Baked eggplant and pepper salad with sesame dressing

4 servings

30 minutes

Roasted eggplant and pepper salad with sesame dressing is a vibrant dish of Russian cuisine inspired by Mediterranean and Eastern motifs. Roasted eggplants acquire a tender, velvety texture, while sweet peppers add juiciness and a light caramel note. Red onion and cilantro provide sharpness and freshness to the dish, while soy sauce with sesame oil adds a rich nutty flavor. A light lemon hint makes the taste even more expressive. This salad is perfect as a standalone dish or as a side to meat and fish. It pairs wonderfully with rye bread or crispy toasts. The salad is good both warm and chilled, and its aroma unfolds with each hour of infusion. It is a simple yet exquisite appetizer filled with natural flavors and rich textures.

Energy value per serving

• Calories: 251.2
• Proteins: 3.2g
• Fats: 21.5g
• Carbohydrates: 11.4g

Ingredients

• Eggplants: 1 pc
• Fresh red pepper: 1 pc
• Tomatoes: 2 pc
• Sweet red onion: 1 head
• Garlic: 2 g
• Green onions: 4 stem
• Olive oil: 3 tbsp
• Dark sesame oil: 1 tbsp
• Salt: to taste
• Ground black pepper: to taste
• Black sesame seeds: 1 tbsp
• Coriander: 1 bunch
• Lemon: 0.5 pc

Cooking steps

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

2. Send the eggplants and peppers to the oven for 40 minutes, turning them to the other side after 20 minutes.

   Required ingredients:

   • Eggplants: 1 piece
   • Fresh red pepper: 1 piece

3. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Can be left overnight.

4. Remove the insides of the eggplant, peel the pepper and discard the skin and insides.

   Required ingredients:

   • Eggplants: 1 piece
   • Fresh red pepper: 1 piece

5. Chop the eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, and coarsely chop the red onion, then mix in a salad bowl.

   Required ingredients:

   • Eggplants: 1 piece
   • Fresh red pepper: 1 piece
   • Tomatoes: 2 pieces
   • Sweet red onion: 1 head

6. Finely chop the cilantro and green onion and add to the vegetables. Mix well.

   Required ingredients:

   • Coriander: 1 bunch
   • Green onions: 4 stems

7. Grate the zest of half a lemon, then squeeze out the juice (in that order, as grating zest from a squeezed lemon is quite a task).

   Required ingredients:

   • Lemon: 0.5 piece

8. Crush the garlic with the side of a knife and chop it finely.

   Required ingredients:

   • Garlic: 2 g

9. Mix finely chopped garlic, soy sauce, lemon juice and zest, olive and sesame oil in a glass jar. Close the lid and shake well for complete mixing.

   Required ingredients:

   • Garlic: 2 g
   • Olive oil: 3 tablespoons
   • Dark sesame oil: 1 tablespoon
   • Lemon: 0.5 piece

10. Pour this sauce over the vegetables, mix, taste, add salt and pepper, and mix again.

    Required ingredients:

    • Salt:  to taste
    • Ground black pepper:  to taste

11. Decorate the top with black sesame seeds.

    Required ingredients:

    • Black sesame seeds: 1 tablespoon