Spanish Eggplant With Tomato Vinaigrette Recipe

By
Lisa & Tony Sierra
Lisa & Tony Sierra
Lisa and Tony Sierra are freelance writers and Spanish food experts who lead culinary tours of the country.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 10/20/22
Tested by
Diana Andrews
Headshot of Diana Andrews
Tested by Diana Andrews
Diana earned her B.A. in Fine Art at Queens College and her culinary certification from the Institute of Culinary Education. Diana has served as head recipe developer and editor for Emmy-nominated PBS series Moveable Feast, food editor and test kitchen manager at Fine Cooking Magazine, and recipe developer, and product tester at Food Network.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Spanish Grilled Eggplant With Tomato Vinaigrette Recipe

The Spruce Eats/Julia Hartbeck
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
530 Calories
21g Fat
75g Carbs
14g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 530
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g 27%
Saturated Fat 3g 16%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 731mg 32%
Total Carbohydrate 75g 27%
Dietary Fiber 8g 28%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 14g
Vitamin C 8mg 42%
Calcium 80mg 6%
Iron 5mg 28%
Potassium 460mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Eggplants are a very common vegetable in the Mediterranean, particularly in Spain. This eggplant dish is great to serve as a tapa or a side dish, especially in spring and summer. It is the perfect make-ahead dish, which you can refrigerate and take out a few minutes before serving. With two medium eggplants in the recipe, it serves six as a side dish or 12 as tapas.

"I served this as a tapas along with other delicious small dishes. Everyone loved the smooth, creamy eggplant flavor against the other acidic ingredients in the salad. Don't forget the baguette because it absorbs all the beautiful flavors in the vinaigrette." —Diana Andrews

Spanish Broiled Eggplant with Tomato Vinaigrette Recipe/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 2 medium eggplants, or 1 large

  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, preferably Spanish

  • 3 Roma tomatoes

  • 2 green onions

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 2 teaspoons capers, more to taste

  • 1/4 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves, more for leaves for garnish

  • 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar, preferably Spanish

  • Kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 French-style baguette

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    ingredients to make Spanish Grilled Eggplant With Tomato Vinaigrette

    The Spruce Eats/Julia Hartbeck

  2. Trim off any stems or blemishes on the skin of the eggplants. Cut the eggplants crosswise into slices about 3/8-inch thick.

    eggplant sliced in rounds on a cutting board

    The Spruce Eats/Julia Hartbeck

  3. Position a rack in the center of the oven and turn on broiler to high. Place eggplant slices on a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Lightly brush each slice with olive oil. Place the baking sheet on the center rack so it is not too close to the heating element, or the eggplant will burn.

    sliced eggplant rounds on a lined cookie sheet

    The Spruce Eats/Julia Hartbeck

  4. When one side of the eggplant is lightly browned and soft when you press it, turn the slices over, brush with more olive oil and return to the broiler.

    Depending on your broiler, it may take 15 to 25 minutes to cook. (You may find that slices that are directly under the broiler cook much faster than those at the far corners of the pan. Keep a close eye on the pans and rotate the slices on the baking sheet, if necessary.)

    cooked eggplant slices on a cookie sheet.

    The Spruce Eats/Julia Hartbeck

  5. Remove slices individually as they become done, and place on a large platter or serving plate. Don’t be afraid to overlap slices on the serving plate. It works just fine for serving and will look more appetizing.

    cooked sliced eggplant on a platter

    The Spruce Eats/Julia Hartbeck

  6. While the eggplant is broiling, finely chop the tomatoes and place them in a medium bowl. Finely chop the green onions and add them to the bowl. Put the garlic cloves through a press or mince them by hand and add them to the bowl.

    chopped tomatoes, onions, and garlic in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats/Julia Hartbeck

  7. Remove the capers from the jar with a slotted spoon, so that they drain. Chop the capers and add them to the bowl. Make sure that stems are removed from the basil leaves, then chop the basil and add to the bowl.

    chopped tomatoes, capers, onions, basil, and garlic in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats/Julia Hartbeck

  8. Add vinegar and olive oil to taste to the bowl and toss well. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

    tomato vinaigrette in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats/Julia Hartbeck

  9. Let the eggplant to cool a few minutes. Then, spoon the tomato vinaigrette sauce over the eggplant. Garnish with basil leaves.

    Spanish Grilled Eggplant With Tomato Vinaigrette Recipe

    The Spruce Eats/Julia Hartbeck

Glass Bakeware Warning

Do not use glass bakeware when broiling or when a recipe calls to add liquid to a hot pan, as glass may explode. Even if it states oven-safe or heat-resistant, tempered glass products can, and do, break occasionally.

Tip

  • If you refrigerate this dish, be sure to take it out of the fridge a few minutes before serving so that it warms to room temperature. You will not taste the rich flavors if it is served very cold.