Sauteed Eggplant Salad With Chickpea

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This subtly flavored salad really celebrates the chickpeas, fried or roasted eggplant adds the perfect additional texture to this vitamin-rich, full of fiber, protein, iron, and perfect for keeping us going on busy days.

Lately, I was thinking about nourishing recipes that contain only a few ingredients and are easy and quick to make. I feel life is getting busier each day and I need my lunch or dinner to be ready in under-30 minutes. This is salad is what I came up with.

I like to keep the salad warm by adding the can of drained chickpeas for a few minutes to the pan with fried eggplants before serving. But once you drizzle the dressing on top or eat the salad later, it turns into a delicious cold appetizer.

Since eggplant and chickpea go really well with each other, I was thinking of more dishes to create with this combination. I believe curry sounds good, but what about other dishes? Have you ever paired these two ingredients? Any favorite dishes?

Please let me know in the comments I’d love to hear from you!

If you like fulfilling salad bowls be sure to head over to my Salad Section or try one of these yummy salads such as Salmon Salad, Cold Pasta Salad With Smoked Sausage, Asian Slaw With Tangy Peanut Dressing, Pasta Salad With Cheddar.

This recipe calls for two main ingredients - eggplant and chickpea. I mostly use canned chickpeas but feel free to use raw chickpeas as well (BUT who has time for this? ))).

If you’re going to use raw chickpeas there’s more preparation time involved.

How to cook raw chickpeas - This is how you'd go about it. Place a cup of chickpeas in a pot/bowl of cold water for 8-12 hours. Then wash and drain and fill the pot with fresh water and take it to a boil. Then throw in the chickpeas and cook on medium for 1-2 hours or until soft. Let them cool and they are ready to be added to the salad!

And for cooking eggplants - the quickest way is to sautee them on the pan but you can also roast them on a baking sheet with some vegetable oil until they become soft to touch (200 F for 10-25 minutes, or until soft).

Ingredients for the sauteed eggplant salad:

• Chickpeas (about 1 cup) - great protein source and adds bulk to the salad.
• Eggplants (or aubergine) - look for fresh ripe eggplants that have unblemished and tight skins. Eggplant should be free of spots.
• Parsley and cilantro leaves - love the herbs with eggplant, add a generous amount of both parsley and cilantro!
• Garlic powder - we will be adding this to the dressing and it has softer taste than raw garlic cloves.
• Apple cider or white wine vinegar - Add more vinegar (about 1-2 tablespoon extra if you like the taste). It may taste very strong when you taste tested but once added to the salad it all comes together and balances the flavors. My go-to is apple cider vinegar (6%). I am not a huge fan of white vinegar, but it really works well in here too, it adds a very nice zing to the salad.
• Lemon juice - fresh is best!
• Olive oil - for all the salad dressing ingredients to bind together.
• Sweet paprika powder - or even smoked paprika will be a great choice. Sprinkle more on top while serving.
• Ground cumin - a staple in my mediterranean appetizers!
• Chili powder - leave it in or out, or simply add less if you don't like a little heat and spice in your salads.
• Ground black pepper - an essential along with the salt.
• Sesame seeds - for garnish

• Slice the eggplants into thick circles, spread them out on an even surface (e.g. baking tray) sprinkle some salt on top, and set aside. When ready, wash and pat dry and cut into cubes.

• In a medium pan, heat vegetable oil over medium heat and fry eggplants until golden brown. Add more salt to taste. Reduce the heat to low, close the lid and let them simmer for 10-12 minutes.

• Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then tip into the pan with the eggplant. Stir to combine and let the chickpeas become warm (5 min). When done, transfer to a serving bowl.

• Prepare the dressing. In a small mixing bowl add all the salad dressing ingredients and mix well. Alternatively, you can combine the ingredients in a mason jar, close the lid, and give it a good shake. Then use it to drizzle the salad. Sprinkle the sesame seeds and paprika, if you wish, and serve!

• This under 30-minute salad, can be served warm or at room temperature or cold. It's even better served with halloumi or feta.

Need a different visual? This recipe is also available as a story!

I hope you enjoy this easy Sauteed Eggplant Salad,

Thank you for reading,

Julia

You don't necessarily need to peel the eggplant before roasting. The entire eggplant with skin is edible, in fact, it contains more nutrients than the eggplant flesh itself. However, with some old overripe eggplants, the skin can be bitter or too tough to chew on.

There is a quick simple trick you can do to keep the eggplant soft but not mushy when baking. Place a flat baking sheet in the bottom of the oven with a bit of water while baking. It helps the eggplant to stay moist, not dry, and not mushy.

If you like more easy eggplant (aubergine) recipes you must check these out!

• Tomato Eggplant Pasta
• Baked Eggplant With Cheese
• Eggplant Caviar Recipe

Need a different visual? This recipe is also available as a story!