Mediterranean Eggplant Recipes:
If you haven’t cooked eggplant much, give it a chance since this Mediterranean Eggplant is excellent for a perfect plant based meal! And Eggplant is reasonably low in net carbohydrates because it’s packed in fiber and this dish is also gluten-free.
By the time you read this I will have arrived in Istanbul, and maybe even eaten some of the delicious Turkish Eggplant dishes that make up part of the cuisine experience of Turkey. So I thought it would be great to offer an eggplant dish while I’m traveling in Turkey!
I know eggplant can be a hard sell with some people, but back in the early days of this blog I fell in love with grilled eggplant, and I’ve been an eggplant fan ever since. Lately I’ve been loving roasted eggplant, and this meatless recipe for Mediterranean Eggplant couldn’t be easier or more delicious.
Just choose a firm eggplant that’s pretty straight on the edges, cut into thick slices, spray with olive oil and season, then roast in the oven while you make the delightful salsa that’s rich with Mediterranean flavors. And although eggplant isn’t incredibly low in carbs, it’s high in fiber hence low in net carbs, enjoy!
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
- straight-sided eggplant
- Olive Oil (affiliate link)
- salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
- Kalamata olives
- Jarred roasted red peppers (affiliate link)
- red onion, or a smaller one
- Affiliate link: Capers
- Vinegar with Balsamic (affiliate link)
- Aleppo Pepper or other hot and spicy pepper flakes (affiliate link)
What is the Mediterranean flavoring in this recipe for eggplant?
This Mediterranean Eggplant has an incredible flavor thanks to the Mediterranean salsa, which is made with roasted red peppers, Kalamata olives, red onion, capers, balsamic vinegar, and spicy hot pepper flakes.
Other than topping eggplant, here are some other possibilities for the Mediterranean Salsa. The Mediterranean Salsa used here would also be wonderful over roasted zucchini or barely cooked zucchini noodles, if I can’t get you to try eggplant.
Is this Mediterranean Eggplant low in carbohydrates?
Each serving of this eggplant with Mediterranean salsa contains just 8 net carbohydrates. Balsamic vinegar is one component that does add some carbohydrates to this dish. If you’d want even fewer carbohydrates, simply replace that with a red wine vinegar that has less carbs.Collage of process images for roasted eggplant with Mediterranean salsa.
Mediterranean Eggplant Recipe Instructions:
- To ensure uniformly sized slices, select a large eggplant with somewhat straight sides.
- Roughly chop the eggplant into 1-inch-thick slices, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with a small pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Roast the eggplant at 400F for about 20 minutes, or until it’s as tender as you like it.
- Halfway through, I flip it over to brown the other side as well.
- Cut the red onion, capers, and roasted red peppers in a jar into small pieces while the eggplant roasts.
- Add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salsa ingredients to a bowl.
- Season with salt, pepper, and Aleppo pepper (or other spicy pepper flakes).
- Spoon plenty of Mediterranean Salsa over each slice of eggplant, whether it’s served hot or cold.
Guidelines:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
- Apply a thin layer of olive oil or nonstick spray to a baking sheet.
- Slice the eggplant into 1-inch-thick slices after cleaning it if necessary and trimming off both ends.
- Arrange the slices of eggplant on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil on both sides, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, according to taste.
- Roast the eggplant for ten minutes, then flip them over and continue to roast for an additional ten minutes, or until the desired level of softness is achieved.
- Drain the jar of red peppers in a strainer set in the sink while the eggplant cooks, and then pat the peppers dry with paper towels.
- Finely chop the red onion and chop the roasted red peppers and Kalamata olives into pieces that are no bigger than 1/2 inch.
- Add the two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and two tablespoons of olive oil after tossing the olives, peppers, onion, and capers.
- Place a few eggplant slices on top of each plant, then drizzle with a good portion of the Mediterranean Salsa.
Remarks:
Six ounces is half of a 12 oz. jar of roasted red pepper. Use more or less red pepper to taste.
Although eggplant contains some carbohydrates, its high fiber content reduces its net carbohydrate content.
