Full of flavor, light on labor and packed with nutritious and delicious vegetables. The eggplants’ mild flavor combined with the vibrant taste of the grilled red peppers, minced garlic and cilantro makes the the ultimate summer salad!
Side dishes have never been my forte. I am more the main entrée type of gal… that is where I sparkle.
However last summer I was at my friend Tanya’s house when she was whipping up a last minute BBQ – a typical weekly occurrence – and in between taking sips of her sauvignon blanc and putting band aids on her son’s knees, she whipped up a salad that is nothing more than sheer genius.
You see my friend Tanya and her husband Bo are my favorite types of chefs…because they really are not chefs, just real people who love to cook and love food. Their BBQ’s are rarely planned ahead of time but also end up being some sort of organized chaos that ends in laughter echoing from their backyard at 3 in the morning.
Tanya is one of the only people who I can actually stand next to in the kitchen and feel like we are actually creating a dish together rather than me dictating a recipe and her attempting to execute it. Bo is the so-called foodie of the two. Constantly whipping up savory concoctions in his kitchen and on his grill, experimenting with new flavors, fresh herbs from his own garden and random other ingredients he picks up at one of those Asian stores we all love but fear to go into due to the unusually strange aromas billowing out of it.
Ahhhhhh – but I digress, back to the salad. While the men grilled brontosaurus sized meats outside, the girls all huddled around the kitchen island and sipped wine while sharing stories, recipes and anecdotes. I noticed Tanya peeling freshly grilled whole eggplants, tomatoes and chopping cilantro. She then combined all these ingredients in a square dish, sliced them roughly with a knife and added some salt and cilantro and placed it on the kitchen counter for the girls to munch on. I took a bite and was instantly hooked. Holy Julia Child! It was amazing! This salad was so purely Tanya. Simple, satisfying and delicious.
In her usual humble manner, when I went to compliment her on it she claimed the recipe was not hers. I told her that only she could convert plain grilled eggplants and grilled vegetables into a meal that impresses everyone. I promise you, once you make it once you will keep making this simple and savory vegan salad to go along with any of your favorite meals! Between this salad and my Moldovian Eggplant Salad I am set for the summer outings!
I love that one of my favorites fits perfectly into my mostly plant based life style 
You can learn more about that here
When I recreated this salad at home last weekend, I slathered it up on warm toast and sprinkled tons more cilantro and I made my famous BBQ Teriyaki Marinated Grilled Chicken alongside it. We were both happy campers
First we must wash and remove the labels off of all the veggies. Ahhh aren’t these veggies just gorgeous! Don’t they totally remind you of summer nights?
Next grill all the vegetables on a grill turned to high or in a 450-degree oven. Making sure to rub them all down with olive oil. And prick the eggplants with a fork to keep them from exploding.
The tomatoes and peppers will cook the fastest so keep an eye on them while cooking. They should take about 15- 20 minutes. The eggplants take about 20-25. But again keep an eye on them turning them every 7 minutes or so. See how charred they are? That’s what you want. That is where that delicious smoky flavor comes from.
Once the tomatoes, eggplants and peppers are charred, throw them in a colander. Allow to stand for 15-30 minutes. This makes the extra water seep out so that the salad isn’t too watery.
Peel the skin off of all the vegetables except the onions and toss in a square dish. Cut all the vegetables very roughly in the dish. Since they are all so soft they will cut easily.
Cut the onion into small dice, roughly and combine with vegetables.
Add cilantro, garlic, season to taste and enjoy
- 5 Large Eggplants
- 5 Medium Sized Tomatoes – Roma Tomatoes work great for this
- 1 Large Onion – Paper Skin Removed
- 2 Large Red Bell Peppers
- 4 Cloves of garlic, mined on microplaner
- 1 Bunch of Cilantro – very roughly chopped
- Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- .
- Roast all the vegetables on a grill turned to high or in a 450-degree oven. Making sure to rub them all down with olive oil. And prick the eggplants with a fork to keep them from exploding.
- The tomatoes and peppers will cook the fastest so keep an eye on them while cooking. They should take about 15- 20 minutes. The eggplants take about 20-25. But again keep an eye on them turning them every 7 minutes or so.
- Once the tomatoes, eggplants and peppers are charred, throw them in a colander. Allow to stand for 15-30 minutes. This makes the extra water seep out so that the salad isn't too watery. Allow to stand for 15-30 minutes. Place the onions on the side.
- Peel the skin off of all the vegetables except the onions and toss in a square dish. Cut all the vegetables very roughly in the dish. Since they are all so soft they will cut easily.
- Cut the onion into small dice, roughly and combine with vegetables.
- Add cilantro, garlic, season to taste and enjoy
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