Eggplant + Roasted Tomato Salad with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

I had this amazing salad in Dunedin, Florida when Drew and I went there in April -  the combination of eggplant, creamy cheese, zingy dressing, and allll of the vinegary vegetables really hit the spot. The version I had in Florida actually breaded the stuffed eggplant WITH parmesan cheese and then deep-fried it, so this is a little healthier than that! I’m going to be launching a pickling “seminar” soon on how to pickle all of summer’s bounty, but for now - Bon Appetit + Food 52 both have tutorials for this.

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Here’s what you’ll need:

For the salad

  • 1 large eggplant, rinsed

  • 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, rinsed

  • 4 oz herbed goat cheese

  • 6 cups arugula

  • ¼ cup pickled red onions

  • ¼ cup pickled mustard seeds

For the dressing

  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

  • Juice from 1 lemon

  • Large handful fresh basil

  • ¼ tsp salt

  • Pepper to taste

Here’s how to make it:

Preheat oven to 375F. Thinly slice eggplant lengthwise and place onto cutting board in layers, putting paper towel in between each layer to soak up some of the moisture (I also use a little bit of salt to aid in this process!) Let eggplant sit for about 20 minutes. In the meantime, prep the dressing by combining all ingredients in a food processor; pulse until well-combined.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon mat. Spray a thin layer of avocado oil and then spread out the eggplant and tomatoes in a single layer. Bake for about 15-20 minutes on each side until tomatoes are wrinkly and eggplant is softened / golden brown (should not be crunchy). Let eggplant cool before filling; take one heaping tsp of goat cheese and using a knife, spread it along the eggplant slices. Roll the slices up and set aside.

To prepare the salad: place arugula in a large bowl with about ½ of the dressing; coat arugula with dressing, adding more to your preference. Gently mix in tomatoes, red onions, and mustard seeds. Top with rolled eggplant. Enjoy! Serve immediately.


Annie Muske