Greek aubergine, sardine and olive salad
Our recent trip to the Peloponesse in Greece was a blissful haze of untouched Mediterranean beauty, great wine, and of course, loads of delicious Greek food!
Marna and I both agreed – if we’re going to eat one countries cuisine for the rest of our lives – it’ll be Greek! The delicious fresh salads, rustic barley breads and rusks, olives, wines, feta, luscious strained yoghurt, ahhh… I could go on forever.
This recipe was inspired by our trip, and serves as a fantastic centrepiece to a light lunch, or as a side to a more substantial dinner party along with other mezzes and greek goodies.
This is not a vegetarian recipe due to the sardines (Yes, I know, breaking from the usual) but we do feel that eating oily fish occasionally is a healthy part of a balanced diet, and if possible try source your fish from sustainable sources. The sardines can be left out or substituted for feta if you want to make it vegetarian/vegan.
Of note – we’ve specifically made this recipe oil-free – but if you like a little olive oil drizzled on afterwards, it certainly won’t hurt 🙂
Greek aubergine, sardine and olive salad
Ingredients
- 2 medium aubergines, sliced into thick rounds
- salt and pepper
- 1 red onion, finely diced
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp each of salt and pepper
- 1/2 handful fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/2 handful fresh coriander, chopped
- 2 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped into small cubes
- 15 pitted green olives, chopped roughly
- 1/2 preserved lemon, finely chopped If you don't have or can't get, the zest from a fresh lime will do the trick
- 1 medium garlic clove, crushed and minced Don't use ready chopped garlic
- 1 tin sardines in oil, drained
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C. Toss the aubergines with salt and pepper (no need for oil), spread out on a baking tray and bake for 40-45 minutes, until golden and beautiful.
- Dice your onion first, the mix it with the lime juice, salt and pepper while you get cracking on the other ingredients. This pickles the onion slightly and makes it less sharp.
- Add the rest of the ingredients one by one to the bowl as you are done chopping them, mixing well until you get to the sardines – lift them gently out the can and break them carefully into chunks, then fold in without breaking them up too much – you don't want sardine mash here!
- Taste and adjust the salt or pepper levels. When the aubergines come out the oven, put them on a serving thing and spoon the salsa all over those bad boys. Goes exceptionally well with a crisp white wine and other mezzes.
