Redgate Kitchen

a colorful, tasty, and impressive salad

A layer of melt-in-your-mouth seasoned eggplant, topped with roasted turmeric and coriander-seasoned cauliflower florets, all drizzled with a tomato and herb sauce will take your salad experience up a level. Or two. Serve this as is or with crispy home-made sumac pita chips, and dinner (or lunch, or in my case, breakfast) is served! This is my simplified version of Sami Tamimi‘s salad, which he adapted from a restaurant in Haifa. Tamimi’s recipe calls for charred smoky eggplant, which some people love. My version, however, goes for the smooth velvety texture of roasted eggplant, and while missing out on the smoky flavor–not for everyone anyway–it also omits the mess that typically follows from charring eggplants on your gas burner!

ingredients

eggplant

• 2 large eggplants
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 1/2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp of Kosher salt

cauliflower

• 1 large cauliflower (or 2 mediums) cut into 11/4 inch florets
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 3/4 tsp ground turmeric
• Black pepper
• Kosher salt

tomato and herb sauce

• 3 large tomatoes diced into roughly 1/4-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp oregano leaves, chopped
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Bonus herbs for garnish

• 1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup parsley leaves, chopped

steps

1. Cut each eggplant nearly completely in half lengthwise, without separating completely. Drizzle olive oil inside the eggplant and roast in the oven on a baking sheet at 425 F for about an hour. The eggplant should be totally cooked through.

2. Scoop the flesh out of the roasted eggplants and place in a colander over a bowl and let it drain for about an hour.

3. While the eggplant is draining, place the cauliflower florets into a large bowl with 3 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tsp ground coriander, 3/4 tsp ground turmeric, 3/4 tsp kosher salt, and some freshly ground pepper. Mix well. Spread the seasoned cauliflower florets out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

4. Roast the cauliflower for about 30 minutes until golden and tender. Remove and leave it aside to cool to room temperature.

5. While the cauliflower is roasting, place the drained eggplant in a bowl and give it a good stir. Add in the garlic, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and 1 tsp salt and mix to combine. You can set this aside (you can alternatively place it in the fridge if you are preparing the eggplant a day in advance of serving).
6. Prepare the tomato and herb sauce by combining the chopped tomatoes, parsley, oregano, olive oil, lemon juice and salt in a bowl and mix to combine.
7. Spread the eggplant on a rimmed serving plate, arrange the cauliflower on top and then spoon on the tomato and herb sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley and mint.
8. As always, enjoy!