Growing up, if we had eggplant, we ate it stir-fried because that’s what’s typical in Chinese cuisine. In adulthood, I discovered roasted and grilled eggplant, which is simply delicious. In the process of being roasted or grilled, eggplants develop a beautiful caramelized color. Some people do not eat eggplants because it’s a nightshade vegetable. But I believe the more variety we eat (and it doesn’t have to be a lot of one thing), the better overall nutrition we get. Here, I show you how I make a roasted eggplant salad.
What You’ll Need:
2 Eggplants (about 2.5-3 Lbs)
2 Vine-ripened tomatoes
1½ Cups chopped flat parsley
2 Shallots (can substitute with ½ a red onion)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Salt
Black Pepper
- Cut the eggplant into 2-inch pieces. Coat generously with olive oil (about 4-5 tablespoons), salt, and pepper. Pop into the oven at 450°F for 30 minutes. Allow the eggplant to cool to room temperature. It’s okay to use a warm eggplant in this salad recipe.
- Dice the tomato. Coarsely chop the parsley. Finely chop the shallots.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the eggplant, tomato, parsley, and onion. Put some splashes of balsamic vinegar (about 1 tablespoon total) into the mixture. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Toss all ingredients together. The roasted eggplant already has enough oil that you don’t necessarily need more oil to make this salad.