Light, healthy and ridiculously simple to make, this Roasted Eggplant makes the perfect side dish that accompanies just about any main dish. Make this once and you will want to make it over and over again.
Eggplant is one of those vegetables that you have to cook properly or it can taste really gross (in my opinion). This dish is simple and can be prepared even on busy weekday nights.
This is by far my favorite way to eat eggplant. I may or may have not eaten almost an entire eggplant this way in one sitting.
If you are looking for other easy side dishes, you will love these Maple Cinnamon Sweet Potato Fries, Butternut Squash Fries with Avocado Dipping Sauce and this Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping!
These would be extra delicious with some Apple Chai Latte, Eggnog Latte, Low Carb Bulletproof Hot Chocolate or even some Spiked Apple Cider!
Also, my cookbooks are both on sale now and would make a great gift! The Everything Wheat Free Diet Cookbook and The Greek Yogurt Cookbook are both the lowest prices I have seen!
Why You Should Make This Roasted Eggplant
Side dishes don't get much easier than this. I love that something this delicious can also be healthy too.
You can easily add whatever seasonings you like to this side dish, it is completely customizable and easy to make your own. I personally think rosemary is an absolute must, but that's just my opinion.
This roasted eggplant is perfect for meal prep days. I like to make a double batch of this on a Sunday and have it for lunch or dinner for the week.
This goes perfectly with scrambled eggs, in salads, along side grilled chicken. You name it, this eggplant will be delicious with it.
Recipe Tips
Garlic is an absolute must have in this recipe. It offsets any remaining bitterness that the eggplant has it complements it perfectly.
But then again, I am a true garlic lover and add it to just about everything.
If you saw just how much garlic powder my kids put on their pizza, you would be absolutely amazed. I think they all got the love of garlic gene from both me and my husband.
I think the most important part of properly cooking eggplant to get the best texture and cut down on the bitter taste is to let it "sweat". Basically what that means is you sprinkle salt on both sides of the eggplant and let it sit for 30 minutes in a colander which will draw out any moisture.
This also means that by removing any unnecessary moisture you will need less oil to cook.
For me it is a total game changer on how I make eggplant. Every single time.
And its easy enough to do, my only problem has been remembering to actually do it.
Allowing your eggplant to sweat is crucial for the this dish because it removes some of the moisture which really improves the texture (otherwise it gets spongy.) I didn't add Parmesan to my eggplant, but I have a feeling some of you might like that.
Related Recipes
Balsamic Roasted Vegetables from Lauren Kelly Nutrition
Easy Oven Roasted Potatoes from Spend with Pennies
Balsamic Glazed Green Beans with Cranberries and Almonds from Lauren Kelly Nutrition
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Amazing Roasted Eggplant
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant
- salt to let eggplant sweat
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1-2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice eggplant in half lengthwise, then cut into quarters and chop eggplant into cubes.
- Place eggplant in colander and sprinkle with salt. Let sit to let eggplant sweat for half hour. Rinse them in colander and place in between two paper towels to pat dry.
- Place the eggplant in a large resealable bag and pour the oil, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary in the bag. Shake it up to evenly coat.
- Lay eggplant onto baking sheet and roast in preheated oven for 25 minutes until soft.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with lemon juice and Parmesan cheese if desired.
- Serve immediately.
jess
Eggplant is literally one of my favorite things and this side dish is perfect! thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe!
Allyson Zea
I like roasting eggplant and mixing it with sweet-and-sour sauce and tofu! It's such a good combination!
Sha
This is such a hit! It's delicious and a perfect pair for our fried rice!
Katlynn
Could I just do extra virgin olive oil instead if I don't have the grapeseed oil?
lauren.kelly
Absolutely, Katlynn! I hope you like it!
Lauren
This looks so good! I love eggplant... I pinned it so I remember to give it a try!
lauren.kelly
I hope you like it! It's my favorite way to eat eggplant!!