Grilled Eggplant & Zucchini Salad Recipe with Feta, Chickpeas & Mint
"What are you going to write for your post?" my husband asked last night. "I have no idea," I responded. But maybe that's okay, because yesterday was a day when I just soaked in the sights and sounds of my family. It was Mother's Day, so there was some pampering involved. A perfectly sweetened cup of tea, thoughtfully prepared lunch and dinner, homemade cards and hand-written poems, and moments of peace in the backyard while sipping on Prosecco.
Okay, so there was some bickering between my boys, too. After all, no one has the "Leave It To Beaver" existence. If they tell you they do...well, all I have to say is, "Liar, liar, pants on fire." But sometimes those moments of tension turn into instances of plain silliness. Kids really do say the darndest things, and they usually pop out when they're hopping mad at their siblings.
I spent a good deal of the day sitting in a chair in the backyard, watching my husband (Steve) and eldest son (M) play soccer while our youngest son (T) curled up in the chair beside me. And that was perfect. Those simple moments are the ones that memories are made of, and ones that I hope that M and T will remember when they're older. Just being together. Just being a family.
Now, on to the recipe. If you're looking for a Meatless Monday meal, this one will do the trick. The grilled eggplant and zucchini fill your vegetable quota while the chickpeas offer a dose of protein. Serve this with rice or quinoa for a complete meal. Alternatively, serve this as a side salad to grilled chicken or flank steak. A squeeze of lemon, along with the fresh mint and creamy feta cheese, keep things light and refreshing.
The recipe:
Preheat the grill to medium heat.
Cut the eggplant into ¾-inch slices. Cut the zucchini in half crosswise. Cut each half into ½-inch slices.
Lay the eggplant and zucchini slices on a baking sheet. Brush on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Grill until the vegetables are tender, but not overcooked, 4 to 5 minutes per side for the eggplant and 3 to 4 minutes per side for the zucchini.
Cut the eggplant and zucchini into bite-sized pieces. Place in a serving bowl.
Add the chickpeas, feta cheese and fresh mint to the eggplant and zucchini. Squeeze the lemon over the salad, and stir gently to combine.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Other eggplant recipes:
Cookin' Canuck's Grilled Zucchini & Eggplant Parmesan Recipe {Vegetarian}
Cookin' Canuck's Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad Recipe with Eggplant, Zucchini & Feta Cheese
Vikalinka's Eggplant & Mint Bruschetta
The Market Basket's Thai Red Curry with Prawns, Eggplant & Pineapple
Manu's Menu's Sausage & Smoked Scamorza Stuffed Eggplant
Printable Recipe
Grilled Eggplant & Zucchini Salad
Ingredients
- 1 1 ½ pound eggplant
- 2 large zucchini
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 14 ounce can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 5 large mint leaves thinly sliced
- juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to medium heat.
- Cut the eggplant into ¾-inch slices. Cut the zucchini in half crosswise. Cut each half into ½-inch slices.
- Lay the eggplant and zucchini slices on a baking sheet. Brush on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Grill until the vegetables are tender, but not overcooked, 4 to 5 minutes per side for the eggplant and 3 to 4 minutes per side for the zucchini.
- Cut the eggplant and zucchini into bite-sized pieces. Place in a serving bowl.
- Add the chickpeas, feta cheese and fresh mint to the eggplant and zucchini. Squeeze the lemon over the salad, and stir gently to combine.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Sammie
What a gorgeous salad combination. Firstly I'm so glad you had an good Mother's Day. Secondly thank you so much for sharing this recipe. Our season is a little later here in the U.K. and this will make a great, light, easy evening meal, perhaps with some rustic homemade bread to mop up the juices. Pinned ready to make. Love your blog by the way x.
Melissa
I know you posted this a long time ago, but this recipe is amazing. I added some roasted red peppers, since the grill was already going, and the flavor balance was perfect. Thanks!
Kim
I added all the ingredients....well, except for the chickpeas...and this was delish. So simple and a refreshing change-- as we have a lot of eggplant (which I love) and zucchini from our CSA. Oh, and mint from our garden.
thanks!
Dara
I'm so glad that you enjoyed it, Kim! It really is a great way to highlight the flavor of eggplant.
Alli C
I made this for dinner tonight (with some roast chicken) and added some sliced cherry tomatoes...delicious! What a great recipe. I stumbled on your blog (from the Huffington Post list of recipes) and I'm so glad I did!
Dara
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Alli! And I hope that you have the chance to try some of the other recipes here.
Traci
Made this twice this week - so simple and so amazing!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
I'm so glad to hear that, Traci! And that reminds me that I need to make this again...very soon.
Bini
I am so jealous of your view! Wow, I would never, ever leave my backyard. My husband would have to move the kitchen outside LOL! In any case, I am going to try this wonderful dish, eggplant (which so far I have not been able to acquire a taste for) and all. Thanks
Mira @ Mermaid Cafe
I just bought a bunch of eggplant, and this will be a great way to use it up! I love the combination of feta and mint as a twist to roasted eggplant (which I absolutely adore).
Nutmeg Nanny
Oh, I can't wait to get my hands on a grill! This recipe looks fabulous!
kelley
Sounds like a perfect Mothers Day! I hope to join you on that back porch of yours soon to share in a glass of bubbly! And maybe we could share this salad for dinner- it looks divine. Perfect and light for summer!
MyKitchenStove
Nice recipe. Bookmarked.
Mr. & Mrs. P
we have made something very similar but without the mint.. Thanks for the tip.. Need to try it next time.
Kalyn
Really love the sound of this. So glad you guys had a nice day.
Kevin @ Closet Cooking
What a great way to enjoy some grilled veggies! I really like the mint and feta combo!
Jen @ Savory Simple
This is my first year grilling and I immediately read your grill tips when starting. I will be breaking out this recipe next! Feta and mint is always such a great combination.