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See 5 recipes Download free cookbookThai Vegetable and Smoky Eggplant Salad
Smoky Eggplant Salad
A bright Thai-style vegetable salad with broiled smoky eggplant, ripe tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, herbs, peanuts, and a lime-chile dressing.
Prep Time:25 minCook Time:20 minTotal Time:45 minServings:4Difficulty:Medium
This Thai-style vegetable and smoky eggplant salad turns soft broiled eggplant into the center of a fresh, punchy plate. The eggplant is cooked until the skin blackens and the flesh collapses, then torn into silky strips that soak up lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, and chile.
Ripe tomatoes, cucumber, shallot, herbs, and avocado keep the salad cool and juicy against the warm, smoky eggplant. Roasted peanuts add the needed crunch, while a little brown sugar rounds out the salty-sour dressing without making it sweet.
Serve it as a light lunch, a first course, or a vegetable-heavy side with jasmine rice, grilled fish, or tofu. The salad is best assembled just before eating so the avocado stays clean-edged and the herbs remain bright.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories:260 kcal
Protein:6 g
Carbs:22 g
Fat:19 g
Directions
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1
Heat the broiler with a rack 6 inches from the element. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly oil it.
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2
Prick the eggplants all over with a fork, rub them with the neutral oil, and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
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3
Broil the eggplants for 16 to 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes, until the skins are deeply blistered and the flesh feels completely soft.
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4
Transfer the eggplants to a bowl, cover for 5 minutes, then peel away most of the charred skin. Tear the smoky flesh into long strips and season lightly with salt.
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5
Whisk the lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and Thai chile in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves.
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6
Add the warm eggplant strips to the dressing and toss gently so they absorb the sauce.
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7
Fold in the tomatoes, cucumber, shallot, mint, and cilantro, keeping the vegetables loosely mixed rather than mashed.
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8
Arrange the salad on a platter, tuck in the avocado slices, and spoon any dressing from the bowl over the top.
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9
Finish with chopped peanuts and serve right away, with extra lime wedges if desired.
Ingredients
- medium Globe Eggplants:2
- neutral Oil:1 tbsp
- fresh Lime Juice:3 tbsp
- Fish Sauce:2 tbsp
- Brown Sugar:2 tsp
- Garlic clove, finely grated:1
- Thai Chile, thinly sliced:1
- Cherry Tomatoes, halved:1 1/2 cups
- English Cucumber, thinly sliced:1 cup
- small Shallot, thinly sliced:1
- ripe Avocado, sliced:1
- fresh Mint leaves:1/2 cup
- fresh Cilantro leaves:1/2 cup
- roasted Salted Peanuts, chopped:1/3 cup
- Kosher Salt:to taste
Tips & Notes
- For a vegetarian version, replace the fish sauce with soy sauce or tamari plus a small pinch of salt.
- If using a gas stove, the eggplants can be charred directly over a flame, turning often until collapsed, then peeled as directed.
- Add the avocado last so it keeps its shape and does not cloud the dressing.
