Roasted eggplant and zucchini – the perfect vegetables to pair for an inviting and low-calorie salad, which goes well with baked fish or a grilled fillet of meat, for a light lunch that doesn’t cheat you on taste! Minced herbs will add that extra touch that will make you love this salad even more!
The best eggplants for salad
Eggplants are not all the same: Some have a stronger taste, while others are a little lighter. The most important quality for an eggplant when you’re making a salad is its texture and flavor: The round lighter-colored lilac variety is best in this case – with its firm yet soft texture and delicate taste. The darker-colored, round variety works as well; this one features a more neutral taste with a perfect texture for grilling or baking. Both these varieties do not need to be salted to extract the water inside, so this speeds up the recipe a little bit.
The addition of nuts and seeds
What better way to give this (already delicious) salad recipe an extra touch than to add some nuts and seeds? Nuts and seeds will add a full portion of omega-3 fats and antioxidants to help the cardiovascular system! Choose between walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds for the nuts. And for the seeds – flax, chia and hemp complement the dish wonderfully! Add them raw before you dress the salad. Vitamins, good fats and few calories – all in a single dish! What more could you ask for?
The Recipe: Roasted Eggplant and Zucchini Salad
Ingredients:
1 round lilac eggplant
1 lb tomatoes
1 celery rib
1 lb zucchini
1 bunch of fresh herbs
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons raisins
Salt
Pepper
Method:
Rinse and chop the eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes. Peel and chop the celery as well. Transfer the eggplant, celery and zucchini to a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Salt and add a drizzle of oil. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350°F for 25 minutes.
Put the raisins in a bowl with a little water to soak. Once the vegetables are ready, remove them from the oven and let cool. Add the tomatoes, raisins (previously squeezed of excess water), a little oil, the fresh herbs. Mix to combine. Serve cold.