Crunchy grilled toasts topped with garlicky Mediterranean roasted eggplant and tomatoes, dressed with salty cheese and sweet balsamic glaze. Hello, world! Meet your new favorite appetizer - Mediterranean Roasted Eggplant Bruschetta.
If you are an eggplant fan, get ready to fall in love. If you don't think you're an eggplant fan, get ready to convert.
This vegetarian recipe brings big Mediterranean flavors to the table with style and flair. Roasting the eggplant cubes in a nearly dry pan gives us the chance to add roasted garlic oil later in the process, when the eggplant have passed their sponge phase, and they can take on the flavor without absorbing the oil. Blistered tomatoes add the perfect natural sweetness and acidity to the veggie mixture.
The toppings are critical to the bruschetta experience. Balsamic glaze, fresh basil and sharp parmesan make this easy recipe impressive and memorable.
What you need to make this recipe:
Before we get to the step by step instructions, a few notes about the ingredients:
Eggplant: I used a regular globe eggplant in this dish, but use whatever you have. Small Japanese eggplant would be lovely.
Tomatoes: cherry tomatoes hold less seeds and water than regular slicing tomatoes, and they're the perfect size so no need to chop. But again, use what you have!
Add-ins: the balsamic glaze adds balancing acidity to the mixture. If you're looking for an even punchier experience, throw in some capers or olives.
How to make this recipe:
1. Make vegetable topping
Preheat oven to 400℉. Wash and dry the eggplant, then dice into about ½ inch pieces.
Cover a baking sheet with foil or parchment. Spray with olive oil cooking spray. Arrange eggplant pieces in a single layer on one side of the pan. Add the pint of cherry tomatoes to the other side of the baking sheet.
Sprinkle with a teaspoon of coarse sea salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the eggplant are golden brown and cooked through and the tomatoes have browned and burst. Remove from oven and set aside.
2. For balsamic glaze
Most grocery store vinegar aisles carry ready-made balsamic glaze that works beautifully here. To make your own at home, add half a cup of balsamic vinegar to a small saucepan. Heat over medium high and simmer for 7-10 minutes, stirring often. The vinegar will reduce into a sweet and sticky glaze for topping the bruschetta toasts, or anything else you can slap it on.
3. Make garlic oil
Heat 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in medium sized pan over medium-low heat. Add 8 cloves of sliced garlic and cook gently for 4-5 minutes or until they are very tender, but not browned.
Add the roasted eggplant and blistered tomatoes into the pan with the garlic and oil. Toss to coat, taste and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat.
4. Grill bread
Brush 16 slices of baguette with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt and toast in a hot grill pan or cast iron skillet.
5. Assemble and serve
Top each slice of toasted bread with 2-3 tablespoons of the roasted eggplant mixture, followed by the shredded basil, parmesan cheese, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
Serve warm or room temperature.
FAQ's and Serving Suggestions:
A large globe eggplant is what I used in making this recipe. This variety generally produces large eggplants and are known as American eggplants. Japanese or Italian eggplant - smaller varieties - would also work well in this Mediterranean recipe. When buying eggplant, try to avoid soft spots on the outside of the eggplant as it can be a sign of an aging veggie that may be more bitter than their fresh counterparts.
This recipe calls for about 6 cups of raw vegetables (eggplant and tomato), so keeping that measurement in mind, feel free to improvise. A red onion, green bell pepper or roasted red peppers would be delicious and take the dish in a Romesco salad direction. You could also vary the fresh herbs, adding fresh parsley, oregano or chives to top your creation.
No need to peel or soak the eggplant for this recipe. If you dislike eggplant peel, feel free to give it a quick peel. But dicing and roasting removes the bitterness!
This vegetarian dish is a great first course for a Mediterranean main course like Seafood Pasta with White Wine Garlic Sauce, Grilled Shrimp Skewers or Whole Fish with Mediterranean Tapenade.
Cool the roasted veggies completely, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Serve leftovers as a bruschetta topping, heated as a pasta sauce or in a salad or panini for a quick lunch.
Mediterranean Roasted Eggplant Bruschetta
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4-5
Description
This vegetarian bruschetta is a stunning appetizer option - quick and easy and packed with roasted veggie flavors. The balsamic glaze and parmesan takes it right over the top.
Ingredients
1 large or 2 small eggplant (4-5 cups, diced)
1 pint grape tomatoes
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
8 garlic cloves, sliced
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt, divided + more to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper + more to taste
Pinch of chili flake, optional
3 tablespoons fresh basil, sliced or torn, for serving
2 ounces parmesan cheese, thickly grated, for serving
16 slices of baguette, grilled or toasted for serving
¼ cup balsamic vinegar glaze, ready-made or homemade, recipe below
Instructions
- For the bruschetta topping: Preheat oven to 400℉. Dice eggplant in about ½ inch pieces. Spray a sheet pan with olive oil spray. Arrange eggplant in single layer on one side of the pan. Add the pint of cherry tomatoes to the other side of the baking sheet. Sprinkle with a teaspoon of coarse sea salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the eggplant is golden brown and cooked through and the tomatoes have browned and burst. Remove from oven and set aside.
- For the balsamic glaze: Most grocery store vinegar aisles are now carrying ready-made balsamic glaze that works beautifully here. To make your own at home, add half a cup of balsamic vinegar to a small saucepan. Heat over medium high and simmer for 7-10 minutes, stirring often. The vinegar will reduce into a sweet and sticky glaze for topping the bruschetta toasts.
- Dressing and assembly: Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in medium sized pan over medium-low heat. Add 8 cloves of sliced fresh garlic and cook gently for 4-5 minutes or until they are very tender, but not browned. Add the baked eggplant and blistered tomatoes into the pan with the garlic oil. Toss to coat, taste and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat.
- Brush 16 slices of baguette with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt and toast in a hot grill pan or cast iron skillet.
- Top each slice of toasted bread with about ¼ cup of the roasted eggplant mixture, followed by the shredded basil, grana Padano or parmesan cheese, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Serve warm or room temperature.
Notes
For most eggplant recipes, I recommend cutting the eggplant, then laying the eggplant slices out on a layer of paper towel. Generously sprinkle with kosher salt and let them sit for 10 minutes. This will help remove the bitter flavor.
In testing this recipe, I found that roasting the eggplant and then tossing it in the garlic olive oil dressing removed most of the bitterness. I'm not including the salting and drying step here, but if you are determined to keep the step and rid your kitchen of any risk of bitter taste, I won't stand in your way.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Oven and Stove Top
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Eileen
Have always been a lover of eggplant, now even more so in a different way. First time I ever had as an appetizer & served this way. Of course, I had to tweek it my way. Added a pinch or two of capers, some greek olives, and after sautéing garlic, just added the infused oil. AMAZING!!
Christina Jolam
Tweaking is half the fun of cooking! So glad you loved the recipe...and made it your own. This bruschetta is always a homerun! And thanks for coming back to leave a helpful review.