Garlic & Herb Grilled Eggplant

Grilled vegetables are my go to side dish for any summer barbecue. They are incredibly easy to prepare, go with just about anything, and can be made in advance. While most people grill zucchini, peppers and onions, my absolute favourite vegetable to grill is eggplant.

Unfortunately grilled eggplant (or melanzane, aubergine or brinjals depending on where in the world you are from) can be a tricky vegetable to cook. Too much oil and they become slimy, cut too thick and they have an unpleasant chunky texture.

It took me a trip to Italy where I spent time watching the way the locals prepared it before I finally learned how to grill eggplant.

How to make this grilled eggplant:

• It all starts with salting which is meant to draw bitterness out of the slices. I find that salting is required for larger “meaty” eggplant, and is a step that can easily be skipped for the smaller sized ones.
• The next step is to quickly dip them in a mixture of olive oil, herbs and garlic which helps stop them from drying out when grilled.
• After grilling, toss them back into the oil and herb mixture again which gives them added flavour. 

Why you will love these grilled eggplant:

• They are tender in the middle and develop a nice char on the edges
• By dipping the eggplant slices into the garlic and herb oil before grilling, they absorb a lot of the oil which gives the eggplant so much flavour
• Unlike other grilled vegetables such as zucchini, these grilled eggplant last a few days in the fridge without becoming mushy. The leftovers are incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed in a variety of different ways (see more below)
• They are low carb and tick the majority of healthy boxes including Keto, Whole30, Vegan, Paleo and SCD Legal

Ways to serve the grilled eggplant:

• Serve warm as a side dish
• Serve cold as part of an antipasti platter or chopped up and added into a salad
• Use as a base for bruschetta topped with pesto, prosciutto or any of your other favourite bruschetta toppings
• Use two thick slices as “buns” for burgers. They are especially delicious with Greek lamb burgers 

Love grilled vegetables? Here are a few other grilled vegetable recipes you might enjoy:

• Charred Broccolini with Lemon Tahini Sauce
• Grilled Asian Asparagus & Scallions
• Grilled Portobello Mushrooms with Walnut Arugula Pesto
• BBQ Cauliflower Steaks with Chimichurri
• Asian Grilled Eggplant

---

If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!