Quinoa Salad with Eggplant and Sesame
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
- 2 small Japanese eggplants or one small globe (Italian) eggplant
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup diced cucumber
- 1/2 cup diced red, yellow, or orange bell pepper
- Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated garlic (or finely minced)
- 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1/4 cup toasted, slivered almonds
- Toasted sesame seeds (use white ones with red quinoa or black ones with white quinoa for a pretty color contrast)
- Optional garnish: thinly sliced mango
Instructions
- Stem the eggplants and cut lengthwise. Brush cut surfaces with sesame oil and sprinkle with the salt. Broil for about 4 minutes, cut side up, just until beginning to brown. Turn and broil an additional 5 minutes. They should be very soft and roasted. Let cool.
- Toss quinoa with other vegetables.
- Cut eggplant into cubes (remove the peel first for a more delicate salad).
- Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over quinoa. Gently toss to mix. Add in eggplant last carefully so it doesn’t break up too much.
- Garnish with almonds and sesame seeds right before serving to retain their crunch.
- Top with mango if using.
Find it online: https://hilahcooking.com/quinoa-salad-with-eggplant-and-sesame/