Roasted Eggplant Salad with Pita Chips and Yogurt Sauce

Name: Roasted Eggplant Salad with Pita Chips and Yogurt Sauce
Yield: Makes 8 servings
Ingredients: 3 large eggplants (3 pounds total); 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 2 green bell peppers, cored, seeded, and finely diced; 2 roasted red peppers, peeled, seeded, and diced; 2 tomatoes, seeded and diced; 15 yellow or red cherry tomatoes, quartered; 4 garlic cloves, chopped; 1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley; 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives; 2 tablespoons finely julienned fresh basil; 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 2 cups nonfat plain yogurt; 1/2 cup peeled and diced cucumber; 1 jalapeño chile, seeded and diced; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint; 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 2 teaspoons olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 4 whole-wheat pitas, each cut into 12 wedges; Vegetable oil cooking spray; 2 tablespoons grated reduced-fat Parmesan cheese; 2 tablespoons poppy seeds; 1 tablespoon sesame seeds; 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

November 7, 2012

Chef Joe Bonaparte, academic director of culinary arts at the Art Institute of Charlotte, North Carolina, must have had garden parties or afternoon snacks in mind when creating this enticing combination of eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes topped with parsley, basil, and chives.

Recipe information

Yield
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

FOR SALAD

3 large eggplants (3 pounds total)

6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 green bell peppers, cored, seeded, and finely diced

2 roasted red peppers, peeled, seeded, and diced

2 tomatoes, seeded and diced

15 yellow or red cherry tomatoes, quartered

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives

2 tablespoons finely julienned fresh basil

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

FOR YOGURT SAUCE

2 cups nonfat plain yogurt

1/2 cup peeled and diced cucumber

1 jalapeño chile, seeded and diced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

FOR PITA CHIPS

4 whole-wheat pitas, each cut into 12 wedges

Vegetable oil cooking spray

2 tablespoons grated reduced-fat Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

MAKE EGGPLANT
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Poke holes in the eggplants with a fork. Roast until they collapse, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool slightly. Cut the eggplants open, scoop out flesh into a bowl, and discard skins. Mix the flesh with 4 tablespoons of the lemon juice. Let sit 10 minutes. Place the flesh in a fine-mesh strainer and press gently with a large spoon, squeezing out moisture. Chop the eggplant. Mix in the peppers, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, chives, basil, oil, and remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Add salt and pepper.
MAKE YOGURT SAUCE
Step 2
Mix ingredients in a bowl.
MAKE PITA CHIPS AND SERVE
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat one side of each pita wedge with cooking spray. Sprinkle each sprayed side with the Parmesan, seeds, and black pepper. Bake on foil until crisp, 6 to 7 minutes. Serve the eggplant salad with pita chips and yogurt sauce on the side.

The Epicurious Cookbook

TagsSalad Eggplant Vegetable Bell Pepper Tomato Yogurt Dairy Cucumber Jalapeño Chile Starter Dinner Vegetarian Roast Epicurious Cookbooks

Recipe information

Ingredients

FOR SALAD

FOR YOGURT SAUCE

FOR PITA CHIPS

Preparation

MAKE EGGPLANT

Step 1

MAKE YOGURT SAUCE

Step 2

MAKE PITA CHIPS AND SERVE

Step 3

Recipe notes