This smoky eggplant salad is divine with the roasted eggplant’s silky texture and smoky flavor paired with sweet raisins and bell peppers. Whether you spread this on toast, eat with fresh pita or simply devour on a bed of greens, this Mediterranean inspired salad will be your new favorite way to eat eggplant.
Why you will love this smoky eggplant salad
This incredible vegan salad recipe has so many things to love! First, it looks beautiful and fancy yet it's easy enough for a beginner cook to make. Roasting the eggplant and peppers in the oven is easy. While they roast you can chop and assemble the other ingredients. Second, the flavor profile is fresh and inviting. This is the perfect addition to a mezze platter or to eat as tapas on a hot summer night. The combination of flavors and textures from smoky eggplant, sweet raisins and bell peppers, and crunchy walnuts is to die for. Is this smoky eggplant salad a salad or a dip? That depends! It can be eaten over greens or by scooping with pita bread or crackers. Either way you will love this recipe.
Ingredients for Smoky Eggplant Salad
Although this recipe has a summery vibe, it can be made year round thanks to modern grocery stores. Eggplant and peppers are summer veggies that are usually easily found in every season. Let's talk ingredients:
- Eggplant- Eggplant is the "meat" of this recipe. Roasting it gives it a deliciously smooth and silky texture. Adding smoked paprika, salt and garlic powder before roasting brings out it's smoky and savory flavors.
- Garlic-Garlic is aromatic and has a spicy bite that brings a Mediterranean vibe to this salad. If you are not a fan, leave it out. For a subtler bite, chop a tsp of chives or the white part of a green onion instead.
- Raisins- For sweetness, we add raisins to this salad. The raisins will plump up a little after absorbing some of the juices which sounds suspect but is actually quite lovely
- Walnut pieces- Walnuts add a delightful and unexpected crunch to this salad. The slight bitter earthiness of the walnut balances the sweet flavors. If you are allergic to nuts, substitute pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
- Red bell pepper-I use my easy roasted pepper method and simply throw the peppers into the oven on a sheet pan whole. This will simplify the cooking. Use jarred red bell peppers for extra convenience instead.
- Parsley-parsley is a neutral player in this salad. She balances out the stronger flavors and brings a nice, fresh pop.
- Mint- Mint brings so much freshness to this party. Use up that garden mint that you are swimming in! The measurements are a suggestion, go with your instinct and add more if you love mint!
- Lemon- There is no need to mask all these fresh and pungent flavors with any heavy dressings. We simply use squeezed lemon and olive oil plus salt to bring out the delicious taste of this salad.
- Olive oil
- Smoked paprika
- Salt
- Garlic powder
How to make smoky eggplant salad
This recipe is really easy to make!
- Cook the Eggplant and Peppers-This is my favorite way to cook eggplant. I simply cut them in half, then score them with a crosshatch pattern. Then I rub the scored side with a paste made from olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder and salt. They go onto a sheet pan and into the oven to roast until soft. Then we let them cool, remove the "meat" from the skin and chop small. This chopped eggplant will resemble more of a mash which is the perfect texture for this smoky eggplant salad. For the roasted pepper we simply add the whole pepper to the sheet pan with the eggplant and oven roast simultaneously. It's so simple!
- Gather and Chop- While the eggplant and peppers are cooling gather the other ingredients and chop the herbs.
- Prepare Roasted Eggplant and Peppers-Remove roasted eggplant flesh from skin and chop in small bite size pieces. They will be very soft. Remove stem and seeds from pepper and chop small.
- Assemble the salad- Grab a large bowl and add all the ingredients. Mix until well combined.
Other delicious salads you will love
Smoky Eggplant Salad
Ingredients
- 2 eggplant
- 1 garlic clove minced
- ¼ cup raisins
- ¼ cup walnut pieces chopped coarsely
- 1 red bell pepper large
- ¼ cup parsley leaves only chopped
- ¼ cup mint leaves only chopped
- 1 lemon large, juiced
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400
- Cut eggplants in half lengthwise, carefully score exposed center with a crosshatch pattern using a small knife. Don't cut too deep into the eggplant.
- In a small bowl mix 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil with 1 tsp smoked paprika, salt and garlic powder and mix to make a paste. Spread onto the scored side of eggplants and rub to cover.
- Place seasoned eggplants scored side down on a sheet pan plus the bell pepper whole and roast for 30 minutes.
- Chop and gather other ingredients while eggplant and pepper are cooling.
- In a large bowl place garlic, raisins, walnuts, parsley, mint, lemon juice, the remaining 1 tbsp oil, ½ tsp smoked paprika and mix.
- Remove roasted eggplant flesh from skin by scooping and scraping it out with a spoon. Then chop it into small bite size pieces. They will be very soft. Then remove stem and seeds from the roasted red pepper and chop small.
- Add eggplant and peppers to the large bowl and mix well. Taste for salt and adjust to your preference.
- Cover and refrigerate. Best enjoyed within 3-4 days for best quality.
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