This recipe is an easy, delicious and healthy salad. It can be made in advance. It actually tastes better if eggplants absorb the olive oil marinade overnight. In any case, you need to let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Serve as a starter with crusty bread or pita or as part of a meze. As a side dish, it goes well with roasted chicken or fish.
The Eggplant – Europeans use the term Aubergine – is my favorite vegetable. It is low in calories and fats and rich in fiber content, vitamins and anti-oxidants.
Yield: 6 persons as an appetizer
Time: 45 minutes plus 30 minutes marinating
Ingredients:
- 2 medium-size eggplants, cut into 1 1/2 inch (3,8 cm) cubes
- 1 medium green pepper, sliced into 3/4-inch (2 cm) strips or roughly chopped
- 1 medium red pepper, sliced into 3/4-inch (2 cm) strips or roughly chopped
- 1 medium size onion, sliced into 3/4-inch (2 cm) strips or roughly chopped
- 2-3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 6 green olives or to taste
- 6 black olives or to taste
- 1 Tbsp capers
- 1/2 cup (14 g) fresh cilantro (coriander leaves) or flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 cup (110 g) feta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch (1,2 cm) cubes
- 5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil or to taste
- juice of 1 – 2 lemons
- salt and black pepper
- 1 – 2 medium sized tomatoes, seeded and cut into 3/4 inch (2 cm) cubes
- 1/2 of a European cucumber, seeded and cut into 3/4 inch (2 cm) cubes
Important: Tomatoes and cucumber should be added only shortly before serving!
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C.
Place the cubes in a large bowl and drizzle them with extra virgin olive oil. Turn eggplant cubes to coat them well. Place them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Bake them for 20 minutes, turning them mid-time. After 20 minutes of baking, they should look a bit dry and shriveled. These are the times I use with my oven. Some ovens work faster! The eggplants’ texture is critical in this dish. The cubes should look dry on the outside but still be moist inside, spongy. It is best to test the doneness of the eggplant cubes by inserting a toothpick. If it offers no resistance it should be ok. The eggplant cubes should not be mushy and fall apart when you lift them as they will absorb the marinade later and soften further. Once you have mastered this part by trial and error you are practically home free.
In the meantime, sauté the onion slices until soft (2-3 minutes). Add the peppers and garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes further. Peppers and garlic should be limp, but still “al dente”. Let it cool.
Make a marinade out of the extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, cilantro (coriander leaves) or Italian parsley and pepper. Be careful when adding salt, as the feta cheese may be very salty. Adjust the taste if necessary.
Put the eggplant, onion, pepper slices, garlic, and olives in a bowl. Add feta cheese and the marinade, turning the salad ever so gently. You don’t want to end up with an unsightly mush. Try not to break the feta cheese too much.
If you decide to add tomatoes and cucumber, add them only just before serving, otherwise, they will get soggy. Adjust the taste again.
