Comprising eggplant, lentil, capsicum and zucchini in a vegetarian salad means your meal is still loaded up despite being low-carb and meat-free. Filled with a variety of flavours and textures, it's also far from a boring salad – especially when completed with a sweet pomegranate dressing!
Yield: Serves 4
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 60 mins
Difficulty Level: 3/5
Ingredients
- 2 large (1 kg) eggplants, cut into 2cm pieces
- ½ tsp sea salt flakes
- ½ cup (100 g) french-style green lentils
- 1 red capsicum (200 g), diced
- 1 zucchini (120 g), diced
- 1 celeriac (550 g), peeled, diced
- 1 clove garlic, chopped finely
- ½ cup (125 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 100 g kale, trimmed, finely sliced
- 2 tbsps pomegranate molasses
Steps
01. Preheat oven to 180 C (160 C fan-forced). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
02. Place the eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with the sea salt.
03. Place lentils into a saucepan with 1 litre (4 cups) of water; bring to a simmer and cook for 20 mins or until tender. Drain.
04. Meanwhile, place the capsicum, zucchini, celeriac and garlic in a bowl with 2 tbsps of the oil. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss to combine. Transfer to the prepared baking tray and roast for 40 mins.
05. Heat 2 tbsps of the oil in a non-stick frying pan; cook eggplant in batches over medium heat until golden brown. Add more oil as required.
06. Place the kale in a large bowl and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of the oil. Rub the oil into the kale to soften the leaves a little, then add the cooked eggplant, roast vegetables, lentils and pomegranate molasses. Season to taste, toss to combine, then arrange on a serving platter.
07. Serve with crispbread and goat’s cheese, if desired.
Not suitable to freeze or microwave.
Photo: bauersyndication.com.au