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Middle Eastern Eggplant Salad

by Ellen Kanner
A blue and white plate topped with hummus, cooked eggplant salad, grains, greens, and pita wedges, all on a navy tablecloth.

This easy salad does double duty, serving for both International Mediterranean Diet Month and National Salad Month. It offers loads of vibrant flavors and, unlike many eggplant recipes, is easy on the oil. Enjoy with tabbouleh, hummus, and other Mediterranean marvels as part of a mezze—small plates that make up a meal.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 eggplant, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeño, chopped
15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 handful parsley, chopped
Sea salt, to taste
Toasted pine nuts for garnish, optional

Instructions
  1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add eggplant, garlic, onion, and jalapeño, and cook, stirring, until vegetables soften, about 8 to 10 minutes.
  2. Add tomatoes, tomato paste and allspice. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium. Keep cooking, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are very tender and the tomatoes have thickened.
  3. Add chopped parsley and optional pine nuts. Serve warm or at room temperature.
  4. Serve over greens with whole grain pita for scooping.
Notes
  1. Ellen Kanner is the soulful vegan award-winning author of Feeding the Hungry Ghost: Life, Faith and What to Eat for Dinner (VegNews’ Book of the Year, PETA’s debut Book of the Month Club pick) and the e-book Beans: A Handful of Magic. Find more of her recipes and writing at Soulful Vegan.
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