Roasted Eggplant and Chickpea Salad – Easy Vegan Mediterranean Salad Recipe

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Table of contents:

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Why You’ll Love This Salad

• Totally Vegan & Gluten-Free – Perfect for nearly any dietary preference.
• Meal Prep Friendly – Tastes even better the next day!
• Simple Ingredients – No fancy items needed, just fresh vegetables, pantry staples, and a few Mediterranean favorites.
• Satisfying & Nutritious – Packed with fiber, plant-based protein, and healthy fats.

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How To Make Roasted Eggplant & Chickpea Salad

Ingredients

• 2 medium eggplants (rinsed and cut in half lengthways)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 jar of cooked chickpeas (approx. 14 oz. / 400g)
• 3.5 oz. (100g) jar of roasted piquillo peppers
• 3.5 oz. (100g) can of sweet corn
• 1 bunch fresh parsley, loosely chopped
• ½ tsp White Pepper
• 1 tsp Ground Cumin
• Salt (to taste)

Equipment

• 1 Baking Tray
• 1 Parchment paper (optional)
• 1 large Mixing bowl
• 1 Wooden spoon or spatula
• Wooden Cutting Board
• Chef Knife
• Salad serving spoon or Cooking tongs

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Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1 – Prepare the Eggplant

• Preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F).
• Use a sharp kitchen knife to cut the eggplants in half lengthways. Add a splash of olive oil to a large casserole dish, then add the eggplants with the cut side facing down. 
• Roast eggplants for 35-40 minutes. Once done, the skins should start to lightly char, and the inside of the eggplant will be very soft.
• Remove the ggplants from the oven and leave aside to cool. Once cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scoop the eggplant flesh from the skin. Chop the skinned eggplant and add it to a large mixing bowl. 

Step 2 – Prepare salad

• To the large mixing bowl with the diced eggplant, add the chickpeas, canned corn, and the chopped parsley.
• Remove around 3.5 oz. (100g) of roasted piquillo peppers from the jar and cut into thin strips. Add the piquillo pepper slices to the salad ingredients
• Give the veg a mix for 30 seconds, then add the ground cumin, salt, and pepper to taste. Mix again and serve!

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Serving Suggestions

• Serve it warm with pita bread for a cozy dinner.
• Enjoy it cold as a refreshing summer lunch.

Spoon it over a bed of arugula or quinoa for a hearty grain bowl.
Pack it up for picnics or weekday lunches – it travels well and gets better over time!

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Notes on ingredients

Roasted Piquillo Peppers 

We use a jar of prepared (roasted) piquillo peppers for this recipe. They’re cheap and available in most Mediterranean food stores. You can also purchase jars/cans of cooked piquillo peppers online. Roasted bell peppers also work great, simply slice them into thin strips no larger than ½ inch wide, and add them to the baking tray with the eggplants. 

Olive oil

Whenever possible, we always use good-quality extra virgin olive oil for our recipes. EVOO is well known for its numerous health benefits and delicious taste. For this recipe, we used a sweet HojiBlanca Spanish extra virgin olive oil.

Chickpeas

For convenience, we use a can of prepared (cooked) chickpeas. They’re cheap and readily available from any grocery store or online. Cooked chickpeas require no additional prepping before they can be used in cooking and salads.

Dried chickpeas (Also known as gabanzo beans) can also be used, however, note that they require preparation before use in cooking. To prepare dried chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans), you’ll need to soak and cook them. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

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🔹 Step 1: Sort and Rinse

• Sort: Spread out the chickpeas on a tray or plate. Remove any small stones, debris, or shriveled beans.
• Rinse: Rinse thoroughly under cold water.

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🔹 Step 2: Soak the Chickpeas

• Place chickpeas in a large bowl.
  Cover with 3–4 times their volume in water.
• Let them soak overnight (8–12 hours).
• Drain and rinse before cooking.
  

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🔹 Step 3: Cook the Chickpeas

Cook uncovered for 45–90 minutes, until tender. Add salt in the last 10–15 minutes to avoid tough skins.

Transfer soaked chickpeas to a large pot.

Add fresh water (2–3 inches above the beans).

Optional: Add a bay leaf, garlic, or onion for flavor.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

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Nutrition Facts

Nutrient	Amount	% Daily Value
Calories	~90 kcal	5%
Total Fat	~3.5 g	4%
– Saturated Fat	~0.5 g	3%
Cholesterol	0 mg	0%
Sodium	~100 mg	4%
Total Carbohydrate	~11 g	4%
– Dietary Fiber	~2.5 g	9%
– Total Sugars	~1.8 g	—
Protein	~2.5 g	5%
Vitamin A	~7.5% DVI
Vitamin C	~12.5% DVI
Calcium	~1.25% DVI
Iron	~3.75% DVI
Potassium	~160 mg	3.5%

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⚖️ Notes:

• Based on dividing the original recipe into 8 portions.
• Uses general USDA data for:
  • Cooked chickpeas (drained)
  • Grilled eggplant
  • Roasted piquillo peppers
  • Sweet corn
  • Olive oil (~2 tbsp total)
• %DV based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

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