Unforgettable roasted eggplant salad with lemon paste

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Do you like eggplant? If the answer is no, you simply don’t know how to prepare it the right way. That is why you absolutely need this roasted eggplant salad with lemon paste recipe.

I am not claiming I’ve invented this dish, how could I? This recipe is from the king of the vegetables Yotam Ottolenghi and is absolutely amazing. However, I have simplified it quite a bit to make it more of the everyday kind of dish and am sharing here my version of this delicious dish.

Ok, back to the recipe. This roasted eggplant is very easy to prepare. It will take you only a couple of minutes to assemble the dish once your eggplant is cooked. The only thing you will need to prepare in advance, and it will take you 10 minutes, is to make the lemon paste. Don’t skip this step, it is absolutely crucial.

roasted eggplant slices on a round white plate

Why do I like this roasted eggplant salad with lemon paste:

I love having dinners with lots of small plates that can be shared between family and friends. Just think about tapas in Spain, antipasti in Italy, as well as mezze in the Middle Eats. This roasted eggplant is absolutely the perfect dish for this kind of meal. Not a fan of this idea? Why not serve it as a side dish, with some falafel or chicken shawarma (if you fancy) and maybe some steamed rice and crumbled feta? Whatever you do with it is completely up to you! All I know is once you have made it, you will make it again and again just like I do.

There is one more reason to love this dish. You can prepare it ahead of time. Make it the day ahead, and it will only get better. In fact, a day in the fridge will allow all the flavours to incorporate and been absorbed by the meaty texture of the eggplant.

Let’s make this unforgettable roasted eggplant salad with lemon paste

Unforgettable roasted eggplant salad with lemon paste

Elena Elliott

Hands down, this is absolutely the best-roasted eggplant recipe I have made to date. Perfect texture, tons of flavour, delicious, and really good for you!

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Total Time 50

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Middle eastern

Servings serves as a side dish

Ingredients

To roast eggplant:

1 large eggplant preferably long and skinny, sliced into 2 cm slices (3/4 of an inch)
4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

For the dressing:

4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp of lemon paste (see below)
1/2 cup of freshly chopped coriander cilantro

To make a lemon paste you will need:

1 large lemon trimmed, thinly sliced, seeds removed
4 tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp of salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F)

Roast the eggplant:

In a large bowl, toss the eggplants with 4 tablespoons of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a good grind of black pepper. Place the eggplant slices in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking tray and roast for about 20 minutes. Take the tray out, carefully turn the eggplant slices over and roast for another 20 minutes.
Set aside to cool.

While the eggplant is in the oven, make the lemon paste:

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to simmer. Simmer until all salt has dissolved.
Lower the heat to low and cover the saucepan with a lid and cook for about 10 minutes until l the lemon rinds start to look translucent. Set aside to cool.
Once cooled a little. Transfer to a food processor and blitz until smooth and thick. If the paste is too thick add a spoon or two of cold water.
Transfer the paste into a glass jar and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Next, prepare the dressing:

In a large mixing bowl, combine olive oil, lemon paste, and coriander. Add the cooled eggplant and toss until well coated.
Arrange the eggplant on a plate, sprinkle some more fresh coriander leaves on top and serve. Enjoy!

Keyword eggplant with lemon paste, lemon eggplant, roasted eggplant

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