Roasted Eggplant Caprese Salad Recipe The Mediterranean Dish

Caprese salad is the quintessential summer dish. And the key to a perfect Caprese salad recipe is to use the best ingredients you find–large, firm tomatoes, milky fresh mozzarella cheese; and of course, fragrant basil leaves.

Typically, all I would add to this classic Italian salad is a generous sprinkle of coarse sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil. But today, I decided to embellish just a little on my simple Caprese salad recipe by adding roasted eggplant and a little basil vinaigrette. The roasted eggplant transformed my Caprese salad into a more filling appetizer or even a warm side dish. It isn’t that Caprese salad needs to be fancied up, but the velvety texture of roasted eggplant is a hearty and very pleasant addition.

I highly recommend serving this roasted eggplant Caprese salad warm, with the cheese nicely melted. The basil vinaigrette is optional, but I really like the extra herbal peppery taste. A loaf of quality crusty bread and some white wine is all you need to get this party started. Or, fill in with some savory Mediterranean sides, like Fatteh Spiced Chickpeas With Crispy Pita And Garlicky Yogurt.

Here is the roasted eggplant Caprese salad recipe; be sure to see the step-by-step tutorial with photos below:

Step-by-step tutorial for roasted eggplant caprese:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spread the eggplant slices on a large tray and sprinkle generously with salt. Leave for 30 minutes; the eggplant will “sweat out” it’s bitterness. When ready, pat the eggplant dry. Place the eggplant slices and the tomato slices on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Roast in the 425 F degree heated-oven for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven, but leave the oven for later. 5 from 4 reviews When the eggplant and tomatoes are cool enough to handle, bring a small baking dish (about 6″x 9″) and begin to assemble the Caprese salad. Arrange the eggplant, tomato, cheese and basil in the baking dish forming a tight row. Repeat the pattern until you fill the baking dish side-to-side.

If you like, place the baking dish in the oven to heat for 7-10 minutes, just until the cheese melts. (Note there will be extra oil in the dish from the melted cheese). While the Caprese salad warms up, make the basil vinaigrette. In a small food processor, blend the chopped garlic with the basil leaves, olive oil, lime juice and spices.

When ready, remove the roasted eggplant Caprese salad from the oven and spoon some of the basil vinaigrette on top. Place the extra basil vinaigrette in a bowl to serve next to the salad. Slice a loaf of quality crusty bread to serve along. Enjoy!