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    Home » MAINS » VEGETARIAN

    Grilled Halloumi Sandwich (Aubergine & Halloumi Panini)

    Published: April 7, 2021 · Updated: August 23, 2022 by Ieva · This post may contain affiliate links · 8 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    We love a good toastie here at Somebody Feed Seb. Our Aubergine Parmigiana-inspired grilled halloumi sandwich is one of our favourite lunches of all time! A real vegetarian treat, this Aubergine & Halloumi Panini features layers of rich tomato paste, squeaky salty halloumi and slightly charred aubergine rounds. We’ll show you how we make it without a panini maker as well.

    Take Me To:
    • Making Grilled Sandwiches Exciting
    • Ingredients and Substitutes
    • Method
    • What To Serve Aubergine and Halloumi Panini With?
    • Other Lunch Recipes
    • Recipe Card

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    Making Grilled Sandwiches Exciting

    Toasties were my favourite after-school snack when I was a teenager. Only back then, I had simpler tastebuds: bread, ketchup, cheese and a mandatory slice of gherkin was all I needed! Seb tells me he survived on pesto and cheese toasties during his first uni year!

    These days we often make toasties to ameliorate Seb’s ‘in-between meals’ hunger. But if we’re feeling like a nice sandwich for a weekend lunch, this is the ONE we turn to. There’s nothing like salty Cypriot halloumi paired with aubergine. With the addition of some caramelised onions, this is definitely a winner!

    NOTE: We don’t have a panini maker or a sandwich grill, so we make our sandwiches in a pan with another pan and some extra weight on top. We used a heavy cast-iron skillet and it works a treat every time. They come out perfect!

    Two grilled halloumi sandwiches cut in half on a diagonal on a wooden chopping board lined with brown paper.

    Ingredients and Substitutes

    • olive oil: or vegetable, sunflower or avocado oil.
    • small aubergine: cut into 1cm thick rounds.
    • mixed dried herbs: like thyme, oregano, and parsley.
    • halloumi: sliced into 6 even pieces.
    • panini rolls: or your favourite bread slices.
    • tomato paste: rich concentrated tomato puree.
    • mayo: we used light mayo in this grilled halloumi sandwich.
    • red onion chutney: or fig, plum or chilli chutney.
    • parmesan: can be substituted with other hard cheese, like Grana Padano or Pecorino Romano.

    Method

    Start by slicing your aubergine into thin (about 1cm thick rounds). Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan. Once hot, add the aubergine, sprinkle with a little salt (not too much, as halloumi is salty itself so you don’t want to overseason), pepper and mixed dried herbs, if using. Drizzle another tablespoon of oil all over. Fry for about 8-10 minutes until soft and slightly charred, turning once halfway. Then remove the aubergine from the pan (reserve it for later).

    Cut the halloumi into 6 slices. In a reserved pan, add the halloumi slices and fry on both sides until browned and crispy.

    Cut the panini rolls in half. Spread mayo on the bottom and tomato paste on the top half. If you like a bit of a kick in your food, use harissa paste instead of tomato paste. Lay the halloumi slices, then aubergine rounds (slightly overlapping), dot the caramelised onion chutney and sprinkle with the parmesan.

    Close the sandwiches and put them in the pan. Weigh the paninis down with another heavy pan, or any pan with a couple of tins or a cast iron skillet on top. Fry for 1-2 minutes. Then flip the paninis over and repeat.

    slices of halloumi inside a panini roll.
    Filled panini beging closed.
    two paninis filled with aubergine and halloumi in a frying pan.
    placing two heavy pans on top of the paninis to press them down.
    Cutting grilled halloumi sandwich wit ha knife on a wooden chopping board.

    What To Serve Aubergine and Halloumi Panini With?

    This Halloumi Toastie is perfect served with a green salad for a satisfying lunch! We particularly like pairing it with:

    • Courgette Ribbon Salad
    • Persian Shirazi Salad
    • Green Bean and Tomato Salad (recipe coming soon).

