Description
Grilled Eggplant Salad with Freekeh, a smoked, ancient Middle Eastern grain, tossed with fresh herbs and served over a tangy yogurt dressing. Vegan adaptable!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 cup dry Freekeh 2 1/2 cups water 1 large eggplant, sliced into 1/4 inch slices 1/4 cup mint, chopped 1/4 cup dill, chopped 1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped 3 scallions, sliced
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest 4 tablespoons olive oil 3-4 tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon sumac (optional) 1/2 teaspoon aleppo chili flakes ( optional)
Yogurt Sauce:
- 1 cup plain thick Greek yogurt ( or sub vegan yogurt) 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill (or mint, or parsley) 1-2 garlic cloves finely minced 1/2 teaspoon sumac (optional) 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Instructions
Preheat grill to medium high.
Place freekeh and water in a medium pot, bring to a boil, cover, then turn heat to low and simmer 15-20 minutes, until water is absorbed and freekeh is tender.
Slice the eggplant and brush or spray with olive oil. Season with salt. Grill both sides, 3-4 minutes until grill marks appear, then wrap in foil to allow them to steam and cook through. Cut the eggplant into bite-sized pieces.
Place the cooked freekeh, eggplant, chopped herbs, lemon zest, scallions, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and spices in a bowl. Toss to combine. Taste and adjust salt and lemon. You want it to taste slightly tart. the smoky flavor will come through as it sits.
Place the yogurt sauce ingredients in a small bowl and whisk. ( if making the vegan version, you may need to add more lemon)
To serve, lather the yogurt dressing on platter, and pile the salad over top. Garnish with torn mint leaves.
To pack up for lunch, spead a little yogurt sauce on the bottom of the container, spoon salad over top ( or keep it separate).
Salad will keep 3-4 days in the fridge, with yogurt dressing on the side.
Notes
Sumac gives the salad an earthy tangy quality. If you don’t have it, you may need a little more salt, and add some lemon zest.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 337
- Sugar: 8.3 g
- Sodium: 486.2 mg
- Fat: 17.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 42.5 g
- Fiber: 10.3 g
- Protein: 9.3 g
- Cholesterol: 8 mg