Roasted Eggplants And Chickpeas Salad

September is here, so is the moment of ripe sweet tomatoes and flavorful eggplants. This salad celebrates both, with roasted eggplant chunks and crunchy oven-roasted chickpeas coated with a rich sun-dried tomato pesto made with baked tomatoes and garlic.

Roast the eggplants, tomatoes and garlic

Preheat the oven to 210 C with ventilation.

Peel the eggplants and cut them in large dice pieces (large 2 cm cubes).

Half the tomatoes and the garlic head.

In a large bowl, toss the eggplants with olive oil, salt, and a splash of balsamic vinegar.

Spread the eggplants on a baking tray lined with baking paper, alongside the tomatoes and garlic.

Drizzle the tomatoes and garlic with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt.

Roast on the middle rack for 25-30 minutes, until the eggplants are golden and slightly charred and the tomatoes are soft and juicy.

Roast the chickpeas

Drain the canned chickpeas and toss with olive oil and salt in a large bowl.

Spread on a lined baking tray and roast for 20-25 minutes until golden and crisp.

(Tip: roast them in the same time with the eggplants, on a lower rack.)

The dressing is a dried tomatoes pesto

In a blender, add the sun-dried tomatoes, roasted tomatoes, roasted garlic (squeezed out from the skin), pine seeds, olive oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest.

Blend at medium-low speed until smooth and creamy.

Assemble the dish

In a bowl toss the roasted chickpeas and eggplants with the sun-dried tomato pesto until well coated.

Arrange fresh lettuce leaves on a serving plate.

Spoon over the eggplant and chickpea mixture.

Finish with a nice drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Enjoy !

INGREDIENTS - for two portions