Turkish Roasted Eggplant Salad

By
Elizabeth Taviloglu
Elizabeth Wilson Taviloğlu
Elizabeth Taviloglu
Food writer Elizabeth Taviloğlu learned Turkish cooking hands-on in Turkey where she has lived and traveled for more than 24 years.
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Updated on 03/1/22
A plate of Turkish roasted eggplant salad
Elizabeth Taviloglu
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 70 mins
Servings: 8 servings

Roasted eggplant salad made Turkish style is one of my favorite ways to use eggplant. It's traditionally eaten as a cold starter, or 'meze,' but it also works as an appetizer dip. Eggplant salad has only three main ingredients, but it's quite time-consuming to prepare. Roasting the eggplants takes the most time, but it's worth it.

Ingredients

  • 3 to 4 large globe eggplants

  • 4 to 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 1 to 2 cloves garlic, crushed, optional

  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, or Greek yogurt, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Roast your eggplants on the grill, and remove the pulp. Once you've extracted the flesh and discarded the skin and seeds, use it right away. If not, let the pulp sit in a bowl with some water and lemon juice in it. This prevents the eggplant from darkening.

  2. Put your eggplant into a fine wire strainer, and squeeze out any excess liquid. Transfer the pulp to a mixing bowl.

  3. Add the olive oil, salt, pepper, and optional crushed garlic.

  4. With a fork, whip the mixture until it becomes homogenous, light, and fluffy with no large chunks or strings of eggplant. This can take awhile. You may have to take several breaks in between to rest your arm.

  5. Once the puree is ready, you can gently stir in your optional mayonnaise or yogurt. Chill before serving.

Tips

  • To make things easier, you can substitute canned eggplant, although the taste is never quite as fresh. You can find roasted eggplant near the pickles or canned vegetable section of your supermarket or in Middle Eastern and Turkish grocers.
  • The traditional way to eat eggplant salad is straight up as an appetizer or salad. It's also delicious spread on crunchy crackers, melba toast, or toasted bread.
  • If you love anything with eggplant, a spoonful of this light, the fluffy salad will carry you away. But you have to get the consistency right, or you may be disappointed. A good blend is light in color and texture, with just the right amount of olive oil. Too much oil can make it heavy and overpower the wonderful, smoky flavor of the eggplant. You'll also need a strong wrist to whip it with a fork to the perfect consistency. Don't use a blender or your salad will be watery.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
194 Calories
9g Fat
30g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 194
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 12%
Saturated Fat 1g 7%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 76mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 30g 11%
Dietary Fiber 9g 31%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 4mg 22%
Calcium 21mg 2%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 421mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)