Thank you to Ellyndale® Organics for sponsoring this Mediterranean Roasted Eggplant Salad recipe post, and thank YOU for supporting the brands that help make Meal Prep On Fleek possible. All opinions are our own.
This filling salad is made with roasted tender eggplant, Mediterranean vegetables and served with a side of pita for a lunch or dinner that satisfies. The dressing is tangy with a touch of sweetness and nutty pumpkin seed oil.
As most of you know, I've been trying to eat more plant-based meals over the last 12+ months. That means I am always looking for new veggies to try and different ways to flavor them and up the nutrition profile of the dish. Since most of these dishes are a bit lower in protein, I like to make sure that I have a solid amount of healthy fats to keep my calories high enough to fuel my workouts.
Eggplant is one veggie that I feel is sooo underrated! It's affordable, versatile, low in calories and one cup provides 10% of your daily fiber intake. It's such a win! It's a complete meal with all the nutrition you need when paired with other veggies and a dressing made from pumpkin seed oil.
A tasty way to add more healthy fats!
Did I just say pumpkin seed oil? I sure did! Have you ever heard of it? If not, it's a must-try! I recently discovered this one from Ellyndale® Organics and fell in love with the description, "Ellyndale® Organics Virgin Pumpkin Seed Oil is a delicious, gourmet oil with a nutty, robust flavor." Nutty flavors are the next level when used for dressings and dips, so I knew this would be perfect for the roasted eggplant salad!
Like all other oils, pumpkin seed oil is also vegan, keto, gluten-free, sugar-free, soy-free, low sodium, etc. This makes it perfect for anyone you're cooking for!
The Pumpkin Seed Oil is an ideal drizzle for vegetables, salads, and potatoes and makes an excellent dip for bread. In addition, it is full of essential fatty acids and other important nutrients. Sounds like a win in both the flavor and nutrition department, doesn't it?
I added a drizzle over my homemade hummus the other day, finished it off with some feta, and it was out of this world!
Can we talk about how easy this salad is?
Back to this salad! It's made with just a few ingredients that you most likely already have on hand. The veggie mix is just eggplant, canned chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, and parsley. The dressing is a combination of Ellyndale® Organics Virgin Pumpkin Seed Oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and sweetener of choice. You can also sub the agave for a few drops of liquid monk fruit to lower the carb and sugar count.
Feel free to sub any ingredients listed below or add anything in. For example, olives would be a nice addition. Finishing this off with some hummus and regular or vegan feta cheese would not only add protein but another layer of flavor.
Let's serve!
We served the Mediterranean Roasted Eggplant Salad with pita, but you could also choose to serve it over rice, add in some grilled chicken or tofu, or chop everything up nice and small and turn it into a dip for chips or the pita bread. That would make it great for a weekend gathering!
And now that I've just made myself extra hungry talking about this delicious and nutritious Mediterranean roasted eggplant salad, I think it's time to head to the kitchen and whip some up for dinner. Yup, easy enough for a quick weeknight meal. How about that!
Mediterranean Roasted Eggplant Salad Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb. eggplant, cubed
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained
- 1 cup cucumber, lightly peeled and diced
- 1 cup tomatoes, chopped
- 2 cups fresh parsley, chopped
- 4 oz. pita for serving, sliced into triangles (gluten-free if needed)
For Dressing
- 2 tablespoon Ellyndale® Organics Virgin Pumpkin Seed Oil
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar (can sub with honey or other liquid sweetener)
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cracked black pepper
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb. eggplant cubed
- 15 ounces chickpeas, drained
- 1 cup cucumber lightly peeled and diced
- 1 cup tomatoes chopped
- 2 cups fresh parsley chopped
- 4 oz. gluten free pita for serving sliced into triangles
For Dressing
- 2 tablespoon Ellyndale® Organics Virgin Pumpkin Seed Oil
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Spread eggplant on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
- Season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- Cool eggplant at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Whisk together ingredients for dressing in a large mixing bowl.
- Add ingredients for salad and stir gently to coat in dressing.
- Divide salad between 4 large compartments of 4 teal meal prep containers.
- Add pita to small compartments
Nutrition
