ROASTED EGGPLANT SALAD WITH PITA CHIPS AND YOGURT SAUCE

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Roasted Eggplant Salad with Pita Chips and Yogurt Sauce image

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.

Yield Makes 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 26

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

Steps:

  • 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.
  • Mix ingredients in a bowl.
  • 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.

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