Roasted Eggplant Couscous Salad
This Roasted Eggplant Couscous Salad is veggie-packed and tossed in a tangy red wine vinegar dressing. Top it off with fresh herbs & avocado.
Ingredients
FOR THE EGGPLANT
- 1 eggplant cut in 1" cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt & pepper
FOR THE CHICKPEAS
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
FOR THE COUSCOUS
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/3 cup pearl couscous
- 2 cups water
- pinch of salt
FOR THE SALAD
- 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
- 1.5 tablespoons oil from sun-dried tomato jar
- 2-3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic diced
- 1 shallot finely diced
- 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 tablespoons fresh herbs I used parsley & oregano
- 1 avocado sliced
- black pepper for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Add the eggplant ingredients to a bowl and toss to combine. Spread out on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Combine the chickpea ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine. Spread out on a baking sheet and set aside. After the eggplant has roasted for 20 minutes, use a metal spatula to carefully flip the eggplant and place the eggplant and the chickpeas back in the oven for 10 minutes. Keep an eye on the eggplant - if it starts getting too dark, remove before the chickpeas.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pan and add dry couscous. Toss the couscous until it is toasted - approx. 3 minutes. Add the water & salt and bring to a boil. Lower heat and cover until all of the liquid is absorbed.**
- Add the olive oil, sun-dried tomato oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, shallot, sun-dried tomatoes and oregano to a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
- To the same bowl add the couscous, chickpeas & eggplant. Toss to combine and set aside for 20 minutes.
- To serve add the cherry tomatoes, fresh herbs and avocado. Toss to combine and top with pepper.
Video
Notes
- Salting the eggplant is optional. A lot of recipes call for you to salt the eggplant before roasting. This removes any bitterness. I find that if my eggplant is fresh and pretty firm, I can skip this step. BUT, if your eggplant is a little older, you may want to do this to be on the safe side. Cut the eggplant in half & sprinkle with salt. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then wipe the excess salt off.
- Be sure to check the instructions on the package of the couscous you use - the amount of water may differ.
Nutrition
Calories: 405kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 19g