Spanish Grilled Eggplant With Tomato Vinaigrette Recipe

By
Lisa & Tony Sierra
Lisa & Tony Sierra
Lisa and Tony Sierra are freelance writers and Spanish food experts who lead culinary tours of the country.
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Updated on 07/25/19
Eggplant with tomato vinaigrette recipe
Sheri L. Giblin/Photodisc/Getty Images
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
261 Calories
19g Fat
22g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 261
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g 24%
Saturated Fat 3g 13%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 45mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 22g 8%
Dietary Fiber 8g 29%
Protein 5g
Calcium 179mg 14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Eggplants are a very common vegetable in the Mediterranean, particularly in Spain. This eggplant dish is great to serve as a tapa or a side dish, especially in spring and summer. It is the perfect make-ahead dish, which you can refrigerate and take out a few minutes before serving. With two eggplants in the recipe, it serves six as a side dish or twelve as tapas.

Ingredients

  • 2  eggplants (medium-size or 1 large)
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup  extra-virgin Spanish olive oil
  • 3 Roma tomatoes
  • 3 tablespoons Spanish sherry vinegar
  • Optional: 2 green onions (finely chopped)
  • 2 teaspoon capers (minced)
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1/4 cup  fresh basil leaves (chopped)
  • Garnish: 2 basil sprigs
  • 1 French-style baguette

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Trim off any stems or blemishes on the skin of the eggplants. Cut eggplants crosswise into slices about 3/8-inch thick.

  3. Turn on broiler to heat. Place slices on a baking sheet and spray with oil, using a “ mister” if you have one. If not, lightly brush each slice with olive oil.

  4. Place baking sheets under the broiler on the second shelf from the top, so that they are not too close, or they will burn.

  5. When one side is slightly browned and soft when you press lightly, turn slices over, apply olive oil and return to broiler. Depending on your broiler, the distance from the pan, it may take 20 to 25 minutes to cook. (You may find that slices that are directly under the broiler cook much faster than those at the far corners of the pan. Keep a close eye on the pans and rotate the slices on the cookie sheet.)

  6. Remove slices individually as they are done cooking and place on a large platter or serving plate. Don’t be afraid to overlap slices on the serving plate. It works just fine for serving and will be more appetizing.

  7. While the eggplant is broiling, finely chop the tomatoes and place them into a medium size mixing bowl. Finely chop the green onions and put the garlic cloves through a press or mince them by hand and place in the bowl with tomatoes.

  8. Remove the capers from the jar with a slotted spoon, so that they drain.

  9. Chop the capers and mix into the bowl with other ingredients. Make sure that stems are removed from the basil leaves, then chop the basil and place in a bowl.

  10. Pour olive oil and vinegar into the bowl and mix with the other ingredients.

  11. Allow the eggplant to cool a few minutes. Then, spoon the tomato vinaigrette sauce over the eggplant.

  12. Serve immediately with sliced bread or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Glass Bakeware Warnin

Do not use glass bakeware when broiling or when a recipe calls to add liquid to a hot pan, as glass may explode. Even if it states oven-safe or heat resistant, tempered glass products can, and do, break occasionally.



Tip

  • If you refrigerate this dish, be sure to take it out of the fridge a few minutes before serving, so that it warms up. You will not taste the rich flavors of this dish if it is served ice cold.