Warm Millet Eggplant Salad (Printable Version)

Nutty millet tossed with smoky roasted eggplant, fresh herbs, and tangy lemon dressing. A vibrant Mediterranean dish.

# Ingredient List:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup millet
02 - 2 cups water
03 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

→ Vegetables

04 - 1 large eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
05 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
06 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
07 - 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

→ Dressing

08 - 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons for roasting
09 - Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
10 - 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
11 - 1 clove garlic, minced
12 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Fresh Herbs & Garnish

14 - 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
15 - 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
16 - 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Arrange the eggplant cubes and diced red bell pepper on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat evenly. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the vegetables are golden and tender.
03 - While the vegetables roast, rinse the millet under cold running water. Bring 2 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the rinsed millet, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until the water is fully absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, and a pinch each of salt and pepper until well emulsified.
05 - Add the warm, fluffed millet to the dressing along with the roasted eggplant, roasted bell pepper, sliced red onion, and halved cherry tomatoes. Toss gently to coat everything evenly.
06 - Fold in the chopped parsley and mint. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
07 - Serve warm or at room temperature, garnished with toasted pine nuts if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The contrast between warm, smoky eggplant and cool, crisp tomatoes is the kind of thing that makes people ask what exactly is in this.
  • Millet is wildly underrated and cooks faster than you think, giving you a fluffy, nutty base that soaks up dressing beautifully.
  • Everything comes together on one baking sheet and in one pot, which means cleanup is almost nonexistent.
02 -
  • Eggplant acts like a sponge, so do not skimp on the olive oil when roasting or you will end up with dry, leathery cubes instead of silky, golden ones.
  • Adding the millet while it is still warm helps it absorb the dressing more deeply than if you let it cool first.
  • Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to two days, but the texture is best on day one when the herbs are still vibrant.
03 -
  • Cut the eggplant slightly larger than you think you need, because the cubes shrink considerably during roasting and you want them to have presence in each bite.
  • If your millet ever tastes bitter despite rinsing, toast it in a dry pan for two minutes before adding water, which transforms the flavor entirely.

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