TheGreenTurnip Score: 8

This salad smells like pizza – warm, tomato-y, and with lots of garlic. The flavor is light and fresh, thanks to a generous amount of lemon juice and chopped parsley.

This salad has become a favorite, but I was pretty skeptical when I first made it. The recipe promised it would keep for 5 days. I was not so sure. I thought the cooked eggplant would get all mushy and unappealing. And I am also not a big fan of dried tomatoes, which I normally find to be dry, stiff, and sad.

Somehow this salad beats all the odds! The eggplant is tender but not mushy. And after being dressed in lemon juice and olive oil, the dried tomatoes become soft and flavorful! (Not at all like their original shoe leather texture.)

This recipe works best with smaller Asian eggplants (either Japanese or Chinese ones). But if you cannot find Asian eggplants, no worries – larger American eggplants work well too. Just cut them lengthwise before slicing.

Ingredients

Dried tomatoes, 40g (I bought mine at Trader Joe’s)

Asian-style eggplants, 3-4 (or 1 regular eggplant)

Garlic, 1 tablespoon, chopped

Parsley, a generous bunch

Juice, from 1 lemon

Salt, dash

Pepper, to taste

Olive Oil, 3-4 tablespoons

1. Soak the dried tomatoes in warm water for 10 minutes. Drain and squeeze. (If whole, cut into smaller bite-sized pieces.) Slice the eggplant into ¼ inch slices. (Cut in half lengthwise first, if using a larger eggplant.)

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook the eggplant until it starts to brown slightly. Add the remaining 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, and dried tomatoes. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

3. Place into a bowl, and add the salt, pepper, parsley, and lemon juice. Stir gently to combine. Let cool. Cover and store.

Adapted from “ドライトマトとなすの” from “作り置きサラダ”.

Want to learn more about simple, Japanese-inspired weekly meal prep? Read “What is Make Now & Eat Later”…

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