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Za'atar Roasted Eggplant Lentil Salad with Sundried Tomatoes

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4.8 from 16 reviews

Za'atar Roasted Eggplant Lentil Salad with Sundried Tomatoes

Recipe by Veronika Sykorova

Delicious tamari roasted eggplant lentil salad with sundried tomatoes, capers, and spicy wild arugula. Dressed with a simple za'atar, olive oil, and red wine vinegar dressing.

  • Total Time1 hour
  • Yield2-4 1x
  • DietVegan

Ingredients

Units Scale

Roasted Eggplant:

  • 2-3 eggplants, diced (make about 6-7 cups diced)
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil
  • 3 tbsp tamari
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp Za’atar
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cup cups dry brown or green lentils (soak for 30 mins - 2 hours prior to cooking to reduce cooking time)
  • 1 bay leaf and a piece of kombu (optional, see notes)
  • 4-5 cups wild arugula (or any other greens of choice)
  • 1 cup sundried tomatoes in oil, chopped
  • 1/2 cup capers

Dressing:

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp tamari
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 2 Tsp maple syrup
  • 1/4 Tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 Tsp Za’atar

Instructions

  1. Start by preheating the oven to 425F.
  2. Dice your eggplants and spread them on a baking dish.
  3. In a small bowl, mix together the avocado oil, tamari, toasted sesame oil, za’atar, and freshly ground pepper to taste. Stir to combine and pour the mixture over the eggplant. Toss to cover evenly and roast for about 45-50 minutes or until soft. Toss 2-3 times throughout roasting. I also added about ¼ cup of water at the 30-minute mark to steam the eggplant a little, and to avoid it burning.
  4. While that’s roasting, cook the lentils. Rinse the lentils and add them to a pot with cold water, bay leaf, and kombu (if using) and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook until soft. Brown lentils cook 20-25 minutes, green lentils 18-20 minutes (shorter if soaked). Drain and set aside.
  5. To make the dressing, combine the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, tamari, toasted sesame oil, maple syrup, crushed red pepper flakes, za’atar spice, and stir well to combine.
  6. When ready, combine everything but the dressing in a big bowl and toss to combine or divide between plates. Drizzle with the dressing right before serving.

Notes

You can also make this recipe easier by using canned lentils. 2 cans, drained and rinsed, get you the same amount as 1 1/2 cup dry lentils.

I like adding a bay leaf to lentils for extra flavor and kombu to help break down phytic acid in lentils making them easier to digest.

You can store this salad in the fridge for a few days. I recommend leaving out the greens and adding them when ready to eat. This salad is also great served with plain rice noodles.

The dressing makes more than you need, I always find it better to have more dressing than less. Save the leftovers for another salad!

The nutritional info is without the dressing. Add however much you like!

  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 50 mins
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Roasting
  • Cuisine: Middle-Eastern

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Find it online: https://thehealthfulideas.com/zaatar-roasted-eggplant-lentil-salad/