    Other Lunch Recipes

    For other lunch ideas, have a look at our recipes below:

    • Coronation Chickpea Sandwich (Vegan)
    • Coronation Chicken Sandwich
    • Crispy Courgette Fritters
    • Middle Eastern Falafel with Vegetable Couscous & Red Shatta

    Recipe Card

    Aubergine & Halloumi

    Grilled Halloumi Sandwich (Aubergine & Halloumi Panini)

    We love a good toastie here at Somebody Feed Seb. Our Aubergine Parmigiana-inspired grilled is one of our favourite lunches of all time! A real vegetarian treat, our Aubergine & Halloumi Panini features layers of rich tomato (or chilli) paste, squeaky salty halloumi and slightly charred aubergine rounds. We'll show you how we make it without a panini maker as well.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Lunch, Snack
    Cuisine American, British, Cypriot, Italian
    Servings 2 paninis
    Calories 764 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 small aubergine cut into 1cm thick rounds
    • ½ teaspoon mixed herbs optional
    • 220 g halloumi sliced into 8
    • 2 panini rolls
    • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
    • 2 tablespoon mayo
    • 2 tablespoon red onion chutney
    • 20 g parmesan finely grated, optional

    Instructions
     

    • Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan. Once hot, add the rounds of aubergine and sprinkle with a little salt, pepper and mixed herbs, if using. Drizzle another tablespoon of oil all over. Fry for about 8-10 minutes until soft and slightly charred, turning once halfway. Then remove from the aubergine from the pan (reserve it for the next step).
    • Add the halloumi slices to the pan and fry on both sides until browned and crispy.
    • Cut the panini rolls in half. Spread mayo on the bottom and tomato paste on the top half. Lay the halloumi, then aubergine rounds (slightly overlapping), dot the caramelised onion chutney and sprinkle with the parmesan.
    • Heat the reserved pan. Close the sandwiches and add them to the pan. Weigh the paninis down with another heavy pan, or simply place a couple of tins or a cast iron skillet on top or the top pan. Fry for 1-2 minutes. Then flip the paninis and repeat.
    • Perfect served with a green salad for a satisfying lunch!

    Notes

    NOTE: if you like things spicy, use harissa paste instead of tomato paste. It’s gorgeous!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 764kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 38gFat: 44gSaturated Fat: 23gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 2311mgPotassium: 785mgFiber: 9gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 786IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 1348mgIron: 4mg
    Keyword Aubergine & Halloumi Panini, Aubergine and Halloumi Grilled Sandwich, Aubergine Grilled Sandwich, Aubergine Panini, Grilled Halloumi Sandwich, Grilled Sandwich Recipes, Halloumi Grilled Sandwich, Halloumi Panini, Panini Recipe, Vegetarian Grilled Sandwich, Vegetarian Panini, Vegetarian Panini Recipe
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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    More VEGETARIAN

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    • 5-Ingredient Tomato Puff Pastry Tart

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Katherine

      November 30, 2021 at 4:21 pm

      5 stars
      Yum! The pairing of aubergine and salty halloumi is so good!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        November 30, 2021 at 9:28 pm

        Absolutely! 😀

        Reply
    2. Dannii

      December 02, 2021 at 5:15 pm

      5 stars
      Anything with halloumi is good with me and this was a delicious way to cook it.

      Reply
      • Ieva

        December 02, 2021 at 9:55 pm

        Same here, Dannii! We are the biggest fan of halloumi! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Michele

      April 07, 2022 at 11:31 am

      5 stars
      Delicious! I had never had this before but we loved it, and I loved how easy it was to make.

      Reply
      • Ieva

        April 07, 2022 at 7:29 pm

        Thanks, Michele!

        Reply
    4. Amanda Wren-Grimwood

      July 30, 2022 at 12:40 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely love halloumi and this sandwich has a great combination of flavours. So hearty and satisfying too.

      Reply
      • Ieva

        July 30, 2022 at 3:30 pm

        Thank you for the feedback, Amanda! Glad you liked it!

        Reply

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    Hi, I am Ieva – the face behind this blog. I live in North Wales with my husband Seb and our golden retriever Sawyer. It’s safe to say that I live and breathe food: from researching and reading about food to creating new recipes and growing vegetables to use in my cooking.  The great thing is, Seb appreciates all the good meals that are also essential at his worst ‘hangry’ moments! Somebody HAS to feed Seb…

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