Grilled Eggplant Banh Mi Sandwich

This Vietnamese sandwich, I recently learned, is traditionally served on Vietnamese bread, which is somewhat similar to a fresh French Baguette. The recipe below is one I adapted from the recipe on the Cooking Light website.

Ingredients

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
3/4 Tbl sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup julienne-cut peeled carrots
3/4 pounds eggplant
3/4 Tbl canola oil
1/6 cup creamy peanut butter
2 Tbl minced green onions
1/2 Tbl minced peeled fresh ginger
2 tsp yellow miso (soybean paste)
3/4 tsp fresh lime juice
4 slices sandwich bread
1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumber
1 thinly sliced avocado
1/2 cup mung bean sprouts
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Thinly sliced jalapeño pepper (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Combine vinegar, sugar, and salt in a bowl, stirring until sugar dissolves.
3. Add carrot; let stand 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain.
4. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat.
5. Cut eggplant stem off. Peel.
6. Cut eggplant lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices; brush with oil.
7. Grill 7 minutes or until tender, turning once.
8. Combine peanut butter, onions, ginger, miso, and juice in a bowl; stir well.
9. Spread bottom half of bread with peanut butter mixture.
10. Arrange eggplant evenly over peanut butter mixture.
11. Arrange carrot mixture, cucumber, sprouts, and avocado evenly over eggplant.
12. Top with cilantro and jalapeño.
13. Place top half of bread on sandwich.
14. Place sandwich on a baking sheet, cut sides up.
15. Broil until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.

This Grilled Eggplant Banh Mi Sandwich recipe serves 2.
It is approximately 434 calories per serving.