Eggplant is roasted with aromatic Middle Eastern spices and then paired with a brightly flavored bulgur salad to make a complete and satisfying meal.

spiced eggplant with bulgur salad
Yesterday…I totally skipped going to the gym to eat ice cream. (You’ll see why tomorrow.)

And frost a chocolate cake. Which would have been totally fine except that the kind of frosting I made was so slippery slidey that not only did it not want to stay on the cake, but it made the cake layers not want to stay on themselves.

It was a problem.

That I solved by eating more ice cream and a few fistfuls of marshmallow frosting and maybe I even scraped the little bits of chocolate cake that were still on the cake pans into my mouth. Maybe. The world will never know.

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So then I pulled myself back together, threw sprinkles at the top of the cake because obviously they solve any frosting wardrobe malfunctions…

…and proceeded to eat dinner.

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Which, because it was this crazy healthy delicious roasted spiced eggplant with bulgur salad, kind of saved my life. Not only did it bring down my blood sugar after that manic high I was riding, but it also gave me faith that food can taste good without requiring you to have to clean frosting out from under your fingernails and the roots of your hair in order to make it. Winning.

Basically, eggplant is roasted with heady aromatic spices and then pairs up with bulgur that has been tossed with all sorts of fun mix-ins, ranging from salty green olives to nutty pistachios to sweet-tart currants. It’s a flavor smorgasboard. And it will make all of your frosting woes seem like they were nothing more than a bad dream. I pinky swear it.

(I am submitting this to I Heart Cooking Clubs this week!)

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Spiced Eggplant with Bulgur Salad
 
Eggplant is roasted with aromatic Middle Eastern spices and then paired with a brightly flavored bulgur salad to make a complete and satisfying meal.
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the eggplant
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • ¾ tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 4 small eggplants
For the bulgur
  • 1 cup dried bulgur
  • 2 cups water
  • ½ cup pitted green olives, quartered
  • ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
  • ⅓ cup currants
  • ⅓ cup parsley, chopped
  • ⅓ cup cilantro, chopped
  • ¼ cup pistachios
  • 3 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • salt, to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, and salt.
  3. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise. Score the eggplant with a knife, diagonally, in crisscrossing lines, without breaking the skin. Place eggplant halves face up on a parchment lined baking sheet. Spoon the olive oil spice mix over each half. Roast for 50-60 minutes, until eggplant is tender.
  4. Meanwhile, place the bulgur and two cups of water in a medium pan. Add in a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until water has evaporated. Turn off heat and let rest for 5 minutes.
  5. Fluff bulgur with a fork and pour into a large bowl. Toss with the olives, onion, currants, parsley, cilantro, vinegar, and salt to taste. Serve alongside the eggplant.
Notes
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Nutrition Information
Serving size: ¼ of recipe

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53 Responses to Spiced Eggplant with Bulgur Salad

  1. Lynn says:

    I’ve done that – sugary something and then dinner. 🙂

    I have a lot of bulgur right now and will definitely make this. The eggplant sounds good, too.

  2. I love the spice mixture on these zucchinis — they look super spicy and sound really flavorful!

  3. Beth says:

    I’m not usually a big fan of eggplant, but this recipe just might convert me. It looks awesome!

  4. I had a night like this with birthday cupcakes the other night… but just said eff it and went out to eat instead afterwards (likely covered in frosting, no judgement?). Your dinner looks way healthier and totally delicious.

  5. Isn’t eggplant the best? Like, seriously… I never grow tired of it. This dish looks FABULOUS, Joanne. I may just have to make it for my next dinner party.

  6. Johanna GGG says:

    There is something very right about eggplant and bulgar – just as there is something very right about following a frosting sugar high with a plate full of vegies – sounds delish

  7. bellini says:

    I would much rather have this than the sugar high you were referring to. It reminds me that I am making a cupcake cake next week for L’il Burnt Toasts wedding shower…licking the bowl just does not sound appealing at the moment…I did say at the moment since it is 5 AM.

  8. I love how you did this eggplant – pinning this one and can’t wait to try it.

  9. Simply Life says:

    this actually makes eggplant look appetizing, which is not easy to do!

  10. kathy says:

    Ok… so this looks like it *might* make me dislike eggplant less. *might* #weshallsee

  11. Baha can’t wait to hear why you took ice cream over sweat!! Annnnnnd love this eggplant!

  12. daphne says:

    sprinkles solve everything! 😉 I would have eaten the runnier than usual frosting by the spoonful. But that healthy dinner makes up for it- hey, just means you had dessert before dinner. I love the spices and the grilled marks on the eggplant!! What a healthy dish.

  13. You gotta have balance! Ice cream one minute and this eggplant dish the next… Works for me! 🙂

  14. Chewthefat says:

    Skipping the gym for ice cream? Something unusual must be afoot…

  15. I am really liking the flavours in this meal!

  16. Sometimes you just gotta skip the gym for some dessert. Especially when you have a healthy dinner that you have to balance out 😉

  17. Pamela Reed says:

    My dad loves eggplant so I’m going to make this for him for his next visit! 🙂

  18. Helene says:

    Yummy, and I like the pictures a lot!

