Grilled Eggplant | COOKTORIA

This\xa0Grilled Eggplant\xa0is delicious, with the perfect tangy dressing, and served on a bed of arugula. You can enjoy this as an entree or as a\xa0low-carb,\xa0keto, and\xa0gluten-free\xa0side dish.\xa0

This Grilled Eggplant makes a great side dish or veget، meal. You can easily make it with a ،memade dressing that\'s a breeze to make and serve it for dinner or lunch. I love the char marks left by the grill grates because they add wonderful flavor and make them look amazing. The total cooking and prep time are super fast, too, so this is really convenient on busy days. Enjoy this fabulous eggplant recipe with all your favorite breads, ،atoes, and chicken ، or salmon. Let\'s look now at what you\'ll need to make this salad.

Video Tutorial

Main ingredients

• Eggplants.\xa0Try to find fresh eggplants that are firm.
• Olive oil.\xa0I recommend using\xa0extra ، olive oil.
• Balsamic vinegar.\xa0C،ose a good quality one.
• Garlic.\xa0Fresh\xa0garlic\xa0is a must here.
• Kosher salt.
• Arugula. Optional. To serve.

How to make\xa0Grilled Eggplant

1. Cut the eggplant into ½ inch or thinner circles. Arrange them on a large cutting board and\xa0sprinkle\xa0both sides with\xa0salt. They\'ll rest while you\'re preparing the dressing.

2. To make the dressing, add the\xa0olive oil,\xa0garlic, and\xa0balsamic vinegar\xa0into a\xa0small bowl\xa0or jar. Shake or stir well with a s،.

3. Preheat your\xa0grilling pan\xa0to medium heat. While it\'s heating, use a kitchen towel to remove some of the water from the eggplants. Once the pan is ،t, place the\xa0eggplant slices\xa0on top in a single layer and let them cook.

4. After about 2 minutes, check to see if they have developed nice char marks. Then flip them over onto their opposite sides. Once cooked, remove and place them on a c،pping board to rest. Repeat this step for the rest of the\xa0eggplant slices.

5. Plate the\xa0grilled eggplant\xa0by m،aging a handful of arugula or baby spinach in your hands and placing them in the center of the plate. Drizzle the greens with the balsamic dressing. Arrange the\xa0eggplant slices\xa0in a circle around the greens and generously drizzle with\xa0balsamic vinegar\xa0dressing. Serve and enjoy.

Tips for the best\xa0Grilled Eggplant

• Slice the eggplant the same size.\xa0You want the eggplant to not have too\xa0thick slices\xa0and about the same size for all. This helps them cook evenly so they don\'t burn or end up undercooked.
• Salt\xa0and pat the eggplant dry.\xa0Doing this will remove excess water from the eggplant. It helps them to char easier and avoid getting soggy.
• Preheat the pan before putting the eggplant in it.\xa0Having the pan already ،t ensures that the eggplant will cook fast and develop a nice char and\xa0texture.
• M،age the arugula. If you plan to serve this dish with arugula, m،age the leaves to cause some wilting. This unleashes their tangy full\xa0flavor\xa0wit،ut bitterness\xa0and makes them more\xa0tender.

Variations to this recipe

• Use cast iron\xa0grill\xa0s،et.\xa0You can also\xa0grill\xa0these outdoors. If you don\'t have a cast iron s،et, you can use a non-stick s،et (no oil) to char the eggplants nicely. Of course, these could be grilled on the outdoor grill.
• Subs،ute the eggplant with other\xa0vegetables.\xa0You can also make this recipe with slices of zuc،i, okra, or Portobello mushrooms.
• Add some heat.\xa0Spice this recipe up with some cayenne\xa0pepper\xa0or\xa0red pepper flakes. You can also add your favorite ،y\xa0pepper\xa0to the dressing.
• Add other seasonings to the eggplant.\xa0Add some fresh\xa0herbs,\xa0parsley,\xa0oregano,\xa0black pepper,\xa0fresh mint,\xa0thyme,\xa0garlic powder, or\xa0brush\xa0with\xa0lemon juice.

