Roasted Eggplant and Lentil Salad

This is one of the better salads I’ve ever made. There’s just something so satisfying about a good roasted eggplant and mix that with a tangy lemon dressing… it’s a home run. Also I feel like lentils are a very under used item in the US so this is one great way to use them. I hope you give this one a try and I promise you’ll enjoy!

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Serves: 4

Time: 60 minutes

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Ingredients

• 2 Italian Eggplants

• 20 Cherry Tomato

• 2 Persian Cucumber

• 0.5 cup Akkawi or Mozzarella Cheese

• 4 tbsp Olive Oil

• 0.5 cup Raw Browned Lentil

• 1 cup Arugula

• 1 cup chopped Parsley

• 1 Lemons

• 1 tsp Salt

• 1 tsp Black Pepper

• 1 tsp Sumac

• 1 tsp Aleppo Pepper

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Instructions

Remove the tops of the eggplant then slice into quarters. Then chop each quarter into 4 or 5 wedges. Place in a flat tray and generously salt. Let them sit for about 20 minutes to draw out the moisture. Pat the eggplant dry and place in a mixing bowl. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Place in a 400F oven for 45 minutes turning every 15 minutes.

In a small pot bring 1.5 cups of water to a rolling boil. Rinse and place the lentils in the boiling water and allow them to cook for about 15 minutes or until soft and the water is absorbed. Then remove from the heat and allow 20 minutes to cool.

Half or quarter the cherry tomatoes, quarter then dice the cucumber, finely chop the arugula and parsley. Place all in a large mixing bowl.

Add the lentils, roasted eggplant, and crumbled Akkawi cheese. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon and garnish with some fresh cracked black pepper and Aleppo pepper and enjoy.