The eggplants are looking fabulous in my garden these days, and just begging for a little kitchen love. Now I ADORE my usual eggplant dishes—eggplant parm, eggplant panini, ratatouille, moussaka—but I was craving something fresh and new to do with my latest harvest. I had a bunch of lettuce from the farmer’s market and a fresh block of feta in the fridge, so decided on a Greek-style chopped salad with grilled eggplant.

Just look at this beauty! It’s a Diamond eggplant. I’m very please with this variety and will definitely grow again!

My favorite thing about a chopped salad? Anything goes as far as ingredients. My only rule is that all ingredients should be chopped (with a few obvious exceptions, of course, such as canned beans). That means I always dice whatever kind of cheese I use, instead of crumbling or shredding it. And all meats must be chopped with a knife and not shredded. Lettuce should be coarsely chopped and not torn. And so on…

To prep the eggplant for the salad, I cut it into ½-inch-thick slabs, then tossed it salt and let it hang out at room temp for a couple hours to get out the excess water. This also tones down any bitterness in the eggplant. After the salt treatment, I blotted the eggplant dry, tossed it in dried oregano, black pepper, and olive oil, and grilled it over medium heat about 20 minutes, flipping it once, until browned and tender. Then, of course, I chopped it.

I think eggplant should melt in your mouth when you eat it. For those who say it “tastes like cardboard” or “feels like styrofoam in my mouth,” it likely just hasn’t been cooked long enough. You’ll know your eggplants are ready when they have nice grill marks and they’re super tender and fall-apart floppy.

This Greek chopped salad also includes pasta—one of my favorite unchopped additions to a chopped salad. For this Greek version, I used orzo, but any small to medium-size pasta will do. It adds a heartiness to the salad that makes it extra-satisfying for a main-dish. If you want to go a more nutritious route, you could add a cooked whole grain, such as farro, barley, wheat berries, or quinoa.

Here’s my recipe, fully customizable to your liking.

Greek Chopped Salad

Annie

Make this salad into a main-dish by adding grilled eggplant, chicken, or steak. If you use eggplant, slice it, salt it, and let it stand for a few hours to release excess liquid before seasoning and grilling.

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Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Mediterranean

Servings servings

Ingredients

4 oz. orzo or other small pasta
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried marjoram
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp. lemon zest
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1½ to 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes and/or chopped, seeded fresh tomatoes
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (optional)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 oz. feta, diced
½ cup chopped red onion
1 small cucumber, seeded and chopped
¼ cup Greek yogurt
6 to 8 cups chopped lettuce
8 cups chopped lettuceGrilled eggplant, chicken breast, or steak, chopped (optional)

Instructions

Cook pasta until tender according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water; transfer to a large salad bowl.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine vinegar, oregano, marjoram, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and black pepper. Whisk in olive oil. Add half of the mixture to the pasta; toss to coat. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas (if using), bell pepper, feta, onion, and cucumber to the pasta mixture; toss to coat. Cover and chill until serving time.
For dressing, whisk the yogurt into the remaining vinegar mixture. Season to taste with additional salt and black pepper. Chill until serving time.
To serve, add the lettuce to the pasta mixture in the salad bowl; toss gently until evenly combined. Top with chopped grilled eggplant, chicken, or steak.