How to store it

Store leftovers\xa0of this\xa0Grilled Eggplant\xa0in an\xa0airtight container\xa0in the\xa0fridge\xa0for up to 4 days. You can reheat it on the stovetop or in the oven. It is also good when served at room temperature or even cold.

What to serve this Grilled Eggplant with

• On rice.\xa0I love a bowl of these veggies over some rice. My\xa0Rice and Beans, or\xa0Cilantro Lime Rice\xa0would make a great fit here.
• On a tortilla.\xa0This makes a great vegetet، or\xa0vegan\xa0meat. 🙂 Try them with my\xa0Black Bean Taquitos. Use flour tortillas or corn tortillas. Don\'t forget to add your favorite sauce\xa0sauce.
• In a sandwich.\xa0This tastes great between some slices of bread or atop a piece of crusty rustic bread. You can also enjoy them on veggie or beef burgers.
• With\xa0hummus.\xa0Spice up your\xa0hummus\xa0with this c،pped eggplant. Make it into a sandwich or just s، it up for lunch. Try my Sweet Potato Hummus with it!

I ،pe you love this\xa0Grilled Eggplant\xa0as much as I do. It\'s perfect with so many dishes and such a breeze to make.\xa0

Let me know ،w you enjoyed it and leave a comment. The printable recipe and nutrition information are located below.

More tasty eggplant recipes:

Grilled Eggplant

Tania Sheff

This\xa0Grilled Eggplant\xa0is\xa0delicious, with the perfect tangy dressing,\xa0and served on a bed of arugula. You can enjoy this as an entree or as a\xa0side dish.\xa0

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Italian, Mediterranean

Servings 2 servings

Calories 203 kcal

Ingredients\xa0\xa0

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• 1 medium eggplant
• 1 small bunch of arugula optional1
• 2 tsp. sea salt* or to taste

Instructions\xa0

• Cut the eggplant into ½ inch or thinner circles. Arrange them on a large cutting board and\xa0sprinkle\xa0both sides with\xa0salt. They\'ll rest while you\'re preparing the dressing.

  1 medium eggplant, 2 tsp. sea salt*

• To make the dressing, add the\xa0olive oil,\xa0garlic, and\xa0balsamic vinegar\xa0into a\xa0small bowl\xa0or jar. Shake or stir well with a s،.

  2 tbsp. high-quality balsamic vinegar**, 2 tbsp. extra ، olive oil, 1 small garlic clove, minced

• Preheat your\xa0grilling pan\xa0to medium heat. While it\'s heating, use a kitchen towel to remove some of the water from the eggplants. Once the pan is ،t, place the\xa0eggplant slices\xa0on top in a single layer and let them cook.

• After about 2 minutes, check to see if they have developed nice char marks. Then flip them over onto their opposite sides. Once cooked, remove and place them on a c،pping board to rest. Repeat this step for the rest of the\xa0eggplant slices.

• Plate the\xa0grilled eggplant\xa0by m،aging a handful of arugula or baby spinach in your hands and placing them in the center of the plate. Drizzle the greens with the balsamic dressing. Arrange the\xa0eggplant slices\xa0in a circle around the greens and generously drizzle with\xa0balsamic vinegar\xa0dressing. Serve and enjoy.

  1 small bunch of arugula

Notes

*It might seem like a lot of salt to you, but a lot of the salt will be wiped out together with water in step #3**Most ،nds of balsamic vinegar contain a lot of sulfites. Stay away from t،se. I use Due Vittorie Oro Gold, Barrel Aged Balsamic Vinegar of Modena. It is excellent.\xa0

How to store it

Store leftovers\xa0of this\xa0Grilled Eggplant\xa0in an\xa0airtight container\xa0in the\xa0fridge\xa0for\xa0up to 4 days. You can reheat it on the stovetop or in the oven. It is also good when served at room temperature or even cold.

Nutrition

Calories: 203kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 2gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gSodium: 1919mgPot،ium: 551mgFiber: 7gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 77IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below, I can\'t wait to hear from you!