Eggplant is underrated. It is versatile, mild in flavor, creamy in texture when cooked, cheap, big, and can easily be transformed into a quick meal. In college, one of my go-to meals was to sauté a slice of eggplant in olive oil and eat on a sandwich with a little mayo and sliced tomato. So easy, so cheap, I would eat this for lunch many days in a row and never get tired of my eggplant sandwiches. But Bold Sandwiches may have to be a different project for a different lifetime!
This Eggplant and Roasted Pepper Salad showcases the creamy, smooth texture of cooked eggplant. Paired with crispy sweetness from onion and pepper, acid from lemon, and salt to boost the flavor of the whole dish, this salad puts a boring bowl of greens to shame.
Let’s talk texture – you know, that thing that food judges on TV care about along with flavor and presentation. Texture changes the flavor we perceive when we chew. Playing around with textures can be great fun, and the easiest way to do this is to experiment with cooking techniques and times. I use the word “dynamic” a lot when it comes to texture – a one-texture dish is just blah. Eating should be a wholesome, satisfying, fun experience! Instead of just creamy, just crunchy, just any one texture, we want a combo in any dish we eat.
Eggplant roasted with olive oil takes on a comforting creaminess and to contrast we pair it with gently cooked onions and peppers, as well as some left raw, for an energetic mix of textures and a fresh crunch. The colors in this Eggplant and Roasted Pepper Salad are sharp and the flavors couldn’t be simpler.
Notes for Eggplant and Roasted Pepper Salad
- When roasting different veggies, it’s generally wise to use different baking sheets for each. Different veggies have different cook times! However, this recipe is fine to just toss them all on one.
- You can peel your eggplant as the skin can be a little tough. I keep mine on because the skin is where a lot of the nutrients are and I don’t find the texture to be very unpleasant at all.
- Eggplant will soak up olive oil like a sponge! Be careful not to go overboard or you’ll end up with a greasy mouthfeel which can be pretty unpleasant. A light coat to roast is all we need, no more than a couple tablespoons.
- I have a thing with chopsticks – if I can eat a meal with chopsticks, I will. Maybe it’s because I eat slower and enjoy more that way, or because it makes me feel worldly and sophisticated. In any case, this is a great one to enjoy with chopsticks if you’re weird like me!
- Feel free to serve warm or chilled! If you opt for chilled, wait to dress with lemon and olive oil right before serving.
Eggplant and Roasted Red Pepper Salad
Ingredients
- 1 medium Eggplant
- 1 Bell Pepper, can use multiple colors if you like (just not green)
- 1 medium Onion
- Olive Oil
- 1/2 Lemon, juiced
- Generous Sprinkle Salt and Pepper
- 1 sprig fresh Thyme, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°
- Slice veggies: I find it easiest to cut into small, thin-ish squares. Once your onion is peeled and root tip removed, cut in half, and cut each half into quarters to get square-ish shaped pieces, then peel apart the layers. Cut the pepper and eggplant into similar sizes for even cooking.
- Set aside about a third of your peppers and just one or two pieces of onion as these will go in the salad raw.
- Coat veggies to be roasted lightly with olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme (leaves stripped from stem and roughly chopped) if you like. All these veggies can be eaten raw, so the cook time is really up to you. I like mine to become just a bit tender, but still have a little bite to them. Don't cook the life out of them until they become mush! About 10 minutes in the oven does the trick. Hot and fast!
- While roasting, you can very finely slice your raw onion and pepper. We don't want large chunks of onion because its sharpness can overwhelm the palate! This step is optional but does create more texture in the final dish.
- When veggies are finished roasting, toss with raw veggies, and serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice overtop. I personally am not a big fan of extra oil on my salads, though if you like you can finish with a drizzle of Olive Oil as well.
