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Tender and savoury roasted aubergine pieces with a creamy tahini sauce and fragrant mint. Perfect as a light lunch or side dish!
For another great use of aubergine or eggplant, try this Vegetarian Lentil Moussaka!
It’s a shame that more people don’t love aubergine (or eggplant). I grew up eating the vegetable and have always had it near the top of my list of favourites.
I’m convinced that the only reason why so many aren’t fans is because they are not sure how to cook it properly. A lot of people who haven’t learned the trick end up with something rubbery and unpleasant and assume that it’s just not for them.
But when done right, aubergine can be remarkably tender with perfect sweetness and smoke. There are so many ways to turn aubergine into a delicious vegetarian meal or side dish. This is one of my favourites!
Roasted Aubergine
There are countless ways to cook aubergine, but my favourite is to roast it. Not only is it the easiest method, it is also very reliable and provides consistent results.
It might be a surprise to hear that the best aubergine is made with very little ingredients. For this recipe I’ve only used a brushing of olive oil and salt.
That’s it! Olive oil brings so much flavour to the aubergine on its own that not much more is needed. Because it is so simple, there are a thousand uses for roasted aubergine. Add it to pizza and salad or enjoy all on its own!
When cutting up the aubergine, make sure that the pieces are as close to the same size as you can manage. This ensures that they cook evenly and at the same speed.
Garlic Tahini Sauce
This is an affiliate link.Tahini sauce is a great addition to vegetarian dishes. It adds an irresistible creaminess to anything it touches, and manages to enhance other flavours rather than overwhelm.
Garlic is a traditional addition to tahini sauce, along with lemon juice. The simple ingredients meld together to make a sauce that is nutty and garlicky with a delicate tang.
When brought together with the tahini paste, they turn into a beautiful sauce that is easy to pour. It is a great addition to vegetables such as roasted carrots and wonderful when used as a salad dressing.
Serving suggestions
I’m always tempted to eat a pile of this eggplant as a meal all to itself, but it really belongs as an especially flavourful side dish.
It’s especially good with a roast meat like chicken or lamb. But it also works incredibly well with everything from a Greek chicken burger to a savoury pie to musakhan!
Storage and leftovers
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days. It’s best if you can store them with the eggplant and garlic tahini dressing kept separate.
They will be perfectly enjoyable cold, or return them to a preheated oven for 5-7 minutes or until they are warm all the way through.
More eggplant/aubergine recipes
Roasted Aubergine with Garlic Tahini Sauce
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220C/450F. Wash and cut the aubergines in half lengthwise, then into 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick slices.
- Arrange on parchment lined baking sheet and brush with the olive oil on both sides, then season with salt. Roast in the oven for 35 minutes, flipping the pieces over halfway through the roasting.
- In a small bowl combine the tahini paste with the lemon juice, the mixture will turn thick as soon as the lemon juice is added, then add the grated garlic clove. To make it the mixture into a pourable sauce, thin it out with water by adding it 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency, then season with salt to taste.
- Drizzle the sauce over the hot roasted aubergine, then sprinkle with sumac and fresh mint or parsley.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
