The other day I had a recipe in my head. All happy about my plan, I went to my groceries and surprise surprise, I found nothing. That was the case of changing my plan right on the spot. I had a salad recipe in my mind already, so my new idea was to make grilled aubergine chicory salad with nectarine dressing.
Have you ever created a recipe while shopping your groceries? Sometimes a spontaneous choice of fresh ingredients can be the best idea. Are you craving for a delicious, healthy, fresh and crunchy salad? Salad can be a very satisfying lunch or supper and a great side dish as well.
In my opinion, every salad should be combined with vegetables of different textures, in order to make it more exciting. And since salad is a very versatile dish, you can create unlimited variations. You can also mix vegetables with fruits, either raw or cooked. Moreover, every salad can have its own dressing and be topped with crunchy nuts or seeds.
In this grilled aubergine chicory salad we have soft aubergines, dried tomatoes, crunchy chicory and salty olives. Since chicory tastes a little bitter, I made a sweet and fruity dressing. Each time I’m trying to incorporate fruit into a salad. And this time I picked nectarines, which are very aromatic and sweet, a perfect contrast to the bitterness of the chicory.
To sum up; when you have no ideas, simply go to your groceries, walk in between the fresh vegetables and fruits and the idea will pop up by itself. Be creative and bold when creating recipes.
Ingredients for 2 main portions or 4 side portions of grilled aubergine chicory salad:
- 1 aubergine
- salt
- oil
- 3 chicory heads
- dried tomatoes
- 2 nectarines (ripe, pitted)
- ½ lemon (juice)
- green olives
- apple vinegar
First, preheat the oven to 200º C. Second, wash and cut the aubergine (crosswise) into 0,5-1cm thin slices. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper, place the aubergine slices on it, season and drizzle with some olive oil. Put in the oven for about 20 minutes or until soft.
Third, wash the chicory. I left smaller leaves whole and I halved the bigger ones. Like that they will be perfect to “scoop” the dressing, like an edible spoon. He he he. The same I did with dried tomatoes and olives. Some I halved, some not.
Furthermore, prepare the sweet salad dressing by washing and pitting the nectarines. If they are not soft or completely ripe, you can quickly cook or even better, roast them in the oven or in a pan. Then purée them together with a spoon of olive oil and lemon juice. And of course, you can use peaches or any other sweet fruit instead. I didn’t peel the nectarines and as a result, I got a lovely pink dressing.
Once the aubergine slices are ready, put everything, except the dressing, into a salad bowl, drizzle with some olive oil, apple vinegar, season and toss. The dressing comes at the end, just before eating.
Grilled aubergine chicory salad is a fabulous and healthy lunch or supper, especially when topped with sweet nectarine dressing. It’s like a winter salad with a summerish touch.
Enjoy!
Your opinion matters:
If you like the recipe, if you make the recipe or if you have any new ideas how to improve or change it, let me know in the comments section below or alternatively share your photos and reactions with me on Instagram (@Passionspoon), Facebook or Twitter (@PassionSpoon1). Simply use the hashtag #passionspoonrecipes in your posts. I would love to see them! (wink)
