Try some eggplant grilled on the barbecue! This spicy grilled eggplant and zucchini salad is influenced by salsa verde and is sure to make your mouth wet. I have high hopes that those who are on the fence about grilled eggplant will change their minds after trying this wonderful Spicy Grilled Eggplant and Zucchini Salad! My nephew Jake and I have just finished making this mouthwatering grilled eggplant and zucchini salad. We both like the Thai flavors in the dressing on the salad, and we both ate the whole dish, focusing particularly on the grilled eggplant with its slightly charred skin. When I informed a number of different people over the course of the subsequent few days about my new favorite salad, one after another of them remarked, "I don't like eggplant." I then softly explained to each person how, just like them, I had never been a fan of eggplant until I had it grilled. This turned my opinion of eggplant completely around. If you like the flavor of Thai spices, please do yourself a favor and give grilled eggplant a go. I beg you. Because Jake and I both agreed that the grilled eggplant was the star of this dish, I think that the next time I make this salad, I would leave out the zucchini and use just eggplant instead. 
Of course, you could make the salad completely out of zucchini if that's what you wanted to do. And if you are a fan of vegetables, you will be pleased to learn that the recipe for this Spicy Grilled Eggplant and Zucchini Salad with Thai Flavors was inspired, at least in part, by one that I found in the cookbook Vegetables Every Day, which is one that I frequently refer to for novel ideas on how to prepare vegetables. WHERE CAN I GET THE INGREDIENTS THAT ARE REQUIRED FOR THIS RECIPE? Asian or Japanese eggplant Zucchini Peanut Oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper are the seasonings that are used on vegetables. onion greens herbs that have just been cut (preferably cilantro, mint, or Thai basil) cut-up peanuts Instead of freshly squeezed lime juice, fish sauce, preferably Red Boat Fish Sauce, was used in this recipe It is recommended that you use Asian hot sauces such as Sriracha. Sweetener of your preference, such as Golden Monkfruit Sweetener WHERE CAN I GET THE MOST DELICIOUS EGGPLANT TO BE GRILLED? Eggplant comes in a wide variety of shapes and colors. In this recipe, I used a Japanese eggplant that was long and thin that I had grown in my yard. In general, I like grilling any sort of Asian eggplant since they cook so well. 
Because it does not need peeling or salting prior to cooking, this particular kind of eggplant is perfect for recipes that call for eggplant and that call for stir-frying. WHY IS THIS RECIPE COMPRISED OF SPICY THAI FLAVORS IN THE FIRST PLACE? The intriguing dressing for this salad is made with fresh lime juice, fish sauce (or vegetarian fish sauce), Sriracha sauce, and golden monk fruit sweetener. These four ingredients come together to create the ideal harmony of sweet, sour, spicy, and hot flavors that are characteristic of Thai cuisine and help make it one of the world's most beloved cuisines. HOW DO YOU TURN THIS SALAD VEGAN? To make this a vegan salad, simply use vegetarian fish sauce. GRILLING SPICED EGGPLANT AND ZUCCHINI SALAD INGREDIENTS: (To see the whole recipe as well as the calorie count, scroll down.) After the ends have been trimmed off, cut the eggplant and zucchini into lengthwise pieces using a knife. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on all of the surfaces after applying peanut or grapeseed oil on them. Put the zucchini and eggplant on a grill that is already hot and has been used before.
Because I wanted grill marks on both sides, I positioned the item so that the flat side was facing down and then waited for the marks to appear. After the first side of the veggies had developed beautiful grill marks, we flipped them over to the other flat side. After 15 minutes, the eggplant had a nice caramelized color, but we proceeded to cook the zucchini for an additional 5 minutes. It's also possible to slice the zucchini a little thinner than you would the eggplant. On a chopping board, you should let the slices of zucchini and eggplant cool down. FINISHING THE SPICY GRILLED EGGPLANT AND ZUCCHINI SALAD: As the vegetables cooled, I got started on making the spicy and bright dressing. After the vegetables had been allowed to cool, I cut them lengthwise into strips and put them in a dish with a few tablespoons of the sauce so that they could marinade. I'm sorry; I didn't remember to take a photo of that particular phase in the process. The green onions should be sliced, and the cilantro should be chopped. (If you don't like cilantro, you could replace it with mint or Thai basil, or you could just add a little bit more chopped green onion.) Include some more dressing, as well as green onions and cilantro, in the mixture of veggies that have been marinated. (It's possible that you won't need the whole quantity of dressing.) There was an additional serving of dressing served on the side for dipping individual pieces of zucchini or eggplant. Before serving, sprinkle a few table spoonfuls of chopped peanuts over the top of each individual salad dish.
Ingredients
- 1 lbs. Japanese eggplant, ends trimmed and cut lengthwise
- 3 medium zucchini, ends trimmed and cut into lengthwise strips (I cut the zucchini into sixths lengthwise)
- 2 tsp. peanut oil for brushing vegetables and grill
- salt and fresh ground black pepper for seasoning vegetables
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup (or more) chopped fresh herbs
- 1/4 cup chopped peanuts
Dressing ingredients
- 3 T fresh lime juice
- 1 T + 1 tsp. fish sauce
- 2 tsp. Sriracha Sauce
- 1 tsp. Golden Monkfruit Sweetener or sweetener of your choice
- 2 tsp. peanut oil
Instructions
- Heat the grill to medium-high after rubbing grapeseed or peanut oil over the grates. (At that temperature, you can only keep your hand there for a little period.)
- The eggplant and zucchini are cleaned and dried before being cut into strips along their length.
- Season the veggies with salt and freshly ground black pepper after frying them in oil.
- When grill marks start to develop, place the strips, flesh side down, on a hot grill for 5 to 7 minutes.
- The veggies should be grilled for a further 5 to 7 minutes, or until they have excellent grill marks on both sides.
- Grill all veggies until well cooked, even though zucchini takes longer to cook than eggplant.
- After the cooked veggies have cooled to room temperature, transfer them to a chopping board.
- The lime juice, fish sauce, Sriracha sauce, your desired sweetener, and oil should be combined on a dish while the vegetables are cooling.
- Slice the veggies into thin crosswise pieces once they are cold enough to handle.
- While prepping the other ingredients, toss with a couple teaspoons of the dressing.
- Slice the green onions very thinly after chopping the cilantro, mint, or Thai basil.
- Slice the almonds.
- Add the green onions, herbs, and enough dressing to your taste to moisten the salad. (You may not need the whole quantity of dressing; keep some on hand for dipping while eating.)
- Individual salad bowls should be topped with a couple teaspoons of chopped peanuts.
- Although it lasted nicely in the fridge over night, this was finest when made right away.