Eggplant Salad
Rich and flavoursome eggplant salad with French lentils, tomatoes, and a lemony-garlic dressing.
Ingredients
Eggplant:
- 3 eggplants large
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil cold-pressed
- Salt and pepper to season
Salad:
- 1 cup French/green lentils 200g
- 1 cup parsley flat leaf
- 250 g cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup walnuts
- 1 tablespoon capers
- ½ preserved lemon
Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil cold pressed
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Za’atar spice blend
- 1-2 cloves garlic minced fine
To serve:
- 4 tablespoons thick coconut yoghurt
- 2 drops doTERRA lemon essential oil
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven at 200˚C / 392˚F. Prepare the eggplant: slice off the ends, then cut into rounds, about ½ cm thick. Slice each round in half to create half-moons. Toss with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, then spread over a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake for around 25 minutes. Use tongs to toss periodically to ensure they cook evenly. Eggplant will shrink and turn golden once ready.
- Rinse lentils well under running water, then add to a pot, cover with water (ample water), bring to a boil and let simmer until soft, about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside. See my notes re soaking the lentils in advance for optimal nutrition and digestion.
- Once the eggplant has cooked, remove and set aside. Place cherry tomatoes and walnuts on a tray and bake until the tomatoes are shrivelled and juicy. You’ll need to take the walnuts out after about 5 minutes as they toast up quite quickly – once they're done, roughly chop.
- In a large bowl, combine eggplant, lentils, tomatoes, walnuts, capers, preserved lemons (sliced thin) and finely chopped parsley.
- Whisk all dressing ingredients together and pour over salad, toss. To serve, add a couple of drops of lemon essential oil to coconut yoghurt, mix well, and add a dollop with your meal.
Notes
- French or green lentils are preferred as they hold their shape well once cooked, red lentils will turn to mush.
- From a nutrition and digestion standpoint, I like to soak my lentils (red lentils are the exception) in water for up to 12 hours before I use them. This help reduce phytic acid content and enhance bioavailability of minerals. It also speeds up the cooking time. It’s so easy to do – just combine lentils and water in a pot in the morning, leave them on the kitchen counter, then drain and rinse ready to cook at dinner time.
- 3 whole large eggplants sounds a lot, but remember they shrink down considerably. No need to salt them prior.
- You can grill the eggplants if preferred.
- I used cherry tomatoes on the vine – super cute if you can find.
- Pine nuts can be used in place of walnuts.
- Sumac is an alternative to Za'atar spice.
- See my yummy preserved lemons recipe here, or use store-bought
- Please only use doTERRA Lemon essential oil, as it is approved and safe for use to flavour foods. You can purchase essential oils here
- You can of course use plain lemon juice in place of the essential oil
Nutrition
Calories: 657kcalCarbohydrates: 63.5gProtein: 19.5gFat: 39.5gSaturated Fat: 7.5gSodium: 101mgFiber: 26gSugar: 19gVitamin C: 46mgCalcium: 94mgIron: 6mg
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