A delicious vegetarian salad that can be served warm and cold! Smoked almonds and creamy, tangy goat cheese add texture and depth of flavor to this delicious clean eating salad! For a vegan version, skip the cheese.
So, most of the time, the recipes I publish here are created by me and my team. This aubergine salad, however, is straight up from The Kitchn. I didn't change a single thing because it's just perfect as it is and you don't mess with perfection.
This Roasted Eggplant Salad with Smoked Almonds & Goat Cheese is light yet satisfying!
Seriously, if you like eggplants, you're gonna want to face plant this roasted eggplant salad and go back for seconds. The original says it serves four, but who are they kidding, it's more like 2 people.
I know I didn't eat just one-fourth of this delicious smoky, tangy, crunchy and creamy bowl of veggie goodness.
I had honestly never heard of smoked almonds before because they're not available where I've lived but after a quick google search, I knew that I had to find a way to make them happen. Anything smoked, I just love!
Turns out, it's pretty easy and straightforward to make them at home (I used this recipe!). The oven does all the hard work and you do practically nothing.
If you don't have smoked almonds or don't want to make them yourself, anything crunchy would work here. Go for regular almonds, pecans, pepitas or pistachios.
Anyways, enough with the technicalities, go make this roasted eggplant salad already! Enjoy 🙂
If you tried this roasted eggplant salad, don’t forget to rate the recipe below and let me know how it went in the comments – I love hearing from you! You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more deliciousness and behind-the-scenes!
Roasted Eggplant Salad with Smoked Almonds & Goat Cheese
A delicious vegetarian salad that can be served warm and cold! Smoked Almonds and creamy, tangy goat cheese add texture and flavor to this delicious clean eating salad! For a vegan version, skip the cheese and use maple syrup instead of honey!
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants
- coarse sea salt or kosher salt
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 4 cloves garlic large, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice about 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 1 cup flat parsley leaves roughly chopped
- ½ cup smoked almonds roughly chopped - see notes to make your own
- 2 ounces goat cheese 60 g, crumbled and divided (omit to make vegan)
- ¼ cup finely chopped scallions
Instructions
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Heat the oven to 400°F / 200C. Cut the eggplant into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes and put in a large bowl. Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt and set aside while making the marinade.
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Whisk together the olive oil, cider vinegar, honey, smoked paprika, and cumin. Dab away any extra water that has beaded up on the eggplant and toss with the marinade. Stir in the garlic. Spread the eggplant on a large baking sheet, lined with parchment and slide onto a rack placed in the center of the oven.
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Roast at 400°F for 40 minutes, or until very tender and slightly browned. (Stir every 15 minutes and check after 30 minutes to make sure it isn't burning.) Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
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Whisk together the lemon juice and soy sauce. Return the eggplant to the bowl and toss with the lemon juice mixture. Stir in the parsley leaves, smoked almonds, and most of the goat cheese, reserving a little (omit if vegan)
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Spread the finished salad in a serving bowl and sprinkle the reserved goat cheese crumbles and scallions on top.
40A.
Oh my! I would love this salad warm, straight out of the oven with some grilled chicken, maybe! It looks like the perfect comfort food!
Rowena Pereira
I tried this recipe a week ago and found it out of this world. The taste was just right and what was so good was that the author's instructions were perfect. Thank you very much.