This Eggplant Salad is made with roasted eggplant and sauteed vegetables drizzled with an easy and delicious sweet chili dressing. This salad is sure to become a favorite!
If you love tasty eggplant recipes, you should try these amazing Eggplant Appetizers (Roll-ups) and this Chinese Eggplant Salad.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
This Eggplant Salad recipe was passed down to me from my great-aunt and I love it. The flavors it brings out in mild-tasting eggplant are nothing short of extraordinary!
- TASTE: Sweet and tangy and a little spicy, this delicious salad makes the most of the flavorfully roasted eggplant with its zesty dressing.
- TEXTURE: It’s full of chunky, tender vegetables drizzles with a thick sweet chili sauce. This vegetarian side dish can work with any main course you pair it with.
- TIME: It takes just over an hour to make this Eggplant Salad.
- EASE: With only roasting and sauteing, this recipe is really easy to make. I’ll show you how to get the most flavor out of your veggies in this dish.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Eggplant- As the star of the recipe, choose eggplant that are firm to the touch, but not hard. Skip any with punctures or blemishes.
- Salt- This is super important because it will help leech out the excess water in the eggplant so it loses some of its bitterness with the moisture. It will also add flavor.
- Sugar- This added sweetness balances out the natural bitterness in some of the veggies, as well as complements the sweet chili sauce and vinegar.
- Sweet chili sauce- This sweet and spicy ingredient really sets this delicious dish off. Don’t skip it!
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Add herbs- You can change up the flavor with the addition of fresh oregano, basil, sage, or rosemary. Dried herbs work, but fresh offers the best flavor.
- Substitute other vegetables- You can make this recipe with green bell peppers, plum or cherry tomatoes, zucchini, squash, cucumber, or arugula.
- Add cheese- Try this Eggplant Salad with some feta cheese crumbles, goat cheese, or grated Parmesan. They work well with the flavors of the roasted eggplant and chili sauce.
- Make it with nuts- For extra texture and flavor, include pine nuts, sliced almonds, or walnuts in the salad.
How to Make Eggplant Salad
- Chop and salt the eggplant. Chop the eggplant into small rectangular cubes. Place in a colander and mix with salt. Let it sit until it lets out most of its juices.
Pro Tip: Make sure to have a plate under the colander to catch all the liquid when you are salting the eggplant to avoid a mess.
- Cook the vegetables. Sauté the chopped bell pepper, onion, and shredded carrot with the pressed garlic, black pepper, sugar, and vinegar. Then add water and olive oil and continue to cook.
- Bake. Drizzle a baking sheet with olive oil and place the chopped eggplant into the baking dish a toss lightly to coat it in the olive oil. Bake for 25 minutes.
- Combine and add the sauce. Combine the sautéed vegetables with the baked eggplant. Then stir in the sweet chili sauce.
Recipe Tips
- Drain the water from the eggplant- When the salt triggers osmosis in the eggplant, it releases the excess water inside. This takes a lot of the bitterness with it.
- Use a colander on a plate- A colander will allow the water to drain, rather than soak back into the eggplant, as with a bowl. And you definitely want a plate under it to catch what drains!
- Dice the veggies small- You want to cut the vegetables a little smaller than you do the cubed eggplant. This way they don’t overshadow the main ingredient and also get tender enough.
- Saute with sugar and vinegar- Doing this will help the peppers, onions, garlic, and carrots, absorb the sweet and tangy flavors as they cook. It will also keep their colors bright and true.
FAQs
The answer is yes, you can. But I find that by draining the water inside it by salting and then roasting it, the mild and slightly bitter taste of the eggplant is reduced and it becomes tender and very flavorful. But it is safe to eat raw if you prefer.
Eggplant has a mild flavor, which means it can pair with lots of dishes and seasonings. Things like sesame seeds, goat cheese, lamb, pork, seafood, vinegar, cinnamon, garlic, and other vegetables go really well with eggplant.
Serving Suggestions
This roasted Eggplant Salad is a really light side dish. It complements any meal – from vegan options to meat-centered ones. Here are some tasty pairings to try.
- Meats: Serve it with Barbecue Pork Ribs, Lemon Chicken Piccata, Juicy Air Fryer Pork Chops (VIDEO), and Ribeye Steak for a delicious meal.
- Seafood: Cedar Plank Salmon, Crab Salad (VIDEO), and Cod with Sautéed Vegetables taste amazing with this Eggplant Salad.
- Breads: Spoon this salad onto slices of warm pita bread, naan, or Rustic Bread.
- Pasta: Pair it with a plate of pasta and these Best Meatballs and Homemade Spaghetti Sauce, or with Shrimp Linguine, Easy Pasta Primavera, or Pasta Pomodoro.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: You can prep and roast the eggplant a day ahead, then store it in the refrigerator in a sealed container until you’re ready to prepare the rest of the ingredients and assemble the salad.
Storing: You can keep this Eggplant Salad in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Store it in an airtight container to maximize the freshness.
Freeze: While you can freeze the roasted eggplant once it has cooled, I don’t advice freezing this salad as it won’t thaw to the same texture as when fresh. Best to just make what you plan to eat within 5 days.
More Delicious Salads!
Full Recipe Instructions
Eggplant Salad
Ingredients
- 4 eggplants
- 4 red bell peppers
- 2 carrots
- 1/2 onion
- 8 garlic cloves pressed
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp sweet chili sauce
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Chop the eggplant into small rectangular cubes. Place in a colander and mix with 1 tsp salt. Let it sit for about 20 minutes until it lets out most of its juices. Make sure to have a plate under the colander to catch all the liquid.
- Sauté the chopped bell pepper, onion, and shredded carrot with the pressed garlic, black pepper, sugar, and vinegar.
- Add water and olive oil. Sauté for about 10 minutes.
- Drizzle a baking sheet with olive oil and place the chopped eggplant into the baking dish a toss lightly to coat it in the olive oil. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes.
- Combine the sautéed vegetables with the baked eggplant. Then stir in the sweet chili sauce.
Notes
- Drain the water from the eggplant- When the salt triggers osmosis in the eggplant, it releases the excess water inside. This takes a lot of the bitterness with it.
- Use a colander on a plate- A colander will allow the water to drain, rather than soak back into the eggplant,
Nutrition
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Chef says
Do you serve this hot or cold?
Dina says
Hi 🙂 This eggplant salad is served chilled. I hope you love this recipe! 🙂
Ann Ivanov says
Hi, I would like to give this salad a try but really confused with steps 2 and 3. Do you add all of the ingredients ( vegetables, oil, water, vinegar, spices
) and sauté it all together for 10 mins? Or you add oil and water after sautéing it? Thank you!
Dina says
Hi Ann, so sorry for the confusion. You would add the water and oil at the same time as the vegetables and spices. Then sautee it all together. I hope that helps 🙂
Ann Ivanov says
Thank you so much for your quick response! 😊
Dina says
You are very welcome! 🙂
Snow says
I’ve made this recipe over and over again! It’s so delicious and the flavors come together so perfectly! I love that it doesn’t need to much oil, I put even less than it says to!
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you for leaving such awesome feedback Snow! It means so much to me 🙂
Hussam Elowe says
What about the vinegar? When do you add this List ingredient?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Hussam, I add the vinegar along with the oil and sugar.