Lands & Flavors

Plant-based, Earth-inspired Recipes

Moroccan Eggplant Salad (Zaalouk)

• سلطة الزعلوك المغربية •
This warm Moroccan Eggplant Salad (Zaalouk) combines cooked eggplant, tomatoes, and classic spices and is enjoyed as a side or alone with lots of bread.

Calling all eggplant-lovers! This warm Moroccan Eggplant Salad (Zaalouk) combines cooked eggplant, tomatoes, and classic spices and is enjoyed as a side or alone with lots of bread.

This warm Moroccan Eggplant Salad (Zaalouk) combines cooked eggplant, tomatoes, and classic spices and is enjoyed as a side or alone with lots of bread.

If you’re like me, you’re always looking for more ways to cook eggplants. They are one of my favorite vegetables but I seemingly always get a creative block when thinking of what to make with them. Well, here’s one recipe to add to the eggplant recipe master list! Featuring roasted eggplants that are then simmered briefly in a spiced tomato sauce, this salad will become a favorite of yours that you’ll make again and again.

This warm Moroccan Eggplant Salad (Zaalouk) combines cooked eggplant, tomatoes, and classic spices and is enjoyed as a side or alone with lots of bread.

This dish is called a salad but it’s not that raw and crisp notion of a salad that first comes to mind. Rather, it’s a cooked, warm salad in the same vein as a Sicilian caponata or Turkish patlıcan salatası, both of which consist of a cooked eggplant component with other cooked or uncooked ingredients. You could serve this Moroccan zaalouk as a warm side salad to a main meal. But the best way to enjoy this is just to dig in with plenty of pita bread or, better yet, homemade Moroccan kesra bread. Either way, be sure to drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil and squeeze some fresh lemon on top for an especially delicious result.

This warm Moroccan Eggplant Salad (Zaalouk) combines cooked eggplant, tomatoes, and classic spices and is enjoyed as a side or alone with lots of bread.

5.0 from 6 reviews
Moroccan Eggplant Salad (Zaalouk)
 
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This warm Moroccan Eggplant Salad (Zaalouk) combines cooked eggplant, tomatoes, and classic spices and is enjoyed as a side or alone with lots of bread.
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Ingredients
  • 1kg or a little over 2 lbs of eggplant
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1½ teaspoons sweet paprika
  • 1½ teaspoons cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon (or more) red pepper flakes
  • 2 cups peeled and chopped tomatoes or 2 cups basic tomato sauce
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • black pepper, to taste
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • ¼ to ½ cup (a large handful) cilantro, chopped
  • olive oil for roasting the eggplant and for finishing the salad
Instructions
  1. Peel the eggplant and slice lengthwise into ¼ inch thick slices. Drizzle a large parchment-lined baking sheet with a generous Tablespoon of olive oil and arrange the slices evenly. Depending on the size of your sheet, you may need another one to accommodate the eggplant. Drizzle another generous Tablespoon of olive oil over the slices, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and roast in a 450°F oven. Roast until the slices are cooked and browned, around 35 minutes. (This follows a method similar to the one used in my recipe for Eggplant Fatteh, so check it out if you want to see a picture of what the eggplant slices will look like when cooked.) Once they are golden brown, remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes on the counter.
  2. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and the garlic and cook for around 30 seconds. Add the paprika, cumin, and hot pepper flakes and bloom the spices in the hot oil for 10 seconds before quickly adding the chopped tomatoes, water, salt, black pepper, and bay leaf. Let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes.
  3. Now chop the cooked eggplant slices into bite-sized pieces. Add them to the sauté pan, stirring to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and let it simmer for another 5 minutes.
  4. The eggplant should now be fully cooked and tender but shouldn't have disintegrated. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and the chopped cilantro. Give it a taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Serve hot, warm, or room temperature with a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.
Notes
-In the recipe I wrote the weight of the eggplant rather than the count because they come in so many different sizes and it can be hard to generalize. You can use the large Italian eggplant, smaller Holland variety, or, my favorite, the longer Japanese ichiban type. Because I'm not a fan of the eggplant seeds, I prefer the ichiban eggplants because they seem to have the least seeds. If, however, you cut open your eggplants and find that they are full of seeds, just proceed with the roasting and then remove as much of the seedy pulp after roasting, before adding them to the sauce.

-This dish really shines when using fresh tomatoes, but in the winter, when tomatoes are often lacking in flavor, you can easily substitute jarred, strained tomatoes (passata di pomodoro) for part or all of the tomato in the recipe.

-If, after cooking, your eggplant has absorbed all the liquid and the dish has become too thick, stir in a splash of water to loosen it back up.

 

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Comments

  1. I’m having a dinner party tonight, this is going to be my appetizer! Thank you Lands and Flavors!

  3. I made this tonight. It is awesome. I love your blog. Now I am looking forward to making your eggplant fatteh.

  4. Looks delish but can I just say, my husband is Moroccan and I make zaalouk frequently, cilantro has absolutely no place in traditional zaalouk. It’s way too strong and would overpower the flavours of moroccan spices, because you’re missing the ginger as one of the spices

    • I’m surprised because I enjoyed zaalouk in Morocco and some (not all) included cilantro. Maybe it is a regional difference? I am so enthusiastic about the flavor of cilantro, so I cannot resist using it. I can see how it’s flavor is strong to some, so parsley would be a milder choice. It’s also good without any herbs, too!

      And see, I’ve never heard of ginger in zaalouk before! It sounds good…I’ll have to try it! 😀

      • I’m also a huge fan of cilantro and use it in so many dishes( I always have some in the fridge) But Moroccan spices have such a delicate and aromatic flavour that they really don’t need to compete with a strong herb like cilantro. Try the ginger, it’s a staple of Moroccan cooking used in everything from couscous, tajines and keftas. Happy cooking

  5. I am so looking forward to making this dish, along with the Khobz bread. I’m also serving B’stilla – can you recommend a light salad that would compliment??

    Thank you! I will be back for more of your recipes!!

    • Hello and thank you Jen! Sounds great! I think you can’t go wrong with this raw corn salad, especially when using sweet summer corn. If not, go with a simple shredded carrot salad: lots of carrots, shredded and tossed with lemon juice, olive oil, parsley or cilantro, a small handful of raisins, chopped preserved lemons if you have some or strips of lemon zest if you don’t, and salt/pepper. Enjoy! 😀

  6. Good post. I lеarn something new and challenging
    ߋn blogs I stumbleupon everyԀay. It’s always exciting to read through content fгom other writers
    and practice a little something from their web sites.

  7. Hi! I’m hosting a dinner party for 23 guests this weekend, and I’m wondering if I can make this dish ahead of time and serve it chilled. I’d take it out a couple hours early to get to room temperature. Thoughts…? Thanks! (I made it once and ate it warm– DELICIOUS!)

    • Hello Rachel! Yes, I think that would be great to serve at your party! You can definitely make it ahead of time and just store it in the fridge until you are ready. You’re idea to just leave it on the counter to come to room temp is perfect. Just garnish it all nice with a drizzle of olive oil, some lemon wedges, and fresh cilantro or parsley and you are good to go! 🙂

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