She Strengthens

Savory Falafel Sandwiches with a Twist

Get Ready for a Flavorful Ride

Imagine sinking your teeth into a crispy pita bread filled with juicy falafel, sautéed peppers and onions, and creamy cucumber-yogurt sauce. Sounds like a dream, right? With this easy recipe, you can make that dream a reality.

The Essential Ingredients

To start, you’ll need to prepare a batch of Classic Falafel and Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce (or plain yogurt works too). You’ll also need:

• 1 Japanese or Chinese eggplant, sliced into ½-inch thick pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1 yellow onion, halved and sliced
• Thick pita bread, halved and toasted

Let’s Get Cooking!

First, prepare the falafel according to the recipe. While that’s cooking, refrigerate the yogurt sauce until ready to use.

Next, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat until it’s almost smoking. Add the eggplant slices in a single layer and fry until golden, turning once, about 4 minutes. You may need to do this in two batches to avoid overcrowding. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggplant to paper towels to drain, and season with salt and pepper.

Now, pour off all but a couple of tablespoons of the oil and add the sliced onions and peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re tender and slightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Assemble and Serve

Stuff the toasted pita bread halves with falafel, eggplant, peppers, and onions. Top with the yogurt sauce (or plain yogurt) and serve immediately.

Yield and Cooking Time

This recipe yields 6 servings and takes about 40 minutes to prepare, plus the time it takes to make the falafel. Active cooking time is around 20 minutes.

Tips and Variations

Feel free to customize this recipe to your taste by adding other toppings, such as chopped cucumbers or tomatoes. You can also swap out the eggplant for zucchini or portobello mushrooms for a different twist. The possibilities are endless!