of vegan eggplant parmesan, a couple fresh basil leaves, and a few thin slices of yellow onion. Top the sandwiches with the remaining buns.

    Notes

    If you are using leftover vegan eggplant parmesan for your sandwiches, reheat it by putting the eggplant slices into the air fryer in an even layer in the basket. Add fresh marinara sauce & non-dairy cheese to each slice. (It’s okay to put it on top of the sauce & cheese that’s already there.) Then air fry for 5 minutes at 390 degrees. (For obvious reasons, don’t flip it.)
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    Nutrition

    Calories: 400kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 676mg | Potassium: 447mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 238IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 3mg

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    About Cadry Nelson

    Cadry Nelson is the writer, recipe creator, and photographer behind Cadry’s Kitchen, and the author of Living Vegan For Dummies, 2nd Edition. Since launching her blog in 2009, Cadry has been making plant-based cooking approachable, and reimagining classic comfort foods. Her work has been featured in NBC News, Buzzfeed, Yahoo, Parade, VegNews, and more. She regularly appears on local TV shows, demonstrating to a broad audience how easy vegan cooking can be.

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      5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    1. Mandy

      September 28, 2019 at 9:43 am

      Cadry, this sandwich looks and sounds incredible!! I love that you used a pretzel bun…back in the day when I worked at Trader Joe’s, I would pretty regularly buy a pretzel roll. They have such a soft, hearty texture and why I never thought to use it as a vessel for a sandwich is beyond me! The addition of extra sauce and cheese + fresh basil sounds so delicious…I can almost taste it! What a great use of leftovers!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        September 30, 2019 at 10:15 am

        Thank you! I love it when the leftovers are as good or better than the original. Aren’t pretzel buns so good? I’m glad they’re becoming more prevalent in grocery stores and that they’re vegan!

        Reply
    2. Shell

      September 19, 2019 at 2:46 pm

      5 stars
      Cad, two notes I’ve made after reading this post: buy pretzel buns and also try Trader Joe’s Italian marinara sauce. And make eggplant parm in my air fryer, of course.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        September 20, 2019 at 9:16 am

        Yes, you should definitely get your hands on some pretzel buns. They make them in several different sizes/shapes – burger, hot dog, and slider. I hope you enjoy the eggplant parm sandwich!

        Reply

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