Eggplant Salad or Salata de Vinete is a very popular appetizer in many parts of Romania. It’s a great vegetarian option and very easy to make. You can serve it over sliced bread, baked snack bread or crackers. Traditionally the eggplants are grilled until skin is charred and then, they are finely chopped with a wooden knife since if a metal knife is used the eggplant flesh will turn black. I usually use the food processor (with metal blades 
) since it’s faster.
Time: 60 min, Prep: 15 min. Cook: 45 min.
Servings: 6-8
Ingredients:
- 4 medium-sized eggplants (~ 1.5 kg)
- 1 small onion
- 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
- salt
- tomatoes & black olives & peppers, for garnish (optional)
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Pierce eggplants with a fork and broil them in the oven for about 45 minutes. Turn the eggplants occasionally during broiling. Eggplants need to be very soft and the skin blistered. Alternatively, you can roast the eggplants on the grill until they are soft and skin is charred.
Remove the skin from the eggplants and remove any bitter juices (this is key to the success of the recipe). You can do this by cutting the eggplants lengthwise in quarters and placing them on some paper towels in an elevated platter. Trim off the top stems and finely chop the eggplants or puree them in a food processor.
Combine finely chopped onion, eggplants and mayonnaise. Add salt to taste.
Garnish creatively with tomatoes, olives and peppers.
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