Eggplant is in season so you know I had to base this Back to Basics recipe on eggplant. This is my Roasted Eggplant with Garlic & Herbs. It is probably the best and easiest way to enjoy eggplant and I can't wait for you to try it.
All you need to make this recipe is eggplant, salt, black pepper, garlic, fresh parsley, lemon, and fresh dill. It is a savory, yet light and fresh dish. You can make these as an appetizer for guests coming over or prepare it as a side vegetable source for dinner - paired with protein and carbs. When I enjoyed these I paired it with some fish and rice, and it was delightful.
No matter how you enjoy it, you are going to love it. Let's get to the recipe!
Yields: 1-2
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
This recipe is dairy free, gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan.
Ingredients:
1.1 eggplant, sliced into 4 vertical strips
2. Salt
3. 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped into 1 ½ TBSPs
4. 2 sprigs of fresh dill, finely chopped into ½ TBSP
5. 2 cloves garlic, grated
6. Juice of lemon, less than 1 TBSP
7. Freshly ground black pepper
8. Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions:
1. First, wash your eggplant well since you'll be eating the skin. Preheat the oven to 400 as well.
2. Next, slice the eggplant gently into 4 vertical strips. You don't want them to be too thin otherwise they'll fall apart.
3. Place them onto a cutting board with a papper towel underneath. Salt them well in order to remove any excess moisture from the eggplant. This is what will allow for them to be crispy. Allow them to air dry for roughly 15 minutes.
4. During this time you can prepare the olive oil & herbs. Chop parsley and dill. Place it into a small bowl. Grate 2 cloves garlic. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Add the juice of lemon and add olive oil until it's ½ inch above the parsley and dill. You want a good amount of olive oil.
5. Now dry the eggplant with another paper towel to remove the moisture on top. Add the eggplant to a baking sheet. Use a brush to brush on olive oil and salt onto both sides of each eggplant slice.
6. Allow them to bake for a max of 40 minutes, or when you can easily poke a fork through each piece.
7. Once they're done, add the eggplant slices to a serving bowl. Pour the garlic herb olive oil mix onto the eggplant.
