Mediterranean Eggplant Salad mixes grilled eggplant with fresh tomatoes, mint, parsley, green onion, bell pepper and tossed with olive oil, lemon juice, za’atar and crushed red pepper. This is the perfect side salad for a summer BBQ or to pair with grilled chicken or fish. 

MEDITERRANEAN EGGPLANT SALAD

The end of summer often means lots of eggplant for those of us who grow it in our gardens.

It also makes an appearance at farmers markets.

Eggplants are a big staple in Mediterranean cooking and are used in baba ghanoush {which is one of my favorite dips}, salads like this Mediterranean Eggplant Salad, side dishes like Ratatouille.

My favorite way to cook eggplant is to grill it but you can also make this Air Fryer Eggplant and use that in this salad or roast it in the oven.

It doesn’t take long at all and actually if you are grilling dinner and have a few eggplants sitting around you can easily throw them on the grill, chop them up and use them for baba ghanoush or this salad the next day.

I love the smoky flavor that grilled eggplant has to it.

If you don’t have a grill or would rather roast it, that is easy too {head to the notes section of the recipe to learn how to roast the eggplant}.

Today’s Mediterranean Eggplant Salad is the perfect mix of smoky soft eggplant, fresh sweet tomatoes, mint, parsley, green onion, bell peppers and then tossed in lemon juice, olive oil, za’atar and crushed red pepper.

I love this simple salad by itself for a healthy lunch but I also love it as a side dish with grilled chicken or fish or alongside Grilled Beef Kofta Kebabs , humus, an Easy Lebanese Salad and pita bread.

If you want to bulk this salad up more try adding feta cheese, chickpeas and some Greek Marinated Chicken to create a hearty meal.

When I grill my eggplant for this recipe I add za’atar but feel free to leave that out or add another spice, sumac or cayenne pepper would be great options.

I also added a small amount of za’atar to the salad but that is optional.

From time to time I will even sprinkle a bit of this Homemade Shawarma Spice Blend over the salad.

This salad is the perfect canvas for so many Mediterranean flavors, so try different combinations out.

Recipe Ingredients:

• EGGPLANT
• OLIVE OIL
• ZA’ATAR
• TOMATOES
• BELL PEPPERS
• GREEN ONIONS
• MINT
• PARSLEY
• LEMON JUICE

How to Make This Eggplant Salad:

GRILL THE EGGPLANT: Heat the grill to medium heat. Slice the eggplant into rounds. Rub salt on each side of the eggplant and lay on a baking sheet for an hour.

Use a paper towel to pat the eggplant dry and then brush each side of the eggplant generously with olive oil.

Sprinkle each side of the eggplant with salt, pepper and za’atar {the za’atar is optional}.

Place the eggplant on the grill and cook for 5 minutes. Flip eggplant and grill until golden brown on bottom and soft. Let the eggplant come to room temperature and then chop into small pieces.

MIX SALAD INGREDIENTS TOGETHER: In a large bowl mix the chopped eggplant with the tomatoes, bell pepper, green onions, mint and parsley and gently mix well. 

CREATE THE DRESSING: In a mason jar or salad dressing container mix together the extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, crushed red pepper, za’atar and salt and pepper and mix well. 

Pour the dressing over the eggplant salad and mix well. Add lemon zest if you want.

Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Ways to Modify This Eggplant Salad:

CHEESE: I love adding feta or goat cheese to this salad.

HERBS: Fresh herbs are a great addition. Try fresh basil, fresh oregano or fresh parsley.

BEANS: Beans are another great addition. Try white beans, chickpeas or black beans.

PROTEIN: I also really enjoy adding meats like salmon, shrimp, chicken or steak to this salad or serve it alongside the salad.

VEGETABLES: Extra vegetables are always a nice addition. Try a yellow bell pepper, green bell pepper or red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, red onion, zucchini, radish, carrots or celery.

OLIVES: I am a big fan of olives and love them in salads. Try adding chopped kalamata or green olives.

GREENS: Adding greens into this salad is a nice healthy addition. Try arugula, romaine, swiss chard or spinach.

DRESSING: You can use other ingredients in the dressing like balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar or white vinegar.

SPICE: Spice up this salad with more spices like cayenne red pepper, crushed red pepper, sumac or Greek oregano.

EGGPLANTS: There are a variety of eggplants you can use like chinese eggplant, globe eggplants, italian eggplants, or japanese eggplant.

As summer comes to an end you have to use up those fresh summer veggies to whip up this smoky eggplant salad packed with fresh herbs, eggplant and fresh veggies.

I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Stay tuned for tomorrows Shish Tawook. which is the perfect dish to pair with this salad.

The spices used in the chicken pair perfectly with the flavors in this Mediterranean Eggplant Salad.

What to Serve With Eggplant Salad:

GRILLED BEEF KAFTA

GREEK MARINATED CHICKEN 

MEDITERRANEAN BEEF KABOBS

MEDITERRANEAN GROUND BEEF STUFFED PEPPERS

MEDITERRANEAN SHRIMP SKEWERS 

CHICKEN KOFTA

Other Easy Eggplant Recipes:

MEDITERRANEAN EGGPLANT CHICKPEA SALAD

11 MUST MAKE EGGPLANT RECIPES 

MEDITERRANEAN GRILLED VEGETABLE COUSCOUS SALAD 

RATATOUILLE PAPPERDELLE

AIR FRYER EGGPLANT FRIES