Oat Crusted Eggplant Salad

Today we're preparing an oat-breaded eggplant salad. The oats bake up crisp, giving the eggplant slices a delicious, substantial 'texturing.' We'll be layering the eggplant slices with feta, and a fresh mint and basil vinaigrette prepared with lemon, roasted garlic, and jalapeno.

With the introduction out of the way, let's make some eggplant.

Serving Suggestions

• As a Side to an Entrée. Today's eggplant goes great alongside things like souvlaki, breaded chicken, marinated steak, or pork chops. It pairs particularly well with Mediterranean-themed flavors.
• Hot or Cold. While today's eggplant is great fresh from the oven, it serves particularly well as a 'salad,' either chilled from the fridge or at room temperature.
• As a Light Lunch. Paired with a fresh, leafy green salad, today's eggplant serves up great as a light lunch.

Ingredient Notes, Tips, and Substitutions

• Oats vs Breadcrumbs. Though you could definitely substitute in breadcrumbs, we're using oats to give the eggplant slices some extra bite and body, which I think pairs deliciously with the rest of the ingredient list. They also absorb the vinaigrette beautifully, which is a nice plus.
• Selecting Quality Eggplant - Super Easy. First things first, we 'Test with the Eyes.' In terms of visuals, you want an eggplant with the shiniest skin possible. You also want the skin to be dark - but 'not' night black, and you want the skin to be of uniform of color. Next, we 'Test with the Hands.' You want an eggplant that is perfectly smooth to the touch. You want the eggplant to be 'moderately' firm, but 'not' hard. The eggplant should feel like it's ready to 'give way' in your hand, but it should resist doing so. In short, avoid eggplants that are wrinkled, blotchy, overly soft, overly firm, that are unsmooth, and that aren't shiny.
• Fresh Basil vs Dried - and possible substitutions. As with most herbs, fresh basil and its dried counterpart are 'usually' but not always safe substitutions for one another. I'm using fresh basil today to achieve a 'bright licorice' or 'anise-like' flavor - but both of these flavors are entirely absent in dried basil, where a slightly 'mintier' flavor dominates. Furthermore, fresh basil has powerful aromatics that are reminiscent of a bright summer garden in full bloom, whereas dried basil boasts an earthier, vaguely 'darker' herbal aromatic profile.
  • Substitutions: Fresh oregano. However, this is not an exact substitution, as oregano has a flavor that's markedly less 'bright,' as well as somewhat more 'herbal,' whereas basil is simply 'fresher' on the palate.
• Fresh Mint vs Dried - and possible substitutions. Often called 'the friendliest and most forgiving herb,' fresh mint definitely has that reputation for a reason. Mint is easy to grow, and it's even easier to incorporate into your cooking, while still leaving plenty of room for 'getting fancy.' From complex reductions for use on roasted lambs, to simply stirring a few chopped leaves into yogurt or ice cream, mint is a joy for home cooks and expert chefs alike. With that said, we don't want to go 'too heavy' on the mint in today's dressing, otherwise it will be the only thing you taste.
  • Substitution: Dried mint or marjoram. Dried mint has a lot of the same qualities that its fresh counterpart has - albeit with the usual 'earthy' or 'dark herbal' notes that pervade almost all dry herbs. For today's recipe, about one to one and half teaspoons will suffice, just make sure its thoroughly stirred into the sauce. Fresh marjoram is also a nice substitute for fresh mint, but I would use about three-quarters of the amount of marjoram as mint in this case.

More Salads and Sides from Living the Gourmet

1. Moroccan Tomato Salad - A surprise hit with my family, this Moroccan tomato salad is so simple, and yet so delicious, that it instantly won a place in my heart.
2. Crisp Cucumber Salad - Crisp, refreshing, and taking just minutes to prepare while featuring a medley of Mediterranean flavors, this salad is perfect for adding a touch of 'simple elegance' to any meal.
3. Layered Eggplant Salad - Breaded eggplant, combined with fresh basil, fresh tomatoes, and grated romaine, combine to create a delicious take on baked eggplant that's sure to be a hit with your friends and family.
4. Breadsticks - Paired with some olive oil for dipping, or even some herbed butter or black coffee, these are super versatile and keep great. As a nice bonus, they never fail to impress the guests.

Oat Crusted Eggplant Salad

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5 from 11 reviews

• Author: Living the Gourmet
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
• Category: Salad

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 medium-sized eggplants, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch thickness
• 3 cups of oats, pulsed in food processor
• 1 1/2 cups of flour
• 5 eggs, for egg wash
• Olive oil for drizzle
• Parchment paper to line baking sheets
• 8 oz. of fresh feta cheese, crumbled
• Fresh Parmesan or Romano cheese for grating

Dressing:

• Juice of 1 fresh lemon
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 grilled jalapeno, chopped with or without the seeds
• 1 head of garlic
• 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro, stems removed and chopped
• 3 fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 4 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Instructions

For the dressing:

• In a medium-sized bowl, mix the roasted garlic, chopped jalapeno, lemon juice, chopped cilantro, basil, and mint, salt, pepper, olive oil, and stir. Set aside.
  
• You may want to double this dressing for more to drizzle on the eggplant when it is served.
  

For the eggplant:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Set up a station of three shallow dishes to prepare the eggplant: One for the flour, one with the egg wash, and one with the processed oats.
• Dredge the eggplant slices first in the flour, then in the egg wash, and then in the oats.
• Place the eggplant slices on the prepared baking sheets and drizzle with olive oil.
• Bake for about 15 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for an extra 10 minutes until golden.
  

To serve:

• Drizzle olive oil at the bottom of your desired serving bowl.
• Layer the eggplant slices at the bottom of the bowl and crumble the feta over the slices, followed by grated cheese, and finally spoon a bit of the dressing on each slice.
• Repeat this process until the eggplant is used up.
• Cover with tin foil and refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!

And that's our Oat Crusted Eggplant Salad. If you enjoyed today's recipe, or have any questions or suggestions, be sure to let us know in the comments below. We always love hearing from you.

Happy Cooking!