Grilled Eggplant Salad

This eggplant salad is mostly about contrast. Warm, smoky grilled eggplant layered over cool, bright raw yellow tomatoes and marinated chopped red tomatoes, with a fresh mint leaf tucked between every slice. It eats like a caprese’s more adventurous cousin.

The chopped red tomato mixture takes the longest. Peeled, seeded, and tossed with shallots, mint, lemon zest, olive oil, and vinegar, then chilled for at least an hour. That rest transforms the tomatoes from fresh-cut to spoonable relish.

White eggplants are the preferred choice here for their creamier flesh and thinner skin, but Italian globe eggplants work fine. Cut at ¼ inch slices exactly, so they cook through on the grill before they char.

Grilling over low coals with frequent olive oil brushings is what keeps the eggplant silky instead of dry. Rushed high-heat grilling leaves bitter char before the middle softens.

Alternating yellow tomato and warm eggplant slices on the platter delivers a stripe of color that cries out to be photographed. The mint leaves between slices catch the heat and release their aroma.

Chef Tips

• Salt the eggplant slices 15 minutes before grilling and blot dry. This draws out bitter liquid and helps the slices brown faster.
• Use good aged red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar. Plain white vinegar is too sharp and drowns the mint.
• Yellow tomatoes are worth seeking out for color contrast, but any heirloom or cherry tomato works for flavor.
• Serve at room temperature, never chilled. Cold mutes the eggplant’s smoky flavor and flattens the olive oil.

Variations

• Crumble feta or goat cheese over the finished platter for creamy, salty pops of flavor.
• Swap mint for basil and add a drizzle of balsamic reduction for a more Italian feel.
• Add a can of drained chickpeas to the chopped tomato mixture for a heartier salad that eats as a main course.