This easy Mediterranean Roasted Eggplant Salad is made with simple, budget-friendly ingredients. It features a blend of fresh flavors from eggplant, bell peppers, tomatoes, fresh herbs, olive oil, and lemon juice. You can serve this versatile salad warm or cold as a side dish or appetizer. Great for a summer evening or any time of the year!
Although eggplants are in season only from July to October, they are usually available for purchase year-round.
So, whenever my grocery store has a sale on local produce, I buy a lot of tomatoes, eggplants, and bell peppers and use them to make this delicious Mediterranean roasted eggplant salad.
This eggplant salad recipe is very easy to make even though it takes a bit of time because you have to roast the veggies and then wait for them to cool off before finishing the salad.
So, make sure to plan ahead. But I promise you that it will be worth it!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Roasted vegetables have an intense smoky flavor that makes this salad hearty and very satisfying.
- The ingredients for this salad are usually budget-friendly and can be found at grocery stores and farmers’ markets year-round.
- This colorful salad contains lots of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber to support a healthy lifestyle.
- This roasted vegetable salad can be eaten hot or cold.
- The salad is bright and colorful, making it the perfect addition to any dinner party or summer BBQ.
- You can customize the salad with your favorite toppings such as feta cheese, pomegranate seeds, olives, or chopped nuts.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Eggplant & Salt – These two ingredients go hand in hand. The salt will help draw out any excess moisture from the eggplant. It also helps to get rid of the bitter taste typical for larger eggplant varieties.
- Bell Peppers – For a beautiful mix of colors and flavors, use red, yellow, and green bell pepper. You can also use just red or yellow bell peppers. Green bell peppers are usually less flavorful, so I don’t recommend using only green bell peppers for this salad.
- Tomatoes – Roasted tomatoes add a natural sweetness and acidity that pairs well with the flavors in the salad.
- Fresh Lemon Juice – Brightens up the salad by adding a pop of acidity and freshness.
- Fresh Basil & Cilantro – Give the salad a fresh herb taste and nice bright green color. You can also use other fresh herbs such as parsley, mint, or chives.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Adds that Mediterranean flavor to the dish and helps bring together all the flavors of the herbs and roasted vegetables.
How To Make Mediterranean Roasted Eggplant Salad
Step 1. Prepare & Roast The Eggplant.
Remove the stem from the eggplant and cut it in half lengthwise. Place the eggplant on a cutting board sliced side up, generously sprinkle with salt and leave for 30 minutes to let the moisture draw out.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Oil a baking sheet with a little bit of olive oil. Place the eggplant halves on the baking sheet sliced side down. Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast for about 10 minutes.
Step 2. Prepare & Roast The Bell Peppers & Tomatoes.
In the meantime, cut the bell peppers in half and clean out the stems and seeds. Most likely, you won’t be able to fit all the veggies on one baking sheet. So, put the bell peppers and tomatoes in a single layer on another sheet pan.
Make sure the bell peppers are placed on the sheet pan skin side up. Place the second baking sheet in the oven as well. Roast the vegetables for another 50 minutes or until the veggies are soft and bell pepper skins start to char.
Step 3. Cool & Clean The Roasted Vegetables.
Remove the baking sheets from the oven. Leave the eggplant on the baking sheet to cool. Transfer the bell peppers and tomatoes into a bowl. Cover the bowl and let the veggies cool. This makes it easier to peel the skin from the bell peppers and tomatoes.
Once the vegetables are cool enough to handle, scrape the eggplant flesh onto a cutting board and cut it into chunks. Remove the skin from the bell peppers and chop them into bite-size pieces. Remove the skin and seeds from the tomatoes and chop them as well.
Step 4. Assemble The Salad.
Pour half of the lemon juice over the eggplant and transfer it to a salad bowl. Add all the chopped veggies to the eggplant. At this point, you might notice that a lot of liquid was released from the veggies into the bowl. This is normal. You can drain some of the liquid or leave it as is.
Add the rest of the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, chopped cilantro, and basil. Season with salt if desired. Mix everything to combine and serve.
Recipe Tips
Be especially careful when handling roasted tomatoes because the juice inside of the tomatoes might be very hot even though the tomato feels cool enough to handle on the outside.
Generously salt the eggplant and let it sit for about 30 minutes before roasting it. The eggplant will release some moisture, which helps eliminate the slightly bitter taste typical for larger eggplant varieties.
To ensure that the bell peppers roast evenly, chop everything roughly the same size.
