Chickpea and Eggplant Salad is Vegan and Gluten-Free

More and more people are adopting vegan diets and many of us cannot tolerate gluten. Whether you are a full-fledged vegan, simply want to introduce some vegan dishes into your weekly menu, or are gluten intolerant, you are going to love this Chickpea and Eggplant Salad. This salad uses many of the vegetables and herbs you might be growing in your garden including tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, onions and parsley.

This colourful Chickpea and Fried Eggplant Salad is perfect for summer backyard entertaining since it can be paired with grilled chicken or fish. It’s also a great addition to a barbecue to serve to those guests who are vegan since it contains protein, carbs and vegetables.

The star feature of this salad is the fried eggplant. I love the taste of fried eggplant; it’s a bit tastier than grilled eggplant. Frying eggplant not only softens this fruit (yes, eggplants are fruits, not vegetables!), it adds flavour since the eggplant absorbs the oil you are using. I have opted to fry the eggplant in avocado oil since this healthy oil has a higher smoke point than olive oil or other oils so it’s ideal for frying.

Let me know if you make this salad and how it turns out for you.

If you like to cook with avocado oil, check out our Stir-Fried Shrimp and Noodles with Avocado Oil Recipe.

Chickpea and Eggplant Salad

Chickpea and fried eggplant salad is a great vegan, gluten-free dish for summer barbecues.

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Prep Time 50 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 2 minutes mins

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• 1 eggplant
• 1 can chickpeas drained
• 3 Roma tomatoes diced
• 1 red onion diced
• 1/2 cucumber diced
• 1/2 cup parsley chopped
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp thyme
• oil for frying I used Avocado oil
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 lemon juice of
• Salt and Pepper

Instructions

 

• Slice eggplant in 1/4" slices and place on paper towel.
• Sprinkle each eggplant slice with salt and leave for 30 minutes. Pat eggplant slices dry.
• In a saucepan, heat Avocado oil on medium high and saute eggplant slices for 3-4 minutes or until brown on both sides. Remove eggplant from pan and place on paper towel.
• Add chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, parsley, oregano and thyme to a bowl and mix well.
• In a jar with lid, add Extra Virgin Olive Oil, juice of 1 lemon, minced garlic and salt and pepper and shake until well mixed.
• Add dressing to chickpea salad and mix well.
• Place chickpea salad and eggplant on a platter and serve.