Vegetarian Panini
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Grilled eggplant, mushrooms, pesto and cheese are pressed into a mouthwatering Vegetarian Panini recipe, made in only 20 minutes. Whether you’re serving it for lunch or dinner, this panini is hearty, satisfying, and guaranteed to impress!
This vegetarian panini sandwich is perfect for Meatless Monday. It’s filled with grilled veggies, two kinds of cheese and quite possibly the most delicious pesto ever!
After making this Pistachio Kale Pesto with coconut oil, I knew I had found pesto gold! The coconut oil gives it a hint of sweetness and a totally different flavor (in an absolutely amazing way!) than any other pesto I’d ever had.
I knew I had to find other recipes to incorporate it into, so first up is this Italian Panini Recipe!
Ingredients
- Eggplant
- Portobello mushrooms
- Ciabatta bread
- Goat cheese (you can also use cream cheese, or this vegetable dip)
- Pistachio kale pesto (or basil, spinach or sage pesto)
- Basil leaves
- Fresh mozzarella
- Roasted red peppers – click the link to learn how to make them at home, or purchase them in a jar at the grocery store.
Heat a grill, or grill pan, over medium heat. I used this indoor T-fal OptiGrill
to grill both the veggies and the panini. (Side note: I’ve had this grill for over 10 years and it’s still one of my favorite kitchen tools!)
Grill the eggplant and portobello mushrooms.
Assemble the sandwich by slicing the ciabatta bread in half and through the middle.
Spread the goat cheese on two slices of bread and the pesto* on the other two slices of bread.
*If preparing the pistachio kale pesto for the panini sandwiches, combine the pistachios, kale, garlic and salt in a food processor. Slowly pour in the coconut oil and blend until combined.
Place the basil leaves on the goat cheese and the grilled eggplant on the pesto.
Slice the portobello mushrooms in half and place on top of the basil.
Place the roasted red peppers on the grilled eggplant.
Place the sliced mozzarella over the roasted red peppers.
Sandwich the two sides together and grill in a panini press or an indoor grill, like the T-fal OptiGrill.
Now it’s time to dig into the best vegetarian panini sandwich you’ve ever had!
More vegetarian recipes
Looking for more great vegetarian recipes to make at home? Check out these delicious dishes!
Grilled Vegetable Italian Panini
Ingredients
Panini
- ½ eggplant, sliced
- 2 portobello mushrooms, stem removed and cleaned
- ½ loaf ciabatta bread
- 4 ounces goat cheese
- 4 tablespoons kale pistachio pesto, recipe below
- 4 large basil leaves
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
- 4 slices roasted red pepper
Pistachio Kale Pesto
- 1 cup pistachios
- 2 cups chopped kale
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
Instructions
Grilled Vegetable Panini
- Heat a grill, or grill pan, over medium heat.
- Grill the eggplant and portobello mushrooms.
- Assemble the sandwich by slicing the ciabatta bread in half and through the middle.
- Spread the goat cheese on two slices of bread, spread 2 tablespoons pesto on each of the other two slices of bread.
- Place the basil leaves on the goat cheese and the grilled eggplant on the pesto.
- Slice the portobello mushrooms in half and place on top of the basil.
- Place the roasted red peppers on the grilled eggplant.
- Place the sliced mozzarella over the roasted red peppers.
- Sandwich the two sides together and grill in a panini press or an indoor grill.
Pistachio Kale Pesto
- Combine the pistachios, kale, garlic and salt in a food processor.
- Slowly pour in the coconut oil and blend until combined.
Nutrition Facts
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