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Roasted Eggplant, Spinach, Quinoa, and Feta Salad - healthy, Mediterranean-style, gluten free recipe. It's also vegetarian, paleo, low calorie, low carb and low cholesterol, high in fiber and protein (from quinoa). Even though it's a salad, it also makes a great main dish.
Roasted Eggplant with Spinach, Quinoa, and Feta combined together are so delicious! Honestly, it's one of the best recipes I've made so far using eggplant, and the combination of all these simple ingredients is amazing! I love eggplant, it's one of my favorite vegetables:
This dish has a very strong Mediterranean vibe, as I am using eggplant, quinoa, and Feta cheese. I call it healthy comfort food. It's vegetarian, gluten-free, paleo, low calorie, low carb and low cholesterol, high in fiber and protein (from quinoa). Also, this recipe could not be simpler to make. First, you roast cubed eggplant in the oven:
Then, you cook spinach and 1 clove of minced garlic in a large skillet for only a minute or two, just until it wilts. Then, once eggplant is done, add eggplant to this large skillet with wilted spinach:
Add cooked quinoa to the skillet, and season with salt and pepper. Don't overdo it on the salt, as you will be adding Feta cheese in the end.
Finally, top it with Feta cheese:
Enjoy!
Roasted Eggplant, Spinach, Quinoa, and Feta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant large, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 10 ounces spinach fresh
- 1 ½ cups cooked quinoa
- ¼ cup Feta cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 420 F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Grease the sheet lightly with olive oil.
- In a large bowl, mix cubed eggplant with 2 tablespoons olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Spread chopped eggplant over the lightly greased baking sheet. Roast for 20-25 minutes (or more, depends on your oven) until eggplant softens. Midway through roasting, take out the sheet and flip over eggplant cubes to the other side using spatula - that will help even out the roasting.
- While eggplant is being roasted, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet, add spinach and 1 minced garlic clove and cook for a couple of minutes, constantly stirring, just until spinach wilts. Remove from heat.
- Once eggplant is done, immediately remove it from the baking sheet into the same skillet with spinach, off heat. Immediately add quinoa and second clove of minced garlic. This will allow cooked eggplant to release some juices when mixed in with quinoa. Mix everything well, off heat, and season with more salt if needed. Don't add too much salt or omit it altogether as you will be using Feta cheese too. Top with Feta cheese.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Makes this just as is except added chicken for protein and yum, yum! Think I will put some onions in next time also. Thank you!!!!
So glad you liked this recipe! Great idea to add some chicken for protein!
I love this recipe! We make it almost once a week! I added sauteed onions to mine to make it a little more filling.
So happy to hear that! Adding sauteed onions is a great idea!
Delicious, thanks for a lovely dinner!
I am glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
I just made this with lentils as a main vegetarian course and it worked great! Thank you!
What a great idea to make this with lentils, Melissa!
Wow! Thats all! Just wow!! My fiancé wants this once a week now 🙂 And me too! Thank you for sharing
You're very welcome, Jill! So glad you've enjoyed this recipe!
Do you peel the eggplant at all before roasting?
No, I don't peel the eggplant.
Wow..just tried this dish,it was delicious and good for light eating....thank you
You're very welcome! 🙂
This is a fantastic dish. A keeper for sure.
Thank you!
Prepared this delicious dish yesterday evening as a side for tilapia. Absolutely loved it- this recipe will have frequent replays.
So happy you liked it! It's a great side dish for a fish! 🙂
Delicipua but just for the record quinoa is South American and in no way Mediterranean.
I made this tonight, and it was so delicious. My husband loved it too, at first saying that it was "different" but immediately declared "but I really like it!" I call that a win. I added avocados as someone else suggested and I liked the addition. I'll definitely keep this in the rotation.
So glad you liked it! Adding avocados is such a great idea and so delicious!
I made this dish for first time on memorial day. It was so delicious. Guest loved it too. Was very impressed with combination of flavors.
Can you roast the eggplant the night before and then put the rest together the next day?
Would you advise eating at room temperature or hot?
Thanks,
Paula
Hi Julia. Loved the recipe! As vegans, my husband and I had this without the Feta (and oil) and really loved it!
We are eating this even as I type and it is DEE-licious! I put a teaspoon of veggie broth in the quinoa. Thanks!
Thank you - I am glad you liked it! It's not a bad idea to add a small amount of veggie broth in the quinoa - makes it more moist and flavorful.