My husband and I regularly have “make do with what you’ve got” nights where we just take out whatever fresh produce that needs to be eaten, lay it all out on the table and see how if we can create something out of it. This bowl saw the light of day on one of those evenings. A carrot, an eggplant, wilting herbs and a forgotten log of goat cheese met, mingled with a few pantry staples and there it was: a damn good salad that has a wonderful palette of colors, tastes and textures.
We’ve recreated it several times since because it goes down so well and is truly tastebud-satisfying. And the more I have it, the more I realize you really need all of the ingredients to make it work. Smokey caramelized roasted eggplant only go well with grated lemony carrots if you have some creamy goat cheese and a handful of salty roasted nuts to marry them, if that makes sense. Herbs add a major dose of aroma and pomegranate isn’t just a pretty face, it also contributes with its sweet juiciness.
Makes 2 bowls
Ingredients
- 1 big eggplant, sliced lengthwise, 1/2 inch thick
- 1-2 carrots, coarsely grated
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 cup cilantro and parsley, chopped
- 1 cup rocket
- 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1/2 cup fresh goat cheese, crumbled
- 1/3 cup, roasted salted cashew nuts (I roast my own but you can get store bought)
- Olive oil (about 2 tbsp for the carrots,1/4 cup to cook eggplant and 1/4 to 1/3 cup for the dressing)
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Salt, pepper
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, heat a few tbsp of olive oil on high heat. Add eggplant, a few slices at a time, season with a pinch of salt, lower heat to medium and let it sizzle for 2 minutes. The oil will get absorbed but do not add anymore, just cover the pan and let cook, without tossing, for another few minutes.
- When the bottom of the eggplants start getting golden brown, turn them one by one and cover for another 2 or 3 minutes, until cooked through. Set aside on a plate and repeat with the remaining eggplant slices.
- In a medium bowl, mix grated carrots with a pinch of salt, olive oil and lemon juice. Set aside.
- Prepare the vinaigrette by mixing 1/4 to 1/3 cup of olive oil with the vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, place the herbs and rocket and coat with the vinaigrette. Then place half the of the greens onto each serving bowl.
- On each bowl’s base of greens, add half the carrots, eggplant, pomegranate, crumbled goat cheese and top off with the cashews. Serve immediately.
Note: If you prefer to make these ahead of time, add the vinaigrette on top of the salad right before serving.
