Did you know that goat cheese is amazing in a pasta? All the evidence you need can be found in my Goat Cheese Pasta with Spinach and Pine Nuts. I enjoy a basic cheese or egg salad sandwich as much as anyone, but even the classics get dull after a while. That’s when it’s time to take our sandwich game up a notch! Fortunately, sandwiches are the perfect platform for a bit of creativity. Start with a couple pieces of bread and let your imagination go wild! That’s how I ended up with my new favourite lunch, goat cheese sandwich with beautiful roasted vegetables. I have no doubt you’ll love it as much as me!
Goat Cheese Sandwich
This sandwich has everything! The roasted peppers and zucchini become sweet and tender, while the eggplant adds a perfect savoury undertone to the sandwich. Add this to a layer of creamy goat cheese and spicy chilli pesto and a sprinkling of peppery rocket and you have a combination of flavours that could not be improved. It’s a simple sandwich that can be made quickly, although roasting the vegetables does take time and needs a bit of planning. Still, add them to your oven for 40 minutes while you get on with other tasks, and making this hot sandwich won’t feel like much work at all!
Ingredients
The star of this sandwich is the roasted vegetables, which add much of the substance and savoury flavour. I used a combination of red pepper, onion, eggplant (or aubergine) and zucchini (or courgette) because this is what I had available. You can leave any vegetables out or add different options, based on your preference. The goat cheese I used is a soft, spreadable French cheese that has a mild flavour and isn’t as tangy as many other varieties. Because it is so mild I added a thick layer to the sandwich to get all the creaminess into the sandwich I could. To add a bit of kick and to balance out the creamy cheese, I included red chilli pesto from my local supermarket. If you can’t find red chilli pesto, sun-dried tomato pesto will work just as well, even if it doesn’t add the same spiciness. For bread, I chose ciabatta because it is light yet robust, perfect for a hot sandwich. Other bread will work just fine if not sliced too thinly. Focaccia in particular will be a good choice. Finish with arugula/rocket for a peppery finish and you are there!
Serving suggestions
A soup or salad are all you need turn this sandwich into a complete lunch. Personally I would go with a simple side salad to match the more complex flavours in the sandwich.
Storage and leftovers
A leftover hot sandwich will become a soggy mess if kept too long, so best make and eat it on demand. But the roasted vegetables are a wonder! Enjoy them hot or cold, as an appetizer or side dish, add them to a salad or chicken, or any number of ways. They can be refrigerated for 3-4 days.
