This paleo & vegan roasted bell pepper & eggplant salad is a delicious and healthy way to enjoy your vegetables!
I can’t believe how lacking I am on salad posts! I eat a Hugh Jass salad at least once a day and it’s one of my favorite ways to incorporate veggies into my diet. It makes sense though because the way I make salads is by putting whatever vegetables I find in the fridge and it’s difficult and almost seems pointless to write that down as a recipe.
But this roasted bell pepper and eggplant salad is different. The combination of the ingredients’ specific flavors meld together so well that it was worth posting after make it. I absolutely love the crunchiness of the toasted almonds and the smokiness of roasted bell peppers. The eggplants are a delicious, meaty addition and this salad could be eaten as a whole meal on its own or as a side to a tasty protein.
Also, I just came back from a week of traveling to Michigan for a wedding, where I had a bit too much sugar than normal combined with lack of sleep and traveling issues coming back home (which means STRESS!), and all I’m craving now is TONS of veggies to get my body back in balance. This means all the salads, meat, and low sugar for the next few days which I do not hate at all. I’m planning to triple this recipe and keep it on hand in the fridge so I can reach for it easily, and I suggest you do the same because you won’t regret it!
Roasted Bell Pepper & Eggplant Salad
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant cut into 1/4 inch cubes
- 3 tbsp almonds
- 2 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers halved, seeded, and cored
- 1 tbsp coconut oil or ghee
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives roughly chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced Omit for low FODMAP
- 3 tbsp fresh cilantro
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 + 1/4 tsp sea salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Place the eggplant cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and toss with ghee and 1/4 tsp sea salt.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, tossing them halfway through.
- While the eggplants are baking, heat a skillet over medium heat.
- Toast the almonds in a skillet for 2-3 minutes while tossing them frequently. They should be golden and give a toasty aroma at the end.
- Transfer the almonds to a cutting board, let cool, then give them a rough chop.
- Once the eggplants are done, remove from the oven to cool.
- Crank up the oven to broil and place the bell peppers on a baking sheet with the skin side up.
- Broil the bell peppers for 5 minutes until the skin is black and charred.
- Place the bell peppers in a bowl, and cover with a plate so they can steam for 5 minutes.
- Uncover the bell peppers, peel the skin, then cut them lengthwise into thin strips.
- Place the eggplant cubes, bell pepper strips, almonds, and the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and toss well.
- Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
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As someone who can’t eat gluten and dairy, the one thing I miss is ALL THE LASAGNA. That cheesy gooey yumminess has been what I’ve been craving recently. Of course, when cravings hit, I must feed it… but in a healthy way! Using cashews for cheese and eggplants to create layers actually worked out surprisingly well to imitate the flavors of real lasagna, and I enjoyed this dish a bit too much. Since I don’t usually cook with eggplants at home because C’s not a fan, it was like I was making up for lost times and just kept eating and eating this stuff. Like, it was hard to breathe after (I’m so embarrassing). No regrets though, it was so good and totally worth it!
