I’m a pretty big fan of warm salads. I don’t really make them very often in my own kitchen, but if I see a warm salad on the menu at a restaurant, I usually order it. The salad I’m sharing with you today is an old favorite of mine, but I kind of forgot about it and haven’t made it in a long time. This past weekend my husband and I went to the farmers’ market near our home to buy our veggies. And to my surprise, we found one of my favorite vegetables – eggplant! Normal size! Now, the eggplants we typically find at our local supermarket are gigantic and almost impossible to slice nicely without ending up with huge pieces on your plate. So, when I see small… or rather, normal-sized eggplants, I always buy them and cook with them for next few days. I like to grill them and then serve cold with chunks of tomato and garlic, use it as topping on pizza, or simply make a vegetable stew. This warm salad is another great recipe for the eggplant lovers. And, together with feta and toasted pine nuts it can’t be beat! Enjoy!

What you will need:

1 large or 2 small eggplants

100 grams arugula (rocket) and spinach leaves

4-5 tsp (20-25 ml) lemon juice

1 tbsp honey

3 1/2 tbsp (50 ml) vegetable oil

2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/3 tsp salt

1/2 tbsp Italian herbs

1/4 cup pine nuts

Method:

1. Slice the eggplant into a round circles about 1/4 inch thick and soak them in salted water for about 20-30 minutes. Rinse the eggplant pieces thoroughly to remove the salt. Pour the vegetable oil into a skillet and fry the eggplant on both sides on medium heat until golden brown. Transfer the eggplant to a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Cover to keep warm.

2. In a dry skillet, roast the pine nuts until toasted and lightly brown. Cut feta into a small cubes.

3. To make the dressing, combine lemon juice, honey, olive oil, pepper, salt and herbs and whisk well.

4. To serve, place salad leaves and eggplant onto individual plates and gently mix. Sprinkle with feta cheese and pine nuts, then drizzle with dressing.