This grilled veggie caprese sandwich is a delicious summer cookout meal. It takes minutes to make, and it's loaded with veggies, fresh mozzarella, and a yummy olive pesto.
Author: Jeanine Donofrio
Recipe type: Sandwich, main dish
Serves: 4
Ingredients
For the grilled veggies:
Zucchini, sliced ¼ inch thick
Red onion, sliced about ¼ inch thick
Portobello mushrooms, sliced about ½ inch thick
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Balsamic vinegar, for drizzling
Sea salt & fresh black pepper
For the olive pesto:*
¼ cup green olives
½ cup slivered or chopped almonds, toasted
2 big handfuls of basil (about 1 packed cup)
Juice of ½ a lemon, plus some zest
Splash of balsamic vinegar
Sea salt and fresh black pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes
For the sandwiches:
Grainy bread, sourdough, or ciabatta, toasted or grilled
Olive & almond pesto
Arugula
Basil leaves
Grilled veggies (your favorites, or see below)
Fresh mozzarella (vegan sub: sliced avocado)
Roasted red peppers
Instructions
Grill the veggies: Slice veggies and toss them with a bit of olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper.
Heat your grill or grill pan to medium high.
I like to grill my veggies in order of most to least delicate because the pan holds more and more heat as I go. Here, I started with the zucchini (a few minutes per side, just until grill marks form), then the onions (grill a little longer than the zucchini), and lastly the mushrooms (I grill these until they're tender and nearly falling apart - 8-12 minutes total depending on the heat).
Make the pesto: Blend the olives, almonds, basil, lemon juice & zest, balsamic all in a food processor. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to your liking.
Assemble sandwiches with bread, a spread of pesto, arugula, basil leaves, grilled veggies, slices of mozzarella, and roasted red peppers. Top with a pinch of salt and red pepper flakes.
Notes
*You can make the pesto ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Recipe by Love and Lemons at https://www.loveandlemons.com/veggie-sandwich-olive-pesto/