umami girl

Vegetarian Muffaletta for Mardi Gras

Carolyn Gratzer Cope

This wonderfully savory and flavorful vegetarian muffaletta sandwich swaps in "meaty" roasted eggplant and marinated portobello mushrooms for the traditional deli meats.

Let’s get started!

Slice an eggplant

01

Make it pretty thin — about 1/4 inch thick so it easily cooks up nice and tender.

Bake until tender

02

Place eggplant on a parchment-lined baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray, and sprinkle with salt. (Click through for full details.)

Slice portobellos

03

Remove stems and gills from portobellos and slice them 1/4 inch thick. 

Toss with marinade and bake

04

A super-simple tangy, smoky marinade adds tons of flavor while the portobellos bake.

Hollow out your bread

05

You can use a traditional muffaletta — I usually prefer a good sourdough boule. Save the insides for breadcrumbs.

Add your spreads

06

It doesn't get more savory than generous amounts of olive tapenade on the bottom and pesto on the top.

Spoon in the giardiniera

07

Tangy pickled vegetables add a little bit of crunch and a ton of flavor.

Add roasted veggies

08

Layer on your roasted portobellos and eggplant slices. By now they're tender and meaty.

Pile on the roasted red peppers

09

They're sweet and tangy, gorgeous and vibrant, and perfect straight from the jar.

Add provolone

10

Layer on the deli-sliced provolone. (For a vegan version, simply omit the cheese & use vegan pesto.)

Let it rest & then dig in

11

If you can, let the muffaletta rest for about an hour before slicing into wedges to serve. That's it!

A few more favorites

Epic veggie sandwich

Vegan banh mi with char siu tofu

Carolyn Cope

Heart

Vegan Philly cheesesteak