Serving Suggestions and Flavor Variations
Serve this roasted eggplant salad with chicken, fish, or marinated tofu for a satisfying high protein meal.
You can also use it as a plant-based filling for hearty sandwiches and wraps with a spread of hummus.
Don’t like roasting vegetables? Save time and try grilling them instead. The char-grilled flavor makes this Mediterranean-inspired dish even better.
This salad is very versatile and can be flavored in many different ways. Try adding some toppings such as garlic, red onion, olives, feta cheese, grated parmesan, chopped nuts, lemon zest, fresh mint, or pomegranate.
You can also add some spices to the salad. For example, smoked paprika, garlic powder, coriander, or cumin will work very well with the flavors of the salad. If you like it spicy, try adding a pinch of Cayenne pepper.
Storing & Freezing
- Storing: Store cooled salad in an airtight container for 2-3 days. You can reheat it or serve it cold.
- Freezing: Due to the high water content in these vegetables, freezing is not recommended.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Have to Salt My Eggplant Before Roasting?
You don’t have to do this if you don’t mind the bitter taste. Some people are more sensitive to bitter taste than others. I, for example, cannot handle it, so I always sprinkle eggplant with salt before cooking.
Should I Peel the Eggplant Before Roasting?
No. Leave the skin on. You can easily remove it after the eggplant is roasted.
My Eggplant Has a Lot of Seeds Inside. Should I remove them?
It’s up to you. Eggplant seeds can be bitter. If you don’t like it, you can remove them. If you don’t mind the taste, you can leave the seeds as is.
Should I Cover Vegetables When Roasting Them in the Oven?
Generally, you should not cover vegetables when roasting them in the oven. Covering vegetables will steam them instead of browning them.
What Oil is Best for Roasting Vegetables?
You’ll want to roast vegetables in oil that has a neutral taste and a high smoke point. Ghee and olive oil are best.
More Eggplant Recipes
If you are looking for other ways to cook eggplant, check out these easy recipes:
Mediterranean Roasted Eggplant Salad
This simple and healthy Mediterranean Roasted Eggplant Salad can be served warm or cold and tastes great as a side dish, salad or appetizer. You can also add it to sandwiches and wraps.
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants
- salt
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 3 tomatoes
- juice of 1 lemon
- 3/4 cup chopped cilantro
- a handful of basil leaves, chopped
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Place on a cutting board sliced side up, sprinkle with salt and leave for 30 minutes. The eggplant will release some moisture which helps to get rid of the slightly bitter taste typical for larger eggplant varieties. (You don't have to do this if you don't mind the bitter taste. Some people are more sensitive to bitter taste than others. I, for example, cannot handle it so I always sprinkle eggplant with salt before cooking).
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Oil a baking sheet with a little bit of olive oil. Place the eggplant halves on the baking sheet sliced side down. Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast for about 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, cut the bell peppers in half and clean out the stems and seeds.
- Most likely, you won't be able to fit all the veggies on one baking sheet. So put the bell peppers skin side up and tomatoes on another baking sheet and place it in the oven as well. Roast the vegetables for another 50 minutes or until the veggies are soft and bell pepper skins start to char.
- Remove the baking sheets from the oven. Leave the eggplant on the baking sheet to cool. Transfer the bell peppers and tomatoes into a bowl; cover the bowl and let the veggies cool. This makes it easier to peel the skin from the bell peppers and tomatoes.
- Once cool enough to handle. Scrape the eggplant flesh onto a cutting board and cut into chunks. Pour half of the lemon juice over the eggplant and transfer to a salad bowl.
- Remove the skin from the bell peppers and chop them into bite-size pieces. Remove the skin and seeds from the tomatoes and chop them as well.
- Add all the chopped veggies to the eggplant. At this point, you might notice that a lot of liquid was released from the veggies into the bowl. I prefer to drain some of the liquid.
- Add the rest of the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, chopped cilantro and basil. Season with salt if desired. Mix everything to combine and serve.
Notes
Note that vegetables might be very hot inside, so be careful when handling them.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 4 portions Serving Size 1/4 of recipeAmount Per Serving Calories 170Total Fat 4.5gSaturated Fat 0.7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3.8gCholesterol 0mgSodium 92mgCarbohydrates 32.4gFiber 14gSugar 17.4gProtein 5.8g
Nutrition facts provided on this website are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a qualified health care provider for personalized diet advice and make sure that each of the ingredients is allowed in your diet.
Amanda
Monday 19th of February 2018
This salad is delicious! Although, it did take time to make it but was totally worth it!