I didn’t get a lot of response to my question on facebook about if you wanted a sweet or savoury recipe next so I combined the two in these “Barley, Chickpea & Date Salad Stuffed Aubergines”!
Grain/bean/fruit salads are a summer lunch staple here, typically served in romaine lettuce boats, with perhaps a little diced avocado on top.
But to turn this salad into more of a dinner dish I fell back on an old forgotten favourite- roasted aubergine.
Lots of people I know claim not to like aubergine but I’m convinced they’ve probably just been served it undercooked as it’s pretty unpleasant that way. All it takes is rubbing with a little olive oil and salt and a good stint in the oven to get that soft, sweet, melt-in-the-mouth thing going on. Much more tasty.
It was a great base for this hearty salad and I’m a little bit in love with the warm/cool contrast too.
I actually used my quick cooking 5-grains from Clearspring (Emmer Wheat, Barley, Long Grain Brown Rice, Kamut & Wholegrain Oats) but I imagine most of you don’t have that to hand so I recommend barley instead for its chewy, unique texture. If you’re gluten-free you could use sorghum, buckwheat or even just brown rice.
I adore dates, especially the big, juicy Medjool kind, and since this dish is a little Middle-Eastern in style, they felt like a more than appropriate addition.
The recipe makes a lot but it keeps well in the fridge so you can eat it over a few days no problem.
…oh, and I recommend a side of non-dairy yogurt (I used coconut) and toasted pita!
Ingredients Instructions
http://www.coconutandberries.com/2014/06/18/barley-chickpea-date-salad-stuffed-aubergines/
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Beautiful Emma!! Love the colors and the chickpeas and barley. Sounds so good and hearty! I love the dressing too with the chili flakes and cumin, oh my that sounds GOOD!! I love cumin on pretty much everything.
Thank you Brandi. I’m the same- I’m forever replenishing my jar of cumin..actually, I should probably just get a bigger jar..!
Beautiful, that’s a fully meal of silky, nutty, full and flavoursome texture x
Your descriptions are always spot on! That’s exactly what this was like
Love stuffed vegetables! Especially with chewy grains. I’ll definitely try this one soon.
They were so good! Let me know how you get on with the recipe.
Even cooking properly cant make an aubergine good. I’ve tried so many ways, and sorry, but no…
Sorry you’re not a fan Ana! We all have something we don’t like!
It looks so good, Emma!
Thanks Natalia. I loved it!
Emma, this looks fantastic! Some of my favorite foods stuffed into one — barley really is an overlooked grain IMHO!
It really is! I guess, with so many people eating gluten-free these days it’s been pushed to one side. It’s so nutritious for those of us who don’t need to eat gluten-free though.
Amazing idea! I need to make this asap!
Thanks Ilana. Hope you do give it a go!
Although I love that you’ve stuffed the eggplant - the salad looks like a stand-out on its own!
I definitely enjoyed the leftover salad almost as much as I enjoyed the main dish!
wow that is a lot of fun in one eggplant/aubergine. I agree that people dislike aubergine because it is so horrid when cooked badly - when it is cooked well it melts in the mouth - I like with an eggplant skeptic but manage to get some dishes past the goal keeper when it is really soft and silky - though I think Dates and eggplant would be a challenge but I just love the sound of it
I am all for throwing something sweet into savoury mains, and this twist on stuffed aubergines sounds lovely! What a great collection of flavours and dates keep it Mediterranean too
Glad you agree on the Sweet/Savoury Kari. I know some people aren’t into it. Baffles me!
These are all of my favourite flavours right now! Something about eggplant really lends itself to cinnamon and cumin and chickpeas. So. Good! What an inspiring recipe. I think that the coconut yogurt and pita would be amaaaazing with it too. I want this for dinner!
Thanks so much Allison. It was a pretty delish dinner! The leftover salad rocked too
Thanks for another great recipe! Had this for dinner tonight. I used brown rice instead of barley (cause I didn’t have any barley on hand) and served the salad and eggplants on a bed of greens. My boyfriend and I both loved it! You come up with the best flavor combinations. (:
So pleased you both enjoyed it! Greens are a good addition to any meal too 😀
This is such an amazing recipe! I used brown rice as the grain and had it with homemade spelt, oat & rye toasted pitta chips and minted goats’ yogurt. It was absolutely delicious! I love aubergine roasted like this and the dates added an amazing sweetness to the salad. This is the first of your recipes I’ve tried and I can’t wait to explore the rest of your blog. Thanks for a great recipe!
So pleased you enjoyed the recipe Janey! Thanks for reporting back. I think I need to try those homemade pitta chips of yours!
Please let me know how you like any other recipes of mine you try