Coconut and Berries

Healthy, Vegan Recipes by Emma Potts

Barley, Chickpea & Date Salad Stuffed Aubergines

Barley, Chickpea & Date Salad Stuffed Aubergines | coconutandberries.com

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.

Barley, Chickpea & Date Salad Stuffed Aubergines | coconutandberries.com

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.

Roasted Aubergine

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.

DSC_1960

The recipe makes a lot but it keeps well in the fridge so you can eat it over a few days no problem.

Barley, Chickpea & Date Salad Stuffed Aubergines | coconutandberries.com

…oh, and I recommend a side of non-dairy yogurt (I used coconut) and toasted pita!

Print
Barley, Chickpea & Date Salad Stuffed Aubergines

Yield: 4 aubergine halves (2-4 servings) + extra salad

Barley, Chickpea & Date Salad Stuffed Aubergines

Ingredients

  • Barley, Chickpea & Date Salad
  • 1-1/2 C Cooked chickpeas (1 can)
  • 1/2 C Barley (OR other chewy wholegrain)
  • 6 Medjool dates, chopped
  • 1 C Cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/4 Red onion, finely chopped
  • 1/3 C Chopped fresh parsley OR coriander
  • Dressing
  • 2 Tbsp Olive oil
  • 2-3 Tbsp Lemon juice
  • 2 tsp Cumin
  • 1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp Chili flakes
  • 1/2 tsp Salt (OR to taste)
  • 2 Medium-sized aubergines
  • Olive oil
  • Salt

Instructions

  1. Prepare the salad first.
  2. Cook the barley according to package instructions. Add to a mixing bowl along with the cooked chickpeas, halved cherry tomatoes, red onion and dates.
  3. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well to coat everything.
  4. Stir through the chopped herbs.
  5. Refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the flavours to come together.
  6. Meanwhile, roast the aubergines.
  7. Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Halve aubergines and make deep criss-cross score marks in the flesh with a knife (but don't cut through the skin). Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
  8. Place, cut side down, in a roasting pan and cook for 35-45 minutes, or until very soft.
  9. Remove from oven and pile the salad on top.
  10. Serve with toasted pita wedges & non-dairy yogurt.
http://www.coconutandberries.com/2014/06/18/barley-chickpea-date-salad-stuffed-aubergines/

Barley, Chickpea & Date Salad Stuffed Aubergines | coconutandberries.com

 

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Comments

  1. 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.

  6. 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.

  9. 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

  11. 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!

  12. 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. (:

  13. 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 :)

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