This eggplant relish is one of the many unique dishes my Mom used to make for us. She was a really eclectic cook (and eater) as she refined, over time, what became a style of super fresh, colorful, simple and satisfying meals. When my sister and I visited her in her later years, we used to kid about eating at the "spa" because the meals were so healthy.
Hopefully, this eggplant relish will serve as a way to learn to love eggplant. It was for me. With it's vibrant purple exterior, organ-like shape, spongy interior, and need for special treatment, eggplant doesn't normally rate as a weekly buy for many, but when you learn how to coax out its mildly sweet and earthy flavors, I hope you'll learn to love it as I have. Then, when you take it a step further and mix it with a variety of fresh, crunchy veggies and a tangy vinaigrette, you'll see why it rates a spot on the shopping list.
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Ingredients
Salads present a perfect opportunity to gather a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables together in different combinations until you find your favorites. And, the time and effort required is significantly less than when you have to cook something. Let's dive in.
Vegetable Ingredients for Eggplant Relish
- Eggplants: I recommend using globe eggplants (as shown above) in this recipe because they are bigger than other varieties. It will streamline the prep. While eggplants are somewhat low in macronutrients and micronutrients, their texture absorbs the flavors of the other ingredients which enhances the flavor of the dish. Note: The eggplant has a spongy texture and tendency to absorb other ingredients and flavors, so you only need a little bit of oil and seasonings. Let it rest, then taste and adjust until you achieve the balance you prefer.
- Sweet peppers: Bell peppers add a brilliant palette of color to the dish and each color adds a subtly different level of sweetness. I use all the colors I can find here and prefer the combination of flavors, but obviously make it your own.
- Garlic: Garlic partners with the oil, vinegar and seasonings to add punch to the sweet, acidic, tang and umami of the dish.
- Red onion: Red onion is one of my favorite ingredients raw or cooked. It's at once bitter, sweet and crunchy - but only when fresh!
- Tomatoes: I used basic beefsteak tomatoes in this recipe, but you could make it with another sweet variety. Celebrity, Cherokee Purple, and Brandywine are all great eaten raw. I would avoid Marzanos which are better cooked into a sauce or soup.
Flavoring Ingredients
- Olive Oil: This is a dish without strong seasonings so you'll want to use the best of each ingredient. Use the best extra virgin first cold pressed olive oil you can find.
- Vinegar: I used a good quality red wine vinegar here and recommend it.
- Salt and pepper: I've been using the Real Salt from Redmond because the flavor is fresh and doesn't have a chemical finish. I buy fresh tellicherry peppercorns and grind them freshly for each recipe.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Eggplant Relish
- Poke tiny holes in the eggplant, then set it on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet and bake at 400° F for 45-50 minutes. When cool, remove
the skin and chop.
- Dip the tomatoes in boiling water for one minute.
- After dipping the tomatoes in boiling water, hold them under cold water to loosen the skin. Remove the skin and cut out the core.
- Chop all vegetables into a uniform dice and place in a bowl large enough to mix with the dressing.
These steps take a bit of practice and a few extra minutes. But, after that, the eggplant relish comes together quickly. Add the very best extra virgin first cold press olive oil you can find, then the vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Salad is served!
Hint: In salads and all dishes served raw, the most important step you can take is to buy and use the freshest and best quality vegetables you can find. You'll also want to source the oils and vinegars you use because when you're not using spices and cooking processes to flavor the dish, every ingredient shines through - for better or worse.
Variations
Every salad is a foundation for variation depending on which vegetables you have on hand, which ones you like to eat, and the time of year, among other things.
- Make it spicy: add chili pepper flakes or seeded and chopped jalapeno pepper.
- Add crunch: add chopped radishes to increase the crunch factor.
- Experiment with different vinegars: - try a sherry vinegar or even white balsamic and see what you think! Vinegars have distinctive flavor profiles that can really influence a relatively unseasoned dish like this one.
Equipment
- Half sheet pan: You'll need a baking sheet to bake your eggplants. I use the sheet pans from USA Bakeware. They are are high quality and easy to maintain. Sheet pans are a workhorse in the kitchen so all you need to do is buy a good set and you're all set.
- Sauce pan: To remove the skins from your tomatoes, dunk them into boiling water. Boil water in a sauce pan, then dunk each tomato into the boiling water with a spoon. I use this 3-quart sauce pan from All Clad. You could also consider a saucier, which is like a sauce pan, but has rounded sides to make it easier to cook in and easier to clean.
- Serrated Knife: Tomatoes, eggplants and peppers all have an exterior "skin." You'll need a sharp knife that will keep the vegetables in tact after puncturing through the skin. Use a serrated knife - either a designated "tomato" knife or a "bread" knife, which is longer and is better to use with larger produce.
- Cutting board: You'll want a good cutting board to cut all the veggies for this recipe. Farberware makes a plastic one with a juice groove that's easy on your wallet. A wooden cutting board is another option and one that can help to preserve your knives better than plastic. Purchase one made from hardwoods like walnut or cherry because they are dense, durable and resistant to knife cuts. Wooden boards do require consistent maintenance, but will last a long time if maintained well. Follow the instructions provided by the craftsmen who make the board you choose. This is an economical but good quality one from SonderLA.
How to Store this Eggplant Relish
Store this salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Once you make it though, you'll find that it makes a great salad, a versatile side dish, a tangy sandwich condiment, or even a condiment for a main dish so even if you just make it for yourself, it won't last longer than 2-3 days anyway.
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Eat All the Colors Eggplant Relish
Ingredients
- 2 eggplants
- ½ yellow bell pepper
- ½ orange bell pepper
- 1 green pepper
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ red onion
- 2 large beefsteak, brandywine or Cherokee black tomatoes
- ½-3/4 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1-2 teaspoon salt (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°
- Wash and then poke tiny holes in the eggplants.
- Place them on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet and roast in the oven for 45-50 minutes. (Test them halfway through and turn them over).
- Remove from the oven and let them cool.
- Wash the peppers and chop into small uniform dice. Chop the onion and garlic as well.
- Prepare the tomatoes for removing their skin by cutting a small "X" on the bottom of each tomato. Dip the tomatoes in boiling water for one minute, then hold under cold water for several seconds.
- Peel the skins from the tomatoes and remove the core of each tomato. Then chop.
- Remove the skin from the eggplant and chop it too.
- Combine vegetables into a glass or ceramic bowl.
- Add less than a tablespoon of extra virgin first cold-pressed olive oil, the vinegar, the salt and the pepper. Then taste and adjust as needed.
- Serve immediately.
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