  19. I’m so into eggplant right now! And even more, this bulgar salad! Gorgeous job, friend!

  20. i like how you are balancing things there ::P

  21. Great recipe! I think I would like to make the bulgar salad. The eggplant sounds really good too!

  22. Emily Leung says:

    The eggplants look scrumptious! I’m definitely on a Middle Eastern spices kick right now…will be making this!

  23. Wonderful summer fare and presentation. I can only imagine how delicious this must taste!!

  24. Do you think it’d work with quiona? This looks SO good but I am trying low-to-no-wheat diet and bought a ton of quiona recently…

  25. These are always my favorite types of recipes you do! An explosion of flavors that screams eat me. I can’t wait to try this.

  26. Shannon says:

    this looks so good!!! especially that eggplant 🙂

  27. I love your eggplant! Boyoboy I need to try this!
    Betcha the frosting and cake tasted good even though it was a lil slippery!

  28. Megan says:

    I still have not tried cooking bulgur, but I really like it and will have to make it at home soon. Great recipe!

  29. The spiced eggplants look with bulgur salad looks so good, Joanne. These days I rarely do frosting any more…too dangerous…I usually ended up licking the mixing bowl and spatula clean and still wanted more…

  30. Kathryn says:

    Love the spices with that eggplant – it’s one of my total favourite foods.

  31. Eileen says:

    This may have to be what I do with the Chinese eggplant that’s been hanging out in my crisper for a week! NOM IMMEDIATELY.

  32. The bulgur looks great!! I usually don’t like bulgur but for some reason I am drawn to this 🙂

  33. Love this whole meal! So easy, and perfect for eating outside with a glass of wine.

  34. I sooo want to like eggplant. Your recent recipes look so good! Just can’t stomach it but these dishes have looked really tempting!

  35. Susan says:

    Guilty as charged … done the sugar high and had to tame it with a good dinner … your dinner was probably healthier than mine. Looks really good!

  36. Kate says:

    I dunno, skipping the gym for ice cream isn’t really an even trade…

  37. This looks so good that I would actually take it over ice cream and frosting (although, I haven’t yet seen your cake…I may retract that statement). It looks like a great way to cook eggplant too!

  38. Hotly Spiced says:

    The flaws I have hidden with frosting! I love the look of the salad (and the eggplant of course) but the ingredients in that salad look like a wonderful combination. Looking forward to hearing how it is that you swapped working out for ice cream eating xx

  39. Joanne that eggplant looks fabulous – i am so making that this week – thanks!

  40. Emma says:

    Tasty tasty. I adore roast aubergine and coating in that delightful spice mixture must make it extra good. The bulgur salad sounds awesome too.

  41. If this dish can erase any evidence of manic frosting/extra cake eating, I wanna eat it EVERY DAY FOREVER. Even if not, I’d want to eat it a lot — it looks too good not to!

  42. Ashley says:

    I don’t use nearly enough eggplant in my life. This looks like a wonderful way to enjoy it!

  43. Abby says:

    okay this is my new favorite! I love everything about this, I’ve been addicted to eggplant this summer!

  44. I have definitely skipped a workout before in the name of ice cream. And to bake instead…there’s two sides to life, and it’s worth walking in both of them, right?

    Love this recipe. I’ve been doing a ton of grain salads lately with fresh garden veggies. I like the olive-raisin variation of this.

  45. Claudia says:

    A perfect summer meal, I don’t think we would miss meat at all, at all. I especially like the scored, spiced roasted eggplant.

  46. kitchen flavours says:

    That’s a beautiful salad! I have never tried bulgur before! The spices, herbs and nuts, this salad packs a ton of wonderful flavours!

  47. Michelle says:

    Looks like the spice mixture gets a bit crusty on top of the eggplant–I like that! I used to be a huge eggplant hater b/c I never had it prepared well. Now I enjoy it, especially grilled and roasted. This looks good! I can almost smell the spices roasting away.

  48. What a gorgeous plate of food–a summer dinner that I would love to dig into. The bulgur salad looks like it would make wonderful leftovers too. Great pick!

  49. Meg says:

    I’ve recently gotten obsessed with bulgur AND eggplant, so I couldn’t have discovered your recipe at a better time! Definitely getting this on the meal schedule sometime soon. Thanks!

  50. This is gorgeous! I love when eggplant is spice-rubbed and kept whole like this. I still can’t believe you’re such a food blogging machine… your quality output rate is so ridiculously high. TEACH ME YOUR WAYS. I can hardly manage a post every week!

  51. Nutmeg Nanny says:

    Oh yes, this dish looks packed with flavor 🙂 I’m dying to taste it!

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