Manouri, Eggplant and Orzo Salad
- Total Time
- About 50 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 2cups dried orzo
- 6tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or as needed
- 3cups ½-inch-diced eggplant (from a 1-pound eggplant)
- ¼cup canola oil
- 3tablespoons flour
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon, fresh lemon juice, or as needed
- ¼cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced lengthwise into ¼-inch slivers
- ¾cup chopped roasted red peppers (jarred or homemade)
- 1tablespoon finely chopped mint
- 1tablespoon finely chopped dill
- 2tablespoons roughly chopped basil
- 4ounces manouri, cut into ½-inch cubes (about ¾ cup)
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
276 calories; 18 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 227 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the orzo according to the package directions. Drain, toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and spread on a baking sheet. Let cool in the refrigerator.
- Step 2
Toss the eggplant with 1½ teaspoons salt and place in a colander set over a bowl or in a sink. Put several bowls or plates on top of the eggplant and let drain for at least 30 minutes.
- Step 3
Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside. In a heavy 10-inch skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil and the canola oil over medium heat. Squeeze the excess liquid from the eggplant, blot with paper towels and toss in a bowl with the flour. In two batches, fry the eggplant until the cubes are crisp and golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the prepared baking sheet. (Add a little extra oil to the pan for the second batch, as needed.)
- Step 4
In a large bowl, toss the orzo with 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, the lemon juice and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Fold in the olives, peppers, mint, dill, basil and manouri. Taste and adjust for seasoning with additional salt, pepper, lemon juice or olive oil. Just before serving, toss in the fried eggplant.
Private Notes
Comments
I've made this many times and always receive positive feedback! I bake the diced eggplant at 400 instead of frying it; at the end I turn the oven to 'broil' for a couple minutes to crisp the eggplant. I do not use the flour. I sub feta cheese for Manouri, as I never find Manouri at my local store.
This is pretty good. I love orzo salads. However, this doesn't really make sense for the category it's in- lunch food to take to work. The eggplant does not keep overnight and become oily and gummy with the flour. I tried crisping them in the oven right before I left for the office, but they didn't last for 4 hours. Better as a lunch or dinner at home.
I would roast the eggplant in a small amount of olive oil next time.
Perhaps I've been slow to notice the nutritional information feature at the bottom of the ingredients list. It's a boon when checking for certain items (fats and sugar content, e.g.) and adapting the recipe.
Used feta as that was what we could find and roasted the eggplant instead. Served at a party and it was a huge hit! Will make again.
I grilled the eggplant, onion, and peppers, which added a nice flavor to the salad. Otherwise I made as directed & we enjoyed for many heatwave meals!
Really really tasty combo of flavors but way too much orzo. I'd do maybe a cup dried if not less.