Chopped Eggplant, Almond & Herb Salad
This Chopped Eggplant, Almond & Herb Salad is so delicious with chunky eggplant tossed in a lemon, vinegar and honey sauce and served with chopped almonds, red onion, mint and parsley. This salad is packed with flavour and so delicious! It’s Paleo, Grain/Gluten Free, Vegan, Dairy Free, Low Carb, Refined Sugar Free, SCD Legal.
I love coming up with salad recipes that are unique and not lettuce based. This paleo eggplant salad is such a winner. It’s absolutely delicious and packed with so much flavour and texture.
In the past I’ve only ever used thin slices of eggplant in salads, which are good, but more time consuming to cook. By cutting the eggplant into small cubes, it not only cooks quickly, but is also a great chunky base for a salad.
The eggplant is quickly sautéed until tender and then tossed in a cumin, lemon, garlic & honey sauce. If you are vegan you can easily swap the honey for maple syrup or another sweetener of choice. The cubed eggplant absorbs some of the sauce so that every bite is full of flavour. The eggplant is then tossed with toasted almonds, red onion, and lots of mint and parsley, which adds great freshness.
I prefer eating this paleo eggplant salad at room temperature but you can also enjoy it while the eggplant is still warm, or cold straight out of the fridge. I love having a big bowl of it for lunch but it’s also a great side dish to enjoy with chicken or lamb.
Here are a few other eggplant recipes that you might enjoy:
- Middle Eastern Roasted Eggplant Salad
- Garlic & Herb Grilled Eggplant
- Pork & Eggplant Stir Fry
- Herby Couscous Stuffed Eggplant Rolls
- Eggplant Caponata
If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Chopped Eggplant, Almond & Herb Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups cubed eggplant
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup toasted almonds halved
- 1/2 red onion finely sliced
- 2/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2/3 cup chopped fresh mint
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat the 2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet, sprinkle the cubed eggplant with salt and cook over medium heat for approximately 8 minutes
- While the eggplant is cooking, in a bowl whisk together the cumin, sweetener, vinegar, lemon juice, crushed garlic and olive oil.
- Once the eggplant has begun to soften, pour the liquid overtop and cook for another minute before removing from the heat. Make sure that you do not overcook the eggplant, it should be tender but not mushy and still hold its shape.
- Transfer the eggplant along with all of the remaining liquid in the pan to a serving bowl or platter. Add in the almonds, red onion, parsley and mint and stir until well mixed, season with salt and pepper before serving.
Nutrition
Amazing! I was sceptical at first but couldn’t believe how amazing this was! I used fresh basil instead of mint (I didn’t have any mint) and it’s def. Going into rotations! SOo easy and so good
Can I bake the eggplant until crispy?
I have made this recipe multiple times. It’s amazing!!!!! Great with dinner and a treat with lunch if there are any leftovers. We’ve swapped pine nuts for almonds a few times but other than that followed it exactly as is. This is a staple!!!!!
Made exactly with the exception of adding fresh dill. OUTRAGEOUSLY delicious. Loved by the entire fam. Will absolutely make again! Served little warmer than room temp.
Great recipe! Great flavors!! Healthy, my family really enjoyed it!
This is definitely a keeper and I have friends that will love this recipe. And I will be including this on the table for dinner parties – it is that good!
I did increase the lemon and honey a little.
I am not a real eggplant fan, but trying to find new ways with veggies and so glad I tried this recipe – thank you
Fantastic recipe! I am not a big eggplant fan usually, but I was loving this! It was a great balance of flavors. The cumin really complimented honey and herbs. Only change was that I used perhaps 1/3 cup of mint because that is all that I had. I also served it on top of a bed of spinach/watercress/rocket (or baby arugula) mix that was dressed with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of salt. Will definitely be making this again!
So delicious! I love how refreshingly “fresh” and delicious this salad tastes! I love eggplant and I love this creative take on it!! Delicious, as is expected of all of Carmen’s creations!
Had a huge eggplant I needed to use and this recipe was perfect!! I cooked some chicken to put in it for some added protein. So good and uniquely flavorful!
Love this eggplant salad. Did not use honey, didn’t think it would need it. It is super delicious, having leftovers for lunch today. YUM!!! your recipes are the best, thank you.
Hi. This looked good and I’ve used many of your recipes in the past, but I see it has honey or maple syrup, thus it’s not Whole 30. Do you have a Whole 30 substitution for the touch of sweetness in the dressing?
Seriously one of my favorite salads.
I also sautéed mushrooms with the eggplant. I serve this in a bed of arugula… a sprinkle of feta and smoked almonds. This will make an eggplant skeptic into an eggplant believer. It’s a hit with crowd.
I dont have a mint right now,and i will make it tonight… i hope the taste wont affect it without the mint😅…or can i sub it with basil?
Very delicious! All of the fresh herbs make this recipe so bright. Another great veggie side dish to compliment any meal.
This was surely delicious.
I would recommend it.
A cpmplete success. Friends and family love it. I serve it as an appetizer or as companion of fish, chicken.
So happy to hear that Marta! Thank you for the feedback!
AMAZING! After making this I immediately bookmarked this page as a favorite and plan on making it a second night in a row for a dinner party! The only change I will make this time around is half the amount of red onion (my onion may have been too large). This was wonderful as a side dish to some roasted cauliflower I made but it would also be so good mixed with some farro over a mixed green salad as a complete vegan meal. Love love love!!!!
This looks so good! 🙂 Where it says 4 servings, is that as a main or a side?
I would serve this as a side for 4 for main for 2 🙂
I am on whole30. To sub out honey should I leave it out or take it more to the savory end with sesame oil?
No you can just skip the honey, it won’t make a big difference leaving it from the dressing.
WOW, this salad is a 10/10 for sure.
Flavors are amazing and it’s very easy to prepare.
Was it Big Mo and Little L approved too? 🙂
This salad is soooo tasty! I love all of the mint and parsley and the chunky almonds are fantastic. So good!
Thank you Georgina!! I’m so happy to hear that you liked it!