Roasted Eggplant Salad

This eggplant salad is made with fresh veggies, crunchy walnuts, creamy avocado, and tender roasted eggplant in a zesty balsamic vinaigrette. It’s so hearty and full of flavor. Serve it as a main dish or a show-stealing starter!

Eggplant is one of my absolute favorite vegetables, and I really love growing it in my home veggie garden … which means I always end up with lots of eggplant during the summer!

But when it comes to eggplant recipes, I tend to go for hearty comfort food dishes like vegan eggplant Parmesan, eggplant stew, and eggplant pasta. I was in need of a summery eggplant recipe, and it doesn’t get much more summery than this salad, which features fresh summer veggies, basil, and a zesty balsamic vinaigrette!

For this salad we’ll be roasting our eggplant. This is a super easy way to cook it, and it creates the most amazing, tender, melt-in-your mouth texture, which is absolutely perfect for paring with crispy vegetables and crunchy walnuts!

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Ingredients You’ll Need

Eggplant. I used Italian globe eggplant to create this recipe, but any variety will do!
Olive oil. This will be used for roasting the eggplant, as well as in the dressing, so use a good quality extra virgin olive oil.
Balsamic vinegar. Use an aged balsamic vinegar that’s thick and syrupy with a bit of sweetness to it. This will give your dressing the best flavor!
Maple syrup. We’re using this to add a touch of sweetness to the dressing. Feel free to substitute another liquid sweetener, such as coconut nectar or agave nectar.
Fresh basil. This is going in both the salad and the dressing, so buy a nice big bunch, or two!
Garlic.
Dijon mustard.
Salt and pepper.
Red pepper flakes. You’ll use these to add a tiny bit of heat to the dressing. Feel free to skip them if that’s not your thing.
Walnuts. Other nuts like pecans or hazelnuts will also work. Use sunflower seeds for a nut-free salad.
Soy sauce. Tamari or liquid aminos can be substituted if needed.
Spring mix.
Bell pepper. The recipe calls for an orange pepper, but a red or yellow one will also work.
Cherry tomatoes.
Avocado.

How It’s Made

The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!

Roast your eggplant first, since this step takes the longest. Dice it up and place it on a baking sheet. Rub some olive oil onto the pieces, then roast them for about thirty minutes, flipping them after about fifteen.

Roasted eggplant cubes on a baking sheet.

The eggplant is done when the pieces are browned in spots and super tender. To test for doneness, you can take one off of the baking sheet, give it a minute to cool, then eat it. It should be super tender.

Ingredients for basil balsamic vinaigrette in a blender.

Make the dressing while the eggplant roasts. Stick all of the dressing ingredients into a blender: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, basil, garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.

Blend the dressing to a smooth and creamy emulsion. Make sure to taste-test it and make any adjustments you think are needed, such as adding more salt or maple syrup.

Walnuts soaked in soy sauce on a baking sheet.

To make the walnuts, stir them up with some soy sauce, then arrange them on a baking sheet. Stick them in the oven with the eggplant.

After about five minutes, the walnuts should have darkened and the soy sauce should have dried up. Take them out of the oven and let them cool a bit.

Roasted eggplant cubes coated in dressing in a glass bowl with spoon.

Once your roasted eggplant is done, place it in a bowl with just a bit of your dressing. Give it a good stir to get it nicely coated.

Hand pouring balsamic dressing over a bowl of eggplant salad.

Assemble the salad! Place all of the veggies into a big bowl, along with the eggplant and walnuts. Drizzle on the dressing and give it a toss.

Tip: This recipe makes a generous amount of dressing. You can use it all, or just use a bit and save some for your next salad. It’ll keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week.

White wooden surface set with a bowl of Roasted Eggplant Salad, jar of dressing, and two serving spoons.

You’re all ready to enjoy your roasted eggplant salad! Give each serving a sprinkle with salt and pepper, then dig in!

Leftovers & Storage

Leftover eggplant salad will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for two to three days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to salt the eggplant for this recipe?

Nope! Salting is normally done to remove bitter fluids and help break down the eggplant during cooking. The long roasting time in this recipe takes care of both of those things.

How can I reduce the calorie content of this recipe?

This one does have a higher calorie content for a salad, due to the inclusion of walnuts and avocado. You can omit or reduce the amount of either of those ingredients to cut calories. The recipe also includes a generous amount of dressing, and there’s no need to use it all.

Can this recipe be made gluten-free?

Yes! Just swap out the soy sauce with gluten-free tamari.

More Salad Recipes

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Ingredients

For the Roasted Eggplant

1 ½ pounds eggplant, diced (about one medium to large eggplant)
2 tablespoons olive oil

For the Balsamic Dressing

⅔ cup olive oil
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
½ cup fresh basil
1 garlic clove
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Pinch red pepper flakes

For the Roasted Walnuts

½ cup chopped walnuts
1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce

For the Salad

5 ounces spring mix
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, diced
½ cup fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Arrange the diced eggplant on the baking sheet and drizzle the pieces with olive oil. Use your hands to rub the oil all over the eggplant pieces.
Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake the eggplant for about 30 minutes, until the pieces are browned and tender, flipping them about halfway through.
While the eggplant roasts, place all ingredients for the dressing into a blender. Blend until smooth. Give the dressing a taste-test and adjust any seasonings to suit your taste.
To prepare the walnuts, first stir them together with the soy sauce in a small bowl, until they’re evenly coated. Arrange them on a baking sheet, then place the baking sheet into the oven with the eggplant.
Roast the walnuts for about five minutes, until they darken slightly. Remove them from the oven when they’re done and place the baking sheet on a cooling rack.
Once the eggplant comes out of the oven, transfer it to a medium bowl and add about two tablespoons of the dressing. Stir the eggplant up to coat it in dressing.
Assemble the salad. Arrange the spring mix, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, avocado and basil in a large bowl. Add the eggplant and walnuts, then drizzle the salad with dressing, using only as much as you like (Note 1). Toss the salad and sprinkle it with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve.

Notes

This recipe makes a generous amount of dressing, so you probably won’t need to use it all. Leftover dressing will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week.
This recipe serves four people as a main dish, or about eight as a side.

Nutrition

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