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4.7 from 45 votes

Roasted Eggplant Salad

This sweet and spicy Moroccan-inspired roasted eggplant salad recipe is a delicious mezze. Healthy, flavorful vegan side dish.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 4 cups
Calories: 280 kcal
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds eggplant (2 medium sized eggplants)
  • 1/3 cup olive oil, divided, plus more for brushing baking sheet
  • 2 whole red bell peppers
  • 1 whole jalapeño or fresno chili pepper
  • 2 1/2 pounds tomatoes (8-10 large), peeled, seeded and diced (learn how here) or 2 large cans (1 lb 12 oz each) diced tomatoes
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 3/4 teaspoon Salt, or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes or more to taste
  • Sugar, or your favorite sweetener, to taste (optional)
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. While oven is heating, slice stem ends off the eggplants, then peel them halfway in stripes down the side so strips of skin remain intact around the eggplant, with half of the skin peeled away. This helps the eggplant cubes to hold their shape without being too tough (too much skin can negatively affect the texture).
  2. Slice the eggplant into 1 - 1 1/2 inch chunks and toss them in a bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil.
  3. Brush a full-sized baking sheet liberally with olive oil, then spread the eggplant out in a single layer on the sheet.
  4. Line a half baking sheet with parchment paper and place the bell peppers and jalapeño or fresno chili pepper on the sheet.Place both baking sheets in the oven and let the vegetables roast for 10 minutes.
  5. After 10 minutes, turn all of the peppers over with tongs and continue roasting for another 3-5 minutes, until the small pepper is soft and collapsing. Remove the small roasted pepper and set it on a cutting board. Place a small bowl over the top of the pepper to let it steam.
  6. Turn the larger bell peppers again and return them to the oven. Stir the eggplant on its baking sheet. Continue roasting the eggplant and bell peppers for another 10 minutes or so until eggplant is tender and lightly browned and the bell peppers are soft and collapsing. 
  7. While the rest of the vegetables finish roasting, stem the small pepper, peel off any loose skin, and take out the seeds (unless you want a really spicy salad-- I leave 10-15 seeds in for a little kick). Dice into small pieces. You may want to wear gloves during this process to protect sensitive skin from the capsaicin of the pepper.When the eggplant and peppers finish roasting, remove them from the oven. Place the peppers in a bowl, cover the bowl with a plate, and allow them to steam for a few minutes. Set the eggplant aside. Once the peppers have steamed, seed them and peel the skin off. Dice into small pieces.
  8. Combine peppers, tomatoes, garlic, salt, tomato paste, and chili flakes in a 6 quart pot. Bring ingredients to a boil, then simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 8-10 minutes, until the mixture has cooked down and most of the excess liquid has evaporated.
  9. Stir in the roasted eggplant chunks. Continue to simmer for 5-10 minutes longer until thick and saucy. Remove from heat. Stir in sugar or your favorite sweetener to taste. I usually end up adding about 2 tbsp of sugar; it's supposed to be a sweet salad with a bit of a spicy kick. You can add more hot pepper flakes or salt to taste too, if you like.
  10. Stir together remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, paprika and smoked paprika in a small bowl. Pour oil into the salad and stir until well mixed.
  11. Serve salad at room temperature or chilled.

Notes

  • You will also need: 2 baking sheets (1 full, 1 half), 4-6 quart pot, parchment paper, bowls

Nutrition Information

Calories 280kcal (14%) Carbohydrates 27g (9%) Protein 5g (10%) Fat 19g (29%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Sodium 523mg (22%) Potassium 1305mg (37%) Fiber 11g (44%) Sugar 16g (32%) Vitamin A 3455IU (69%) Vitamin C 46.8mg (52%) Calcium 55mg (6%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4cups

Amount Per Serving

Calories 280

% Daily Value*

Calories 280kcal 14%
Carbohydrates 27g 9%
Protein 5g 10%
Fat 19g 29%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Sodium 523mg 22%
Potassium 1305mg 28%
Fiber 11g 44%
Sugar 16g 32%
Vitamin A 3455IU 69%
Vitamin C 46.8mg 52%
Calcium 55mg 6%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.