In Turkish cuisine, it’s quite common to enjoy a main meal that doesn’t include meat. This vegetarian-friendly dish incorporates eggplant, olive oil, lemon, yogurt, and walnuts, all classic Turkish ingredients. Roasted chickpeas add a welcomed crunch and healthy dose of high-quality protein, with yogurt and walnuts also providing a protein boost. Serve this with a lightly dressed arugula salad and dolma for a balanced and fresh summer meal.
Serves 2 (as a meal with a side salad)
Total Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 eggplant, stem removed, sliced vertically into strips
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 can chickpeas, drained
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup low-fat thick yogurt
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup walnuts
- 2 scallions
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 small handful cilantro, to taste
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. On a sheet pan, toss together the chickpeas, tomatoes, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Roast in the oven until crispy, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Heat a grill pan over high heat. Brush the eggplant with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and sear each slice on both sides until tender and slightly charred. Season with a bit of salt and pepper, and set aside.
- In a blender, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, walnuts, scallions, garlic, and cilantro. Blitz to combine, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- To serve, layer the eggplant, chickpeas and tomatoes, and drizzle over a bit of the yogurt sauce. Finish with extra chopped scallions if desired, and serve with extra yogurt sauce on the side.
