This easy Sauteed Eggplant Salad is made with only 2 main ingredients, fresh herbs, spices, and a tangy garlic and lemon dressing!
More Fulfilling Salads
Be sure to head over to my Salad Section for more ideas.
Ingredients
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.Â
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
Instructions
- 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.
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FAQs
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.
Easy Eggplant Recipes
If you like more easy eggplant (aubergine) recipes you must check these out!
Recipe
Sauteed Eggplant Salad With Chickpea
INGREDIENTS
SALAD
- 1 can chickpeas (about 1 cup)
- 3 small eggplants
- Oil for cooking
SALAD DRESSING
- A handful of parsley and cilantro leaves (chopped)
- 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon apple cider or white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice (fresh)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon heaping sweet paprika powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Pinch of chili powder
- Ground black pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- 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 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.
PRIVATE NOTES
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Ravanna
Love chickpeas and never thought of comparing them with eggplant, this is really good but i prefer the salad at room temperature 🙂
Julia
Thank you Ravanna, amazing combination, right?