Mediterranean Grilled Eggplant Salad

Back in 2010, Alex picked up a book called Food Matters. It was a little paperback by New York Times columnist Mark Bittman, all about how the way we eat affects our bodies and the planet. He urged readers towards whole, non-processed foods and loading on the vegetables. It was the first time we’d heard the case stated so simply, and honestly, non-judgmentally. Just try one home-cooked, vegetarian meal per week! he urged. So we did. And gradually, we fell in love with cooking veggie-centric meals together. So we started a food blog to share some of the recipes we were cooking. We called it A Couple Cooks. So really, if we hadn’t bumped into Mark Bittman, A Couple Cooks would not exist. And we’d be living very different lives. Keep reading for more about Mark Bittman and this Mediterranean eggplant salad recipe from his new book.

About the book: How to Grill Everything

Fast-forward ten years, and Alex and I have become cookbook authors and food photographers, and our careers now revolve around food. So it’s with incredible pleasure that we announce the latest book by Mark Bittman, someone who’s had such an influence on our careers. It’s called: How to Grill Everything, and it’s where this Mediterranean eggplant salad comes from. Early on in our marriage, Alex and I loved cooking from Bittman’s veggie encyclopedia, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. This new book is a similar concept, but all about grilling, well, everything (including meat).

Making this eggplant salad

Alex and I are all about grilling everything, so the book is a the perfect fit for us. This Mediterranean grilled eggplant salad with yogurt immediately caught our eye. It’s simple: grilled eggplant and tomatoes with a yogurt mint sauce–but it’s oh so delicious. It’s one of those recipes where the sum of its parts is greater than the whole. Serve it as a side dish alongside burgers or chicken; it’s simple to throw the eggplant and tomatoes onto the already hot grill. We decided to serve the grilled eggplant salad as a vegetarian main dish: we tossed it over whole wheat couscous and greens, with some naan on the side. We also grilled up some additional cherry tomatoes so they could be served alongside. Another idea is to serve the grilled eggplant in a pita, with some crunchy lettuce and a ripe tomato. Whatever way you serve it, this grilled eggplant salad is a must for summer dining (plus frose, of course). Congratulations to Mark Bittman on another fantastic book: you’ve changed our lives in so many ways, and we are utterly grateful! Looking for more with eggplant? Try our Best Eggplant Recipes, from eggplant marinara to eggplant Parmesan to grilled eggplant sandwiches.

Buy the book

Grab a copy: How to Grill Everything by Mark Bittman

Looking for more salad recipes?

Outside of this grilled eggplant salad, here are a few more salad recipes on A Couple Cooks:

Classic Greek Salad Vegetarian Cobb Salad Roasted Eggplant Salad Grilled Romaine Lettuce Greek Salad Seriously Simple Three Bean Salad Strawberry Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette Arugula and Tomato Burrata Salad Best Tossed Salad Recipe French Potato Salad Nicoise Salad Strawberry Spinach Salad Homemade Croutons Recipe