One more autumnal recipe before the sun-kissed produce disappears for another year. Here I’ve stuck with Middle Eastern inspired flavours that are always guaranteed to work together, thick slabs of creamy za’atar roasted eggplant (aka aubergine for you Aussies reading), sweet roasted cherry tomatoes, earthy lentils and salty halloumi all brought together with a lemon and olive oil dressing. Simple, banging with flavour and pretty to boot.
Za’atar-Roasted Eggplant Salad with Lentils, Halloumi + Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
You can find Za’atar -a fragrant Middle Eastern spice mix- at specialty food stores, or for a simple homemade version combine equal amounts of dried thyme, sumac and lightly toasted sesame seeds. It’s lovely over any roasted vegetable, or sprinkled over salads or eggs.
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants (aubergine)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons za'atar
- 250 grams cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/2 cup puy or black lentils
- 200 grams halloumi sliced thickly
- 1/2 small red onion sliced thinly
- 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley roughly chopped
dressing
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup or honey
- 1-2 teaspoons red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C. Line two oven trays with baking paper or grease well with olive oil. Sliced eggplants into 1.5cm rounds, then cut each into halves or quarters depending on their size. Transfer to oven trays, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and scatter over za’atar. Using your hands, mix well to evenly coat eggplant in the spices. Spread slices out in a single layer and roast 15-20 minutes or until golden underneath, swapping trays around after 10minutes to ensure even cooking. Flip each piece over and cook for a further 10minutes or until golden on both sides and tender right through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool to room temperature. As soon as you’ve got the eggplant in the oven, place halved cherry tomatoes onto another tray, drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper and roast 30-35 minutes or until charred and the juices have concentrated. Remove from the oven and set aside with the eggplant.
- Meanwhile rinse lentils and drain, cover with plenty of cold water, bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes or until just tender. Drain and set aside to cool.
- Pan-fry halloumi slices in a hot frying pan with a little olive oil until golden on both sides. Remove from the heat and cut each piece in half. Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl or jar, adding just enough vinegar to give it a nice edge. Season with salt and pepper.
- Combine za’atar eggplant, roasted tomatoes, lentils, halloumi and red onion in a large bowl, drizzle over dressing and scatter with chopped parsley. Best served slightly warm or at room temperature.
Notes
This recipe was first created for and featured in Nourish Magazine NZ.
