Looking for a healthy vegetarian dish to take to those spring and summer BBQs, or a delicious, easy Meat-free Monday recipe? Look no further. 

Grilled eggplant is topped with a meatless umami flavoured nut mixture and dairy-free creamy sauce, sprinkled with aromatic summer herbs – guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser. Even the meat-eaters won’t know what’s hit them! 

Not only is it fresh, filling and flavoursome, it’s also healthy, gluten-free, paleo and vegetarian. 

The slight sweetness of the eggplant makes the perfect accompaniment to the savory herb sauce that goes on top. To make it, simply make the dressing, toast the meatless nut mixture, grill the eggplant and assemble the eggplants. 

Our advice? Make sure you make plenty (or keep enough aside for yourself) as these will go down a treat for your next garden party recipe idea.

Ingredient

For The Nut Crumble: 

2 cups raw pecans or walnuts, chopped 

2 tablespoons coconut aminos 

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil 

1/4 teaspoon cumin 

1/8th teaspoon red pepper flakes 

1 teaspoon garlic powder 

1 teaspoon onion powder 

1/2 teaspoon sea salt 

1/4 teaspoon black pepper 

For The Dressing: 

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 

1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise 

1 teaspoon garlic powder 

1/2 teaspoon sea salt, more to taste 

1/4 teaspoon black pepper, more to taste 

Pinch Red pepper flakes 

For The Grilled Eggplant: 

4 Baby or Italian eggplants, sliced in half with the stems kept. 

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed 

2 tablespoons Italian seasoning 

2 teaspoons garlic powder 

1 teaspoon fine sea salt 

1/4 teaspoon black pepper 

For The Garnish: 

1 tablespoon fresh basil, roughly chopped 

1 tablespoon parsley, roughly chopped 

How to make it

Prep Time: 10 minutes 

Cook Time: 10 minutes 

Serves: 4 

1. Place all dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Place dressing in the fridge until ready to serve. 
2. In a small saucepan, add the ingredients for the nut crumble over low heat. Mix until well combined and toast the nuts until fragrant. About 5-10 minutes. Set mixture aside until ready to serve. 
3. Slice eggplant in half and score the flesh. Brush with olive oil and spices. Be generous with the olive oil and spices in this step. Heat and grease grill or grill-pan. Once hot, place eggplant on the grill, flesh side down. Grill for 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown and soft to touch. 
4. Place Grilled eggplant on desired serving dish. Smear a generous amount of dressing onto each eggplant. Top with nut crumble and herbs. Serve warm!