Eggplant and chickpeas are used together all the time in Middle Eastern cooking, either in the same dish such as here, or paired as components of a meze platter.
There is a lot of crossover in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines, and I have made the most of that here with the additions of grilled peppers, Greek Kalamata olives, mint and cilantro. And, while the salad is good enough on its own, you could add some crumbled feta to the mix to really put it over the top. This salad is one to try to make in advance (or hope for leftovers), as it gets better and better the longer it sits in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
| 3 med. Japanese eggplants, halved lengthwise | 1 large red bell pepper |
| 1 large yellow bell pepper | 6 Tbsp. canola oil |
| Kosher salt | Freshly ground black pepper |
| 1 15½ oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained | 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced |
| ½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted coarsely chopped | Juice of 1 lemon |
| ¼ cup of extra-virgin olive oil | ¼ tsp red chile flakes |
| 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh mint leaves | 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves |
Preparation
1. Heat your grill to high.
2. Brush the eggplant and bell peppers with the canola oil on all sides and season with salt and pepper.
3. Grill the eggplant for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until lightly golden brown and slightly charred.
4. Grill the bell peppers until charred on all sides and soft, 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Remove the eggplant from the grill and cut each half crosswise into ½-inch-thick slices.
6. Put the peppers in a bowl, wrap and let sit for 10 minutes.
7. Peel, seed and thinly slice both peppers.
8. Combine the eggplants, red and yellow peppers, chickpeas, onion and olives in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, chile flakes, mint and cilantro and stir to combine.
9. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving or refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 2 days before serving. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Serves 4
