Eggplant Salad

Eggplant salad is a fabulous dish to add to your cooking repertoire. Eggplant has long been used all over the world as a meat substitute and vegetarian or vegan staple. This is partially because eggplant has a great texture and is highly chewable, and thus naturally satiating. You won’t want seconds when eating this dish, because it will leave you with a full stomach. The ingredients are easy to come by making this recipe pretty fantastically simple.

Health Benefits

Eggplants, the main ingredient for this dish, are black or purple shiny vegetables native that originated in India. They have a whole host of health benefits that make them an excellent addition to any diet. Eggplants have the ability to build strong bones and prevent bone based diseases like osteoporosis. They also help to reduce anemia symptoms, increase brain cognition and functionality, protect the digestive system from damage, and improve pulmonary health. Eggplants are low in fat and cholesterol which makes them great for weight loss and managing diabetes.

Nutrition

Per Serving

Calories 314.2
Calories from Fat 190
Total Fat 21.2 g
Saturated Fat 3 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 594.9 mg
Total Carbohydrate 32 g
Dietary Fiber 13.7 g
Sugars 11.4 g
Protein 5.5 g

Ingredients

eggplants: 1 1/2 lbs

red bell pepper: 1

cucumber – English: 1/3

red onion – small: 1/4

garlic clove – small: 1/2

tbsp extra virgin olive oil: 3

tbsp lemon juice – fresh: 2

tsp black pepper – freshly ground: 1

tsp salt: 1/2

How To Make Eggplant Salad

1. Preheat a charcoal, gas grill, or broiler.
2. Roast the eggplants, turning as needed, until the skin is charred on all sides.

Note: The time will vary depending on the cooking method you use.

Note: The eggplant is cooked when it is soft and looks somewhat deflated.

3. Place the eggplant on a plate to cool.
4. Trim and seed the red pepper.
5. Cut pepper into 1/4-inch dice.
6. Cut the cucumber lengthwise in half.
7. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
8. Cut into ¼-inch diced pieces.
9. Peel and finely chop the onion.
10. Peel and finely chop the garlic.
11. Let the eggplant cool.
12. Remove as much of the skin as possible along with any large dark seeds.
13. Cut the eggplant into 1 in square pieces and place it in a colander in the sink for 5 to 10 minutes to drain excess liquid.
14. Set aside until needed.
15. Transfer the eggplant to a serving dish and add the red pepper, cucumber, onion, and garlic.
16. Stir in the olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

Note: Serve immediately or the salt will draw out too much moister from the vegetables.

Trivia

Eggplant is also known as aubergine.