Eggplant Appetizer with a Balsamic Vinaigrette

Let's cut to the chase. You need to try this eggplant appetizer. The combo of the arugula, the balsamic vinaigrette, and parmesan was perfection with the broiled eggplant. When I served it to my family, I allowed it to cool down and then cut them into smaller pieces. Let each bite have eggplant, arugula, walnut, and the vinaigrette on it and you tell ME, how flavorful it is. So, let's get to the recipe shall we?

Yields: 2-4

Prep time: 5 minutes

Total time: 25 minutes

This recipe is gluten free and vegetarian.

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Ingredients:

1. 1 eggplant

2. Arugula

3. 1 TBSP crushed walnuts

4. Freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano

5. Extra virgin olive oil

6. ½ lemon

7. Balsamic vinegar

8. Kosher salt

9. Freshly ground black pepper

10. Garlic powder

11, Garnish with finely chopped parsley

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Instructions:

1. First, preheat your oven to broil.

2. Grab an eggplant and chop it into thin, vertical strips like you see above.

3. Place them onto a baking pan and drizzle on a generous amount of olive oil.

4. Season with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder to your liking. Make sure each eggplant slice is evenly coated.

5. Broil them in the oven until they are a medium-brown color/soft, don't let them burn.

6. While the eggplant is broiling, let's make the vinaigrette: grab a small bowl and add 2 TBSPs of olive oil, the juice of ½ lemon, and 1 TBSP of balsamic vinegar. Whisk well.

7. Now with the parmigiano-reggiano, make sure it's freshly grated. I added 1 TBSP of cheese but you can be more generous. Finely chop the pieces of cheese a bit more and add it to the vinaigrette. Salt and whisk again.

8. (Personally, I wanted fresh pieces of parmigiano to end up on my tongue, but if you want to make a true parmigiano balsamic vinaigrette, you can blend the ingredients!)

9. Now, take the eggplant slices out. Grab a serving plate, and add on 4-5 pieces of the eggplant onto the plate. Then add 1 handful of arugula and spread them out evenly onto the eggplant slices.

10. Layer the other 4-5 slices of eggplant on top the other way.

11. Drizzle on the vinaigrette.

12. Add the crushed walnuts and finely diced parsley to garnish.

13. Enjoy!

Xoxo, #averagearabgirl 💋

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