This salad is full of beautiful textures and mellow smokey flavors. It is a perfect starter to a meal or lends itself to be a meal all on its own. If you are looking for protein, add a fresh piece of salmon or grilled chicken. 

 

Yield 4 servings

 

2 small eggplants

2½ Tbsp lemon juice 

1 clove of garlic, minced

¼ cup greek yogurt

2 tsp dijon mustard

¼ cup olive oil 

 

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 oz. almonds, roughly chopped

1½ oz. pumpkin seeds

¼ tsp dried chili flakes

 

1 small head of iceberg lettuce, sliced in thin wedges

Olive oil to drizzle on top of lettuce

12 radishes, thinly sliced

2 small avocados, thinly sliced

¼ cup finely sliced chives

Salt and pepper

 

Preheat oven to 375℉

 

Place the eggplants on a baking dish and pierce them a few times with a sharp knife. Bake until charred on the outside and soft inside. Approximately 35-45 minutes. 

Once cool enough to handle, scoop out the insides and discard the skin and stems. Pour 1 cup of the eggplant pulp into a food processor with lemon juice, garlic, yogurt, mustard, and olive oil. Blend to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. It should be a thick dressing, but you can thin it out with a bit of water or more oil. Save any of the extra pulp for another use.  

 

For the crisp topping, add the olive oil into a small skillet on medium-high heat. Add the almonds and pumpkin seeds and stir until they begin to brown. Once they are lightly brown, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chili flakes. Pour the mixture onto a plate to cool.

 

To assemble the salad, place the lettuce wedges on a large platter or four individual plates. Lightly drizzle olive oil over the lettuce and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the dressing over the lettuce. Next, add the radishes and avocado slices. Top with the chives, the crisp topping, and another slight drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately. 

 

Just Salt It, and enjoy!