This Eggplant Salad is chock full of hearty veggies and tender eggplant in a delicious, tangy marinade. It’s the perfect side dish for summer picnics or family dinners!
This savory Eggplant Salad is one of my favorite dishes to serve during the summer, when fresh vegetables are abundant and I’m craving light, bright food made with minimal effort. With cucumbers, ripe tomatoes, red peppers, scallions and of course, tender chunks of eggplant, it’s a flavor explosion in your mouth!
EGGPLANT SALAD: A TREASURED RECIPE
This Eggplant Salad recipe is especially dear to my heart because it came from my grandmother. She submitted it to the St. Lucy’s cookbook, the collective effort of the women parishioners of St. Lucy’s church, my grandparents’ church, the church where my grandparents were the first couple to be married. Even though she passed away when I was young, I feel like she has played an important role in my life. And she was totally the original foodie, so I can’t wait to share this treasured recipe with you.
Do you have favorite recipes passed down from your ancestors? I love hearing stories of old and favored recipes. Please feel free to share in the comments below!
COOKING WITH EGGPLANT
If you’ve never cooked much with eggplant, I urge you to start with this recipe. It’s easy to make and you an get a feel for working with this delicious fruit. Did you know it’s actually a fruit and not a vegetable? Eggplants are an excellent source of dietary fiber and are filling and really delicious! And because it’s low in calories, it can reduce the risk of heart disease, help with blood sugar control, and help with weight loss. You can eat it raw for a stronger, slightly bitter flavor, or roasted for a milder flavor and a soft, creamy texture, similar to potatoes.
TIPS FOR PERFECT EGGPLANT SALAD
- Grandma advises that you start this recipe three to four hours before serving.
- After peeling the eggplant, chop it into cubes and sprinkle them with salt.
- Don’t overcook! Roast the cubes for about five minutes, then turn them over and roast for another five minutes. Both sides should be slightly browned.
- While they’re cooking, assemble the ingredients for the delicious, zesty marinade. It’s really easy to put together!
- After the eggplant cubes are done, let them cool slightly before tossing them in the marinade.
- Then let it refrigerate (tightly covered or in a Ziploc bag) for about two hours.
- Just before serving, add all the other scrumptious veggies like diced cucumber, red and green peppers, green onions, and juicy tomatoes.
- You can actually assemble this salad the night before and refrigerate until serving time or add the veggies just beforehand.
MORE EGGPLANT RECIPES
Eggplant is a delicious and low calorie way to add bulk to so many dishes. Try some of these eggplant recipes and you’ll see why it’s such a favorite!
- Eggplant Raviolini Soup
- Stuffed Eggplant
- Grilled Eggplant Caprese
- Eggplant Risoto
- Turkey and Roasted Vegetable Sandwich
Once you start working with eggplant, I promise you’ll love it! I’d love to learn your favorite recipes too, so please leave me a comment below and let’s enjoy this delicious ingredient together! Enjoy!
Eggplant Salad
Serves: 8
(tap # to scale)
Prep: 3 hours
Cook: 10 minutes
This Eggplant Salad is chock full of hearty veggies and tender eggplant in a delicious, tangy marinade. It's the perfect side dish for summer picnics or family dinners!
Ingredients
- 2 small eggplants
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 TBSPs red wine
- juice of one lemon
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt more to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp thyme
- 2 scallions
- 1 green pepper
- 1 red pepper
- 2 medium tomatos
- 1 cucumber
Instructions
- Set your oven to broil.
- Peel the eggplant and slice it into one inch thick pieces. Lightly salt it and let it stand 10 minutes.
- Spray a baking pan with olive oil, and broil the eggplant until both sides are browned. I did five minutes on each side. Grandma notes, "Don't overcook."
- While the eggplant is cooking, mix together the garlic, red wine, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, salt, black pepper, basil, oregano, and thyme.
- While the eggplant is still warm, chop it into cubes and put in sealable container, and cover with marinade. Pop it in the fridge for two hours.
- Just before serving, cut the other vegetables into small bite sized pieces and toss with the eggplant (though you can also do this step ahead of serving, for example the night before).
Serving: 1cup Calories: 114kcal (6%) Carbohydrates: 7g (2%) Protein: 1g (2%) Fat: 7g (11%) Saturated Fat: 1g (6%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g Monounsaturated Fat: 1g Sodium: 150mg (7%) Potassium: 256mg (7%) Fiber: 3g (13%) Sugar: 2g (2%) Vitamin A: 47IU (1%) Vitamin C: 149mg (181%) Calcium: 6mg (1%) Iron: 3mg (17%)
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Eggplant Salad
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