An incredibly tasty roasted red pepper eggplant. Perfect for when you have a surplus of eggplant from the garden. Gluten-free, grain-free, Whole30, Vegan, low-carb, ketogenic.
This roasted red pepper eggplant is made with just a few simple ingredients and is great for those with various food sensitivities and restrictions. They are free of gluten, grains, dairy, meat, sugar, soy and nuts!
Whole30 compliant, Paleo AND Vegan! It’s not easy finding recipes that comply with both the Whole30 program and the vegan lifestyle, let me tell you. But I’m getting my creativity on, for those who may have a similar philosophy regarding health and meat consumption.
After being vegetarian/vegan for so long (probably close to 10 years!), I still very often struggle with eating meat on a daily basis. It’s sometimes really hard to find a balance between what your mind believes is right and what your body is telling you it needs.
For me, leaving vegetarianism was an extremely difficult decision, as I had built my life around it for so many of my teens and early 20’s. It took me years and years to realize what I was doing was no longer beneficial to my body.
I am still struggling with redefining myself in a way that is in line with both my body and mind. So it makes me feel better knowing I can fall back on recipes such as this when I am struggling with the ethical side of things.
Anyway, shall we move onto the recipe? Ok, let’s go!
As I’ve mentioned in my eggplant pizza post, sweating eggplant is the best way to reduce bitterness and allow the flavors of the dish to really absorb into the meat of the eggplant. I highly recommend not skipping this step, as there really is a noticeable difference when you sweat vs. when you don’t.
Trust me, I used to not sweat my eggplant, and for the longest time thought they were bitter and tough when I made them myself, but loved them when I ate out. I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong…I was missing a crucial step!
To sweat the eggplant, you’ll want to lay it out on a dry surface (you can use your baking sheet to cut down on washing), and sprinkle with a generous amount of salt. Don’t worry, you can wipe off the salt afterwards.
Allow that to sit for 30 minutes. During this process, the excess moisture in the eggplant is wicked up to the surface where the salt is. You’ll simply dab off the moisture and wipe away the extra salt. See, not that difficult, right?
To make the sauce, you’ll simply add all of the sauce ingredients together in a blender and voila, delicious red pepper sauce. Top the eggplant with that deliciousness and pop these roasted red pepper eggplant in the oven. It’s that easy!
Please let me know in the comments below if any of you struggle with eating meat, and any tips or tricks you use to put your mind at ease! I would love to hear your perspective!
Roasted Red Pepper Eggplant (Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Vegetarian)
Ingredients
For eggplant
- 2 medium eggplants or 1 large
- 1 tsp Salt for sweating eggplant
For red pepper sauce
- 12 oz. jar roasted red peppers liquid drained
- 1 medium tomato
- 1 handful fresh parsley
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper I love this Himalayan pink salt
For topping
- feta cheese if desired
- fresh parsley if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Slice eggplant into 1/2 inch thick rounds. Lay them on a baking sheet and sprinkle with the 1 tsp of salt. Allow them to sit for 30-45 minutes to release their excess moisture and bitterness. Dab with a paper towel to remove excess moisture and salt.
- While eggplant is sweating, add sauce ingredients in a blender and pulse to liquify.
- When eggplant has finished, drizzle with olive oil and top with a spoonful of the red pepper sauce.
- Cook in oven for approximately 25 minutes.
- Top with feta cheese and extra parsley, if desired.