Roasted Eggplant Quinoa Salad

RECIPE IDEA: Roasted Eggplant Quinoa Salad / Vegan + Gluten Free + Dairy Free

Hi. It’s Lois at Recipe Idea Shop, giving you a new recipe, Roasted Eggplant Quinoa Salad. I made it in about 25 minutes and it’s excellent at room temperature, cold, or hot. Great nutrition, too! Low calorie, filling, and so good.

Roast the Eggplant

I used two small eggplants, dicing and roasting them in a little olive oil and salt. Roasting brings out the flavor. It’s so good. I especially like roasting the small eggplants (maybe they are Japanese eggplants or just baby eggplants?) because they stay firmer when you cook them. The bigger the eggplant, the mushier the inside is. You have to work hard to cook the large eggplants properly. But the small ones are simple.

This Roasted Eggplant Quinoa Salad a little bit tangy from the lemon juice. Delicious!

Try it with Egg

I encourage you to try it hot, with an egg on top. Yum. I have become a big fan of putting a fried or poached egg on top of salads. It makes a wonderfully satisfying lunch.

Roasted Eggplant Quinoa Salad with an Egg on Top

I had it for lunch today. Super good that way.

Roasted Quinoa Salad is good with a fried egg on top.

I like this new trend of putting an egg on top of salads. What do you think? Of course, then it’s not vegan. But it is creamy.

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Roasted Eggplant Quinoa Salad

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 8

Author Lois Carter Crawford / Recipe Idea Shop

Ingredients

Roasted Eggplants

• 2 small eggplants diced into 1" pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Sautéed Onions

• 1 teaspoon olive or canola oil
• 1/4 cup diced red onion

Quinoa & Corn

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1-1/2 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels
• 2 cups water

Tomatoes

• 12 cherry tomatoes quartered

Dressing

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1-1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 large clove garlic minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

Instructions

Roasted Eggplants

1. Heat oven to 425F degrees while you dice the eggplants.
2. Sprinkle with olive oil and salt and spread the eggplant in a single layer on a baking sheet.
3. Bake for 20 minutes until the eggplant pieces begin to brown. Remove from oven and set aside.

Sautéed Onions

1. In a small sauté pan, heat 1 teaspoon olive or canola oil until hot.
2. Add the red onions and sauté until the onions are starting to caramelize (turn brown, but not black).
3. Remove pan from heat and set aside.

Quinoa & Corn

1. Toast a couple tablespoons of quinoa over medium-high heat in a medium pot until the quinoa is starting to brown and pop.
2. Add the water, rest of the quinoa and corn and bring the water to a boil.
3. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, continuing to simmer the mixture until the quinoa is done, about 15 minutes. It will be fluffy with a light ring in the center; and all the water should be absorbed.

Dressing

1. Wihisk the oil, lemon juice, garlic, pepper and salt until well blended and emulsififed.

Put It All Together

1. Combine the quinoa/corn mixture with the cooked onions, roasted diced eggplants and cherry tomato quarters.
2. Coat the combined mixture with the dressing and serve at room temperature or refrigerate for later.

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Roasted Eggplant Quinoa Salad Nutrition Label. Each serving is about 1/2 cup.

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