Eggplant and Chickpea Salad with Shrimp originally published as E as in Eggplant on Food and Fond Memories on April 6, 2011 by sandyaxelrod 6 Comments (Edit)
Eggplant and Chickpea Salad with Shrimp
Italian Eggplant, Poblano chile, Habanero chiles and Dragonfruit.
According to Wikipedia “The eggplant, aubergine, melongene, brinjal, or guinea squash (Solanum melongena) is a plant of the family Solanaceae (also known as the nightshades) and genus Solanum. It bears a fruit of the same name, commonly used in cooking. As a nightshade, it is closely related to the tomato and potato and is native to Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.” The fruit is botanically classified as a berry, and contains numerous small, soft seeds, which are edible, but are bitter because they contain nicotinoid alkaloids, unsurprising as it is a close relative of tobacco. This is why we frequently are directed in recipes to salt and drain the eggplant slices before using them, a process that removes that bitterness. In all honesty I rarely take that extra step because I usually grill my eggplant and love the way it tastes right off the grill cooked with just a mere brush of olive or canola oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. My all time favorite preparation is as a featured component in Grilled Eggplant and Chickpea Salad from Bobby Flay’s book “Grill It!”. You could make a meal of this dish just the way it is but I have also added grilled shrimp to the recipe and I have to say the shrimp just takes it over the top.
Print
Eggplant and Chickpea Salad with Shrimp
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
3 medium Japanese eggplants, halved lengthwise or 1 large Italian eggplant, sliced thick
1 large red bell pepper
1 large yellow pepper
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail left on and skewered
1/2 cup canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (15.5 ounce) can chickpeas, drained rinsed and drained again
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
1. Heat your grill to high.
2. Brush the eggplants, bell peppers and shrimp skewers with the canola oil on all sides and season with salt and pepper. Grill the eggplants for 3-4 minutes per side or until lightly golden brown and slightly charred. Grill the bell peppers until charred on all sides and soft, 8-10 minutes. Remove the eggplant from the grill and cut into bite sized cubes. Put the peppers into a zipper bag and let sit for at least 10 minutes. Peel, seed and thinly slice both peppers. Grill the shrimp for 1 1/2 – 2 minutes per side until opaque. Remove from the grill and let cool slightly. Remove from the skewers.
3. Combine the eggplant, red and yellow peppers, chickpeas, shrimp, garlic, onion, and olives in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, chile flakes, feta, mint and cilantro and stir to combine. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving or refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 2 days before serving.
Notes
Serve cold or at room temperature. This is a dish that actually gets better the longer it sits!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Salads
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Trackbacks/Pingbacks