Roasted eggplant halves with a creamy, delicate texture are drizzled with balsamic vinegar to brighten them up then sprinkled with crumbled feta. Is your mouth watering yet?
I love eggplant, especially when it comes straight from my garden (or my friend’s garden, in this case). These ripe, firm beauties are halved, scored, then brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with some salt and pepper, and roasted until they’re tender and creamy.
The great thing about this recipe is that you could stop it right there after roasting and have an incredible vegetarian or vegan side or meal. But wait, there’s more. Let’s take it to the next level and drizzle it with some good balsamic vinegar.
If you want to take it up a notch and go on the wild side, sprinkle on some feta. It may not be vegetarian or vegan, and that’s ok with me.
The trick to making the eggplant creamy and delicious is scoring it before roasting and brushing on enough oil to make it worthwhile. You also have to roast it long enough for it to get that creamy texture.
The times may vary depending on the size of your eggplant. The ones I roasted came from my friend’s garden and were medium/large so I roasted for 40 to 45 minutes. The smaller the eggplant, the less time to roast, and the larger eggplant then add more time. Common sense, right?
Did you notice I said to brush on the oil and not drizzle? That’s the trick. By brushing the oil you get an even layer. When you drizzle, you’ll notice spots with oil and some not and even if you rub it in it won’t be an even layer.
I don’t go through the hassle of salting before roasting (never have). But I imagine if you use older, bigger eggplants, they may need to go through the salting process. Again, I don’t bother because for me, it’s a hassle. I use fresh firm eggplants about 10 - 12 inches in size. Don't we agree that's a good size? Am I right?
After roasting, the eggplants will collapse a little and be beautifully and unevenly charred. The scored flesh will have spread open a bit and ready to soak in some of that delicious balsamic vinegar.
Use a good aged balsamic vinegar because you don’t want to pucker up with every bite. You want vinegar that’s good enough to sip. Sprinkle with the crumbled feta which may get in between the cracks which is perfect. If you want to garnish, sprinkle on a pinch of oregano.
Try roasted eggplant with balsamic and feta tonight. It's a delicious, light, healthy meal. Not to mention it's beautiful too.
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Roasted Eggplant with Balsamic and Feta
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Equipment Used
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant about 10 - 12 inches
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Pepper
- 1 ounce of feta crumbled, or as much as you like
- Good quality balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°. I remove the stem and green stalk. It makes for a great presentation but you don’t eat it so I just remove it beforehand. It’s up to you if you want to leave it on or remove it. Cut the eggplant in half lengthways.
- Make four or five angled cuts in the cut side of each eggplant half, being careful not to cut through the skin. Repeat at the opposite angle to get a diamond-shaped pattern.
- Place the eggplant halves cut-side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush each half evenly with olive oil. Using a brush allows the oil to be spread evenly making it easier for the eggplant to absorb the oil. If you drizzle, only parts of the eggplant will get oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper.
- Roast for 40 - 45 minutes. The flesh should be charred, soft, and separated.
- Drizzle some balsamic vinegar over the eggplant. Use as much as you like. Sprinkle with the feta.
- Sprinkle with a little salt, if desired.
- If you want to warm and soften the feta, simple place them back in the oven for a minute or two.
Nutritional Information
I don't post the nutritional value because I don't trust the accuracy of the nutritional apps. I’m not a nutritionist and don't want to post misinformation.
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