Made with just 5 ingredients, this vegetarian cevapcici (or cevapi) is a delicious pita-style sandwich perfect for a summer dinner. It’s based on the smoky and delicious kebabs that are famous in the Balkans, and now it’s in your kitchen!

Vegetarian cevapi on a plate with ajvar and kajmak.

When I visited Bosnia and Herzegovina, I didn’t expect it to be a culinary adventure. While the Greek gyro and Italian pizza have made their mark on Western culture, Balkans’ famous foods haven’t quite transcended into the world.

But they deserve to – especially this one. Bosnian cevapi is such a delicious combination of flavors and textures. I couldn’t get enough of it so I knew I had to recreate a vegetarian version once I returned home to my kitchen. So, let’s make cevapi.

Ingredients for Cevapi

“Cevapi” derives from the Persian word for kebab. “Cevapcici” can be translated to small kebab. So we’re basically just making a small kebab sandwich! Jump to the recipe card for the full quantities.

Vegan Sausage: We have a vegan sausage recipe here that works perfectly for making cevapi sandwiches. It uses textured vegetable protein to create a chewy, juicy sausage! But feel free to use store-bought.
Lepinja Bread: Also known as Balkan Flatbread, it’s traditionally used to serve cevapi on. You could substitute it with pita or naan.
Ajvar Sauce: Ajvar is a smoky red pepper and eggplant sauce famous in the area. Learn how to make ajvar here!
Kajmak: Similar to clotted cream, this dairy spread tastes like a cross between cream cheese and butter. Like the bread, you can find this in an Eastern European grocery store. You could substitute it with cream cheese (or play around with different cheeses, like goat’s cheese or feta).
White Onions: Finely diced white onion cuts through the heavy flavors of cevapi while providing some crunch! Yellow onion will work too.

How to make Cevapi

The actual assembly of the sandwich is easy – it’s getting all the components together that can take some time. This is just an overview. Jump to the recipe card for the full instructions.

Step 1: Make the Sausages
Making your own plant-based sausage may sound difficult, but it really isn’t! Just knead together the dough, roll into logs, and steam until firm! From there, you can grill them to get that delicious finish.

Step 2: Assemble
Then simply put it all together! Slice the bread in half through the middle to create a pocket to stuff things into. Spread some ajvar and kajmak onto the inside of the bread, then stuff with vegan sausage and white onions.

Pairing ideas

Pair this vegetarian cevapcici with a Balkan or Mediterranean-inspired side!

Beet Carpaccio is funky and fresh, perfect for getting veggies in.
Layered Hummus is a fun finger food to complement this messy-ish dinner.

Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @liveeatlearn on Facebook or Instagram!

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