Grilled Eggplant Salad
This easy grilled eggplant salad is the healthy side dish you'll want to serve all summer long. It comes together in just 25 minutes and can be served warm or at room temperature, so it's equally suited to casual parties and weeknight dinners. The combination of eggplant, cherry tomatoes, red peppers, red onions and fresh herbs makes for a salad that's full of bright flavors and colors. Serve it with grilled chicken or fish or as part of a vegetarian mezze platter with dips like hummus and pita bread.
Ingreadients :
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons za’atar (see Tips)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, plus 3 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon), divided
- 1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound), cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
- 1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and quartered lengthwise
- ½ medium red onion, peeled and cut into 1-inch wedges through the root
- Cooking spray
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- ¾ cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- ¼ cup thinly sliced scallions
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
- ½ teaspoon salt
Step by Step :
- Preheat a grill to medium-high.
- Combine oil, za'atar and lemon zest in a small bowl. Brush 1 side of eggplant slices with half of the oil mixture; reserve the remaining mixture. Oil the grill rack (see Tips). Grill the eggplant, uncovered, turning often, until tender and grill marks appear on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Cut the eggplant into 1/4-inch pieces and transfer to a large bowl.
- Coat bell pepper quarters and onion wedges with cooking spray. Grill, uncovered, until tender and charred, about 5 minutes. Chop the peppers into 3/4-inch pieces. Remove and discard onion stem. Add the peppers, onions, tomatoes, parsley, scallions and mint to the bowl with the eggplant.
- Add lemon juice and salt to the reserved oil mixture; whisk to combine. Drizzle over the vegetables and toss to coat.
