Pilar Valdes' Charred Eggplant Salad

Recipes & Cooking

Traditionally, this dish is made with eggplants grilled over hot charcoals and topped with a salad made with tomatoes, red egg and shrimp paste. It’s incredibly delicious and funky. We take it on a vegan spin, and use an amped up miso dressing to capture some of that savoriness. Smokey, salty and sweet: by layering the dish (instead of mixing it all together), each bite should retain maximum crunch and pack a ton of flavor.  


ingredients

Charred Eggplant Salad

  • 2lb Japanese Eggplant About 6 Medium
  • 1 Tbsp Canola or Vegetable Oil
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp Red Miso Paste
  • 1 Tbsp Water
  • 1 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
  • 1 Lime Divided
  • 1 Tsp Honey
  • 1/2 Tsp Soy Sauce Tamari or Coconut Aminos
  • 1/2" Knob Fresh Ginger Peeled and Grated on a Microplane
  • 1/4 Tsp FInely Diced Fresno Chili
  • 2 Roma Tomatoes Deseeded and diced into 1/4" pieces
  • 2 Tbsp Finely Diced (1/8") Red Onion
  • Kosher Salt
  • 1 Cup Loosely Packed Picked Fresh Herbs Mint, Thai Basil, Cilantro
  • 1/2 Cup Coconut Flakes Toasted Until Golden Brown

prep

INSTRUCTIONS: 



 



Place a grill pan in your oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. (You can also use your grill for this.) Pierce the eggplants all over with a paring knife. Drizzle oil and toss to coat. Place the eggplants directly in the grill pan and allow to cook, flipping halfway through, until lightly charred all over and the thickest part is tender when pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.  



 



Combine the red miso, water, rice wine vinegar, half of the lime, honey, soy sauce, chili and ginger. Whisk until smooth, adding a teaspoon of water to thin out as needed. Check for seasoning. The dressing should be balanced- salty, sweet and slightly bright, with a  bit of punch from the fresh ginger. Set aside. 



 



In a small bowl, mix together the tomatoes, onion and herbs. Season with salt and the remaining lime juice, and toss to combine. 



 



Butterfly the eggplants by splitting them in half lengthwise, exposing the flesh while keeping the tops/ stems intact. (** If the eggplants seem very watery - set over a colander for 10 minutes and allow to drain before proceeding.)  Lightly break up the eggplant flesh with a fork or spoon. Alternatively, if eggplant skins bother you, you can peel and discard the skins, and then roughly chop the flesh. 



 



Lay the eggplants on a serving platter. Drizzled the prepared miso sauce on top, and then the tomato-herb mixture. And finish with the toasted coconut flakes.  


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