Roast Eggplant with Balsamic Vinegar

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A great vegetable side dish needs to deliver on two thing: 1; It must be easy to make, and 2; it needs to taste delicious. This delicious Roast Eggplant with Balsamic Vinegar side dish delivers both of those requirements with ease! It also delivers on another criteria for this day and age – it’s cheap! With those three criteria being set the question I must ask it, why aren’t you making this dish right now?

Eggplant is such a fantastic Vegetable. So versatile, tasty, and easy to cook

In the vegetable world there aren’t many ingredients that can rival Eggplant when it comes to versatility and flavor. It has such a pronounced, rich flavor when grilled or roasted that pairs well with so many different dishes, making it an ideal side dish for all occasions

It’s a very hearty vegetable too, which is why it is such a popular dish for Vegetarians as a nourishing and fulfilling dish to eat

There are a few techniques when it comes to cooking Eggplant

Eggplant is not the easiest vegetable to cook. However, learning a few of the basic techniques will ensure you get the best out of this wonderful vegetable every time

The main thing to understand with Eggplant is it has a huge amount of water content. Any ingredient that has a lot of water in it can be a challenge to cook. Especially if you are looking to try and get some kind of texture out of the dish. The first step when cooking Eggplant, which applies to almost every recipe is to remove the excess water

This is a relatively easy step to follow. It just requires a little bit of time, and a lot of Salt! For our Roast Eggplant with Balsamic recipe the Eggplant is prepared and cooked in slices. So, once you’ve sliced your Eggplant, lay them out and apply a liberal amount of Salt to each side of the Eggplant slices. You want to be sure that the Salt is applied to the fleshy part of the Eggplant, and not the skin. This is where all the moisture lives

Leave the Eggplant for about half an hour and you will notice just how much moisture the Salt has extracted from the Eggplant! Tiny droplets of water will be visible on the surface. Simply pat these down and then add a little bit more Salt before cooking. Removing this excess water will help the Eggplants to cook, will give them a nicer texture and most importantly of all: Will give them more flavor

Good quality Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar will transform this dish

As with all cooking, the quality of the produce you are using defines how good the dish will be. This couldn’t be a truer statement for the marinade used in this lovely Eggplant dish. With such few ingredients needed for this recipe, the quality of those ingredients will dictate the overall flavor

The two prominent ingredients in the marinade are Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar. Both ingredients have such a wide range of products available, bordering on daunting to choose from really! We recommend for both the Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar is to shop around and taste a lot of different products. There are even some specialty stores where you can sample Oils and Vinegars and talk to the experts there on different flavor profiles you enjoy

This is the best way to find your preferred ingredients. Remember, price doesn’t always dictate quality. Just because one Oil or Vinegar costs 5 times as much, it doesn’t mean it will be better. The best quality ingredients are the ones you enjoy the most. So, make a trip out of it and get sampling those lovely ingredients!

Delicious Dishes that pair well with Roast Eggplant with Balsamic Vinegar Side Dish

At it’s core, this lovely dish is a side dish. The serving portion is enough for 2 – 4 people to enjoy as a side dish. Given the dish is quite rich and decadent, it suits itself well as a side dish to equally rich entrees and main courses. If you served the Eggplant alongside more subtle dishes such as salads, it would overpower their flavor

The Roast Eggplant works very well as a side dish for proteins such as Pork, Beef, and Chicken. Generally speaking, if you’re eating these proteins along with a hearty sauce and perhaps a starch it’s a great contrast of flavors and textures to those dishes

Try a few of these amazing Dinners as a main course to serve alongside your Roast Eggplant with Balsamic Vinegar for a hearty, fulfilling meal:

• Filet au Poivre
• Air Fryer Pork Belly
• Pork Chop Milanese with Parmesan Crust
• Cast Iron Angus Ribeye Steak
• Chicken Parmesan
• The Perfect Roast Chicken Dinner

Roast Eggplant with Balsamic Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 Eggplant, cut into slices
• 5 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 2 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
• 3 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. Chives, finely chopped
• Salt
  
  

Instructions

1. Begin by sweating out the excess moisture of the Eggplant. Sprinkle 1 tbsp. of Salt over each side and set aside on a flat surface for 30 minutes. Pat dry with a paper towel once you’re ready to cook
2. In a small bowl mix together the Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, and Garlic to make the marinade. Place the Eggplant onto a large plate and pour the marinade over the top. Flip the Eggplant to ensure both sides are well covered. Set aside for 15 minutes to marinate
3. Place the Eggplant on a wire rack over a sheet pan, ensuring the pieces do not overlap. Roast in the Oven for 10 minutes, turning once at 400F until the Eggplant is tender and cooked
4. Serve with a sprinkle of Flaky Salt and, if you like, some chopped Chives for some color
   
   

That’s it! We hope you enjoyed this recipe for a delicious Roast Eggplant with Balsamic Vinegar side dish. Feel free to comment below if you’ve made this recipe and let us know how it went!

Happy Cooking!