Grilled Eggplant Salad

As Yummy As It Looks!

I've been eating a lot of eggplant lately. I guess because it looks so fresh. This recipe is another from Giada DiLaurentiis. It is hearty enough to eat as a main dish. Just serve it with some crusty Italian bread.

Grilled Eggplant and Goat Cheese Salad
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
3 tablespoons olive oil
7 Japanese eggplant, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch wide slices, I used two regular eggplants cut into 1/2 to 3/4" thick slices
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled, I used gorgonzola
1/3 cup basil, thinly sliced, I used 1/2 cup
2 tablespoons chopped mint, I omitted this
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Drizzle the olive oil over the slices of eggplant and toss to coat. Grill the eggplants until tender and grill marks appear, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. I used cooked them for about 5-6 minutes per side. Place the eggplants side-by-side on a serving platter. Sprinkle with the pine nuts, goat cheese, basil, and mint. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.