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Healthy and delicious roasted eggplant salad with roasted bell peppers, toasted almonds, olives, and more. It’s packed with veggies, and it’s so refreshing and tasty as a side or a main dish!
I’m a huge fan of cooked salads. They are warming and delicious on cold days, have a ton of flavor, and they are easier to digest than raw salads. I also love that they can last longer if you have any left over, and the flavors usually improve the longer they sit.
Roasted Eggplant Salad Recipe
This Whole30 roasted eggplant salad is one of my favorite cooked salads to enjoy. The combination of the ingredients meld together so well, and the texture is incredible as well. I absolutely love the crunchiness of the toasted almonds and the smokiness of roasted bell peppers. The eggplants are delicious and meaty, and the salad could be eaten as a whole meal on its own or as a side to a tasty protein.
Colorful Ingredients in Roasted Eggplant Salad
This dish is packed with so many wonderful vegetables and healthy fats. These are some of the main ingredients:
- Eggplant: The eggplant will wilt down a lot during roasting, so make sure to grab a large one!
- Bell peppers: Red, orange, or yellow bell peppers will add a beautiful color to the salad, and be milder in flavor than the green variety.
- Sliced almonds: If you don’t have almonds on hand, you can also use cashews or any other nuts. I toasted the almonds myself for this recipe, but you can use pre-toasted almonds.
- Lemon juice
- Kalamata olives
- Garlic
- Cilantro: Not everyone loves cilantro, so you can choose to omit or use parsley instead.
- Oregano
- Red pepper flakes: This is optional, but the hint of spice that the red pepper flakes gives is such a tasty and delicious addition!
How to Make Roasted Eggplant Salad
While this salad takes a bit of time to make, I promise – the end result is 100% worth it. It’s one of my favorites and I like to make a double batch of it so I have an easy yummy snack or side to reach for throughout the week. Here’s how to make it:
Step 1: Preheat the oven, then place the eggplant cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and add the bell pepper halves skin side next to the eggplant. Drizzle everything with olive oil sea salt, and toss the eggplant with your hands to coat. Rub the bell pepper skin with the oil evenly. Roast for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Add sliced almonds on a small baking sheet and spread in an even layer. Toast on the lower rack of the oven for 4-6 minutes until lightly browned and toasted. Set aside to cool.
Step 3: Once the vegetables are done roasting, let cool for about 5 minutes. Peel the skin of the bell peppers with your hands, then cut them lengthwise into thin strips.
Step 4: Place the eggplant cubes and bell pepper strips in a large bowl along with olive oil, olives, lemon juice, garlic, cilantro, oregano, sea salt, ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes, if using. Toss well to combine.
Step 5: Sprinkle with toasted sliced almonds just before serving, and enjoy right away or chilled.
That’s it! serve this delicious eggplant salad right away or chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. I personally love it at room temperature.
Storage Tips
You can store this salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. It’ll taste even better the next day as the flavors meld! You can enjoy chilled, or microwave for 30 seconds at a time then toss together until it’s warm.
If you enjoyed this Whole30 eggplant recipe, you might also like…
- Whole30 Chinese Eggplant and Pork (Paleo, Gluten Free)
- Turkey Eggplant Lasagna (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)
- Mediterranean Cauliflower Couscous Salad (Paleo, Whole30, Keto, Vegan)
- Whole30 Roasted Squash Salad (Paleo, Vegan)
- Roasted Whole30 Greek Salad (Paleo, Keto, Vegan)
Roasted Eggplant Salad (Whole30, Vegan)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 2 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, halved, seeded, and cored
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 3/4 tsp sea salt, divided
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped or halved
- 1 garlic clove, minced (omit for low FODMAP)
- 3 tbsp fresh cilantro
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- Optional: red pepper flakes, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and place the eggplant cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and add the bell pepper halves skin side next to the eggplant. Drizzle everything with 1 tbsp of olive oil and 1/4 tsp sea salt, and toss the eggplant with your hands to coat. Rub the bell pepper skin with the oil evenly.1 large eggplant, 2 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers
- Roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, tossing the eggplant halfway through (toast the almonds in the next step while you wait for the veggies to be done). The skin on the peppers should turn charred and bubbly when done.
- Add sliced almonds on a small baking sheet and spread in an even layer. Toast on the lower rack of the oven for 4-6 minutes until lightly browned and toasted. Set aside to cool.1/3 cup sliced almonds
- Once the vegetables are done roasting, let cool for about 5 minutes. Peel the skin of the bell peppers with your hands, then cut them lengthwise into thin strips.
- Place the eggplant cubes and bell pepper strips in a large bowl along with 1 tbsp olive oil, olives, lemon juice, garlic, cilantro, oregano, 1/2 tsp sea salt, ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Toss well to combine.Juice from 1/2 lemon, 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, 1 garlic clove, 3 tbsp fresh cilantro, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, Ground black pepper, Optional: red pepper flakes
- Sprinkle with toasted sliced almonds just before serving, and enjoy right away or chilled.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Im obsessed with this recipe! Have made it so many times and never get tired of it.
Thank you so much!!!
Amazing salad! The best part is that it gets even better the next day after marinating in all the flavors. I love eggplant so this recipe will become a staple for me! It’s great cold, warm and at room temperature. Can’t go wrong. Thanks, Jean!
Yay! Thanks so much for leaving a review, Rachel. So glad you enjoyed it!
Pretty good salad. Healthy and a variety of flavors that blend well together. Only reason for not 5 stars is that it takes a lot of work. But if you want to impress don’t mess with this recipe.