Eggplant & Roasted Tomato Salad
This summer eggplant salad is tangy, bright, and easy to make! It keeps well in the fridge, so make it ahead for a picnic or pack it up for lunch.
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes (sliced in half)
- 3-4 small eggplant
- extra virgin oil olive (for drizzling)
- ¾ cup uncooked farro (subsitute-brown rice or quinoa)
- ½ cup cooked chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- ½ cup pine nuts (toasted)
- Big Handful of arugula
- Big Handful of torn basil
- Generous splashes of sherry vinegar
- salt & pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 300°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the cherry tomatoes on the baking sheet and toss with a drizzle of olive oil and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Roast the tomatoes until they’re shriveled up and golden brown around the edges – about 30-35 minutes, depending on the size of your tomatoes.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the farro and reduce heat to a high simmer. Cover and cook for 30-40 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside in a large bowl.
Chop the eggplant into 1-inch pieces and place on a paper towel with a few pinches of salt. Let it sit for about 20 minutes. As water releases from the eggplant flesh, pat it dry
In a large skillet, heat a splash of olive oil over medium heat, add the eggplant and cook until it’s tender and golden brown on each side, about 10-12 minutes. Add the chickpeas and garlic halfway through, along with a few pinches of salt and pepper.
Add the roasted tomatoes, cooked eggplant and chickpea mixture, pine nuts, arugula and basil to the large bowl with the farro. Add a generous splash of sherry vinegar and toss. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper (and more sherry vinegar if necessary), to taste.