Sabich Bowls

By Kay Chun

Updated January 23, 2023

  • Dane Tashima for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Erika Joyce.
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Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
4(1,838)
Comments
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The traditional Israeli sandwich known as sabich features fried eggplant that’s tucked into pitas and topped with sliced hard-boiled eggs, chopped tomato-cucumber salad, pickles, tahini sauce and sometimes shredded cabbage. This weeknight recipe turns the popular sandwich into a one-bowl meal that is prepared on a sheet pan. Eggplant and chickpeas are roasted side by side; the eggplant becomes tender and creamy while the chickpeas turn golden and crispy. Canned chickpeas do double duty: Some are a part of the roast, while the remaining beans transform into a luscious, garlicky tahini sauce. The eggplant mixture is served on top of rice in this recipe, but all sorts of grains would work, including bulgur, farro and quinoa.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 1 ½ pounds Italian eggplant (1 large), cut into 1-inch cubes (8 cups)

  • Kosher salt and black pepper

  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed

  • ¼ cup tahini

  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice

  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic

  • 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce

  • 8 ounces grape or cherry medium tomatoes, chopped (1 heaping cup)

  • 1 Persian cucumber, cut into ¼-inch cubes (½ cup)

  • 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped parsley, plus more for garnish

  • 4 cups cooked rice or grains, for serving

  • Shredded cabbage, pickles (preferably Israeli), hot sauce, hard-boiled or fried eggs, for topping (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

91 grams carbs; 762 calories; 23 grams monosaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 39 grams fat; 15 grams fiber; 1282 milligrams sodium; 17 grams protein; 17 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 425 degrees. On a large sheet tray, season eggplant with salt and pepper, drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the oil and toss to evenly coat. Push eggplant to one side. In the empty space, combine 1 cup of the chickpeas and 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat, then mix with the eggplant and spread mixture in an even layer. Roast until eggplant is tender and chickpeas are golden and crispy, stirring halfway through, 30 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the remaining chickpeas with the tahini, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, the garlic, soy sauce and ¼ cup of water; pulse to combine. With the machine running, drizzle in the remaining ¼ cup of oil; purée, then season with salt and pepper.

  3. Step 3

    In a small bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumber, parsley and the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice; season with salt and pepper, and mix well.

  4. Step 4

    Divide rice or grains into 4 bowls; top with separate piles of the eggplant mixture, tomato salad and other toppings of choice. Drizzle generously with some of the tahini sauce. Garnish with parsley and serve warm.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,838 user ratings
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Comments

Blork

Very nice, and quick to put together. A comment about the sauce: it’s basically hummus, which is fine, but if you want to save some effort just skip the chickpeas (i.e., use the whole can for roasting) and make the following tahini sauce instead: 1/4 cup tahini, 2 cloves garlic (minced), 2 tbsp lemon juice, Pinch of salt, 2–3 tbsp water (as needed). Whisk together until desired consistency. Delicious and no food processor to clean up!

Stephen

Amba instead of hot sauce - amba is a great ingredient and it's missing here. Also incredibly popular sabich condiment.

Amanda

A nice bowl template. I didn’t have tomatoes so I used fresh sauerkraut and mild pickled peppers for added freshness. Added a bit of smoked paprika to the chickpeas. Ate with leftover brown rice. Next time I will add some za’atar to the chickpeas. Will try adding roasted broccoli or Brussels sprouts.

Joan

@Blork, did you deliberately leave the soy sauce and oil out of the tahini sauce you recommend?

Erik in Sacramento

Heeded @Gina Bina comment by adjusting eggplant and chickpea roasting times. Skipped Step 2 entirely per @Blork and hit finished bowl with a generous dollop of classic, store-bought hummus and a tahini drizz. Skipped grains, too, but toasted strips of pita and added to bowl. And, most importantly, heeded many other comments by procuring and adding Amba — oh, so glad I did! Will be making this again and again.

Christa

Why in the world would you toss the eggplant and chickpeas separately and then mix them together?

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