Grilled Summer Vegetable Panini
You don’t need a fancy panini press to enjoy my Grilled Summer Vegetable Panini—just a hot pan and something heavy to press it down or a grill. A hearty toasted sandwich with grilled veggies like eggplant (aubergine) bell peppers, and zucchini (courgette), layered with melty cheese and a spread of sun-dried tomato pesto, this sandwich is summer in every bite.
Table of Contents
What is a Panini?
Panini (plural; singular in Italian: panino)is an Italian grilled or toasted sandwich, typically made with Italian bread like ciabatta or focaccia. It’s filled with ingredients like meats, cheeses, vegetables, and spreads, then pressed and grilled to create a warm, crispy, melty sandwich.
Best Bread for Panini
- Ciabatta – Lightly crisp crust with a soft, airy interior; a classic panini bread.
- Focaccia – Herby, rich, and slightly chewy; adds great flavor and texture.
- Sourdough – Tangy and firm; grills beautifully and adds character.
- Baguette (halved lengthwise) – Crunchy and dense; ideal for hearty fillings.
- Italian bread – Soft but sturdy enough to hold fillings; great all-around option.
- Multigrain or whole wheat – For a healthier twist, just make sure it’s not too soft or it may get soggy.
Bread to Avoid
Avoid soft sandwich bread – it tends to flatten too much and doesn’t hold up to grilling. Choose something with structure and crust.
Sun-Dried Tomato Spread
Sun-dried tomatoes are one of my favorite ways to add sweet flavor to many dishes. By turning them into a Pesto (pictured above), I use it in my Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad—or as the secret flavor weapon in Hummus and this vegetable grilled cheese, spread right onto the bread.
Summer Vegetables
For this Italian-inspired Grilled Summer Vegetable Panini, I like to use meaty eggplant, summer zucchini (courgette) and grilled bell peppers. All are simply seasoned with salt, pepper and dried oregano and the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes.
Grilling Vegetables
This can be done on your outdoor grill, or on the stove top using a grill pan. It’s the perfect way to bring a taste of summer to these fancy grilled cheese (or toasties as we call them in the UK).
Grilling Eggplant/Aubergine
It’s best to completely remove the eggplant peel for this recipe. When I’ve made this panini without peeling the eggplant, I find that the skin becomes tough and you end up pulling the eggplant out of the sandwich when you take a bite.
Also, slice the eggplant fairly thick, as it loses a lot of moisture while cooking and can become very thin. I chop the bell pepper into pieces for the same reason—it can shrink and slip out just as easily.
Best Cheese for Panini
For this recipe, I recommend creamy provolone – it complements the vegetables and melts beautifully. Mozzarella is also one of the best melting cheeses, but since it doesn’t have much flavor, I’d opt for Havarti or a mild cheddar instead.
Bonus Cheese Tip
Mix cheeses! For example, mozzarella + cheddar gives you melt + flavor. Or provolone + Gruyère for a rich, savory combo.
No Panini Maker? No Problem
You don’t need a panini maker for this sandwich; you can use your indoor or outdoor grill (which gives great grill marks on the bread). If you don’t have a grill, a heavy skillet or pan works just like when you make grilled cheese. If you don’t have a grill, just sauté the vegetables in the pan before assembling and cooking the panini.
Optional Variations and Substitutions
- Add grilled onions or portobello mushrooms for extra flavor and a meaty bite.
- If you don’t want to make the sun-dried tomato pesto, use store-bought or homemade basil pesto instead.
- Hummus also makes a delicious alternative spread.
Grilled Summer Vegetable Panini
Video
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil
- 3 tablespoons oil from the sun-dried tomatoes, If you can’t find sun-dried tomatoes in oil, substitute olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- 8 small/4 large fresh basil leaves
- 4 slices of eggplant, peeled and sliced vertically, about ½-inch/1.2 cm thick
- 1 large bell pepper, seeds removed and cut into large pieces
- 8 slices zucchini/courgette, sliced vertically
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- Dried Oregano
- 8 slices of bread of your choice
- 8 slices provolone, cheese
Instructions
- Preheat grill on medium.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes, oil, garlic and basil to a blender. Blend until a paste forms, add more oil as needed, set aside.
- Brush the vegetables with the 3 tablespoons sun-dried tomato olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and oregano on both sides.
- Grill the vegetables on both sides until they are tender and browned. Or sauté in a heavy skillet until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Brush 1 side of each slice of bread, turn with the unflavored olive oil lay faced down on a board. Spread an even layer of the sun-dried tomato mix on each slice of bread. Lay 1 slice of cheese on 4 slices of bread. Top each of them with a slice of eggplant, bell pepper and 2 slices of zucchini/courgette. Top each with a slice of cheese. Take the tops of the bread and place, sun-dried tomato paste down. Brush the tops with olive oil.
- Place the sandwiches on the grill and grill (or in the heavy pan) until the cheese starts to melt and they are browned, turn and repeat. Serve immediately.
This was a very tasty sandwich. I didn’t use zuchini but the spread makes it so good.
Thank you, I’m happy you enjoyed it