This delicious Persian-inspired baked aubergine salad topped with yogurt, pomegranate, and pistachio is perfect for a delicious and healthy vegetarian summer lunch.
It’s no secret that I love to include Middle Eastern influences into a lot of my home cooking. Not just because it is part of my culture but also because the flavor combinations are just completely delicious! And this can be seen, once again, in this delicious baked aubergine summer salad.
Is there anything more delicious than a mixture of yogurt, pistachio, and pomegranate?! For savory or sweet…Yumm!
Plus this healthy vegetarian aubergine (otherwise known as eggplant) summer salad has a delicious citrus dressing to go along with the refreshing yogurt topping. It is the ultimate light go-to lunch for the warm weather we’ve been having recently here in the UK. Plus, it can be served warm or cold and can even be prepared ahead of time. It can also be served as a side dish, even if just the baked aubergine slices.
The recipe is super simple and can be whipped up in around 30 minutes (and that’s just the baking time; the rest of the recipe takes about 5 minutes to throw together). And, if you want to make this salad a bit more filling then I’d suggest adding some of your favourite grain. Pearl barley or Freekeh are my personal favorites and can be prepared in the time it takes to prepare the baked aubergine.
More often than not though, I omit the grains and stick to a lighter version for the perfect summer salad.
I think aubergine is fairly underrated too. With a fairly unique texture, aubergine definitely can have the ‘love it or hate it’ effect. Obviously, I am on the side of love!
They can be roasted, boiled, steamed, fried, grilled, etc cooked aubergines. And are super versatile – from dips to sides, to stews to this summer salad – wink! In fact, if you’d prefer – feel free to grill your aubergines for this salad instead of baking for a delicious, smoky flavour.
Not to mention that aubergine does actually have various health benefits:
- They are rich in fiber but low in fat and calories – so good for type 2 diabetes and generally a healthy addition to any meal.
- They contain ‘nasunin’, which gives aubergines a beautiful purple color and has multiple benefits. Nasunin is not only an antioxidant, but it also protects brain cell membranes. Specifically, it protects the lipids (fats) which are crucial in optimal brain cell membrane function and blood flow to the brain.
- Anthocyanins, found in aubergine, could protect heart health
- Plus, some research has shown that they may aid in lowering LDL cholesterol levels.
So this summer is the perfect time to start adding more aubergine into your diet! Start with this amazing eggplant salad.
And, if you’re wanting other aubergine recipe inspiration then maybe you’ll like my healthy vegan ‘Moutabal’ aubergine dip or my miso glazed aubergine .
If you decide to give this recipe a go then let me know in the comments below! I’d love to know what you think!
Here are the quick steps
Start by preheating the oven to 200ºC. Wash and cut the aubergine in half.
Make a few cuts in the flesh of the aubergine in order to get the effect of grilled eggplant. Then, place the halves on a baking sheet, skin side down.
Drizzle the aubergines with olive oil and bake for about 30 minutes or until the flesh of the aubergine is tender.
Meanwhile, prepare the citrus dressing. Mix the 1 tablespoon olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper and whisk well.
In a serving plate, add a portion of your favorite mixed salad leaves and pour the citrus dressing on top. I used roquette leaves as that is my favorite summer salad ‘go-to’.
Let the aubergine halves cool off for a few minutes then place them on top of the salad leaves. Top with some yogurt, pomegranate seeds, pistachios, and parsley. Enjoy!
If you have any questions about this aubergine salad recipe, feel free to ask them in the comments. I’d also really appreciate a recipe rating and any feedback, and feel free to tag me in your recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie.
Healthy Vegetarian Aubergine salad
Ingredients
- 1 aubergine
- 2 cups mixed salad leaves of your choice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 4 tablespoon yogurt for topping
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate seeds
- A few parsley leaves
- 1 tablespoon pistachios optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Wash and cut the aubergine in half. Make a few cuts in the flesh of the aubergine, then place the halves on a baking tray, skin side down. Drizzle aubergines with olive oil and bake for about 30 minutes or until the flesh of the aubergine is tender.
- Meanwhile, prepare the citrus dressing. Mix the 1 tablespoon olive oil, juice of 1/2 lemon, salt & pepper and whisk well.
- Get a serving of your favourite mixed salad leaves and pour the citrus dressing on top. I used roquette leaves as that is my favourite summer salad 'go to'.
- Let the aubergine halves cool off for a few minutes then place them on top of the salad leaves.
- Top with some yogurt, pomegranate seeds, pistachios and parsley. Enjoy!
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