With fresh mint sauce and feta cheese, this roasted eggplant is a flavorful hands-off dish to make for dinner tonight.
I feel like eggplant is one of those vegetables that folks either love or hate (or have never tried). Which, if you hate it, I get it. You probably had mushy eggplant that was tasteless.
But this is why roasted eggplant shines! Roasting the eggplant adds caramelization and crispiness that you won’t be able to get enough of! Plus, with the addition of salty feta and mint, it really is a Mediterranean-inspired stunner!
This baked eggplant recipe can be used as a filling vegetarian main course or you can serve it as a side dish. It is super versatile and good all year round as it’s comforting, yet light and refreshing.
Ingredients For Oven Roasted Eggplant
Roasted eggplant recipes can be simple, complicated, topped, or not topped. There are so many ways to serve! I like to use cheese and herbs to enhance the texture and caramelized flavor created by baking the eggplant.
- Eggplant: Obviously we need some eggplant for this recipe. Just a fun FYI, eggplant is also known as aubergine. So, if you want to feel fancy you can say you are serving roasted aubergine.
- Olive Oil: Olive oil is used to roast the eggplant and to make the mint sauce.
- Feta Cheese: Feta is great to match with eggplant because it is so salty naturally. The salt contrasts the caramelization that occurs with roasted eggplant recipes beautifully!
- Lemon Juice: Adding acid is a great way to brighten a dish and also enhance the mint flavor.
- Mint: I am not sure what it is about mint, lemon, and feta, but it is like the holy grail of Mediterranean flavors. I use fresh mint that has been chopped finely.
- Garlic: Lastly, the garlic for a slightly nutty flavor. Adding garlic has the effect of what I like to call anchoring a dish. The familiar flavor really hits home that this baked aubergine is a comforting dish with classic flavors.
How to make roasted eggplant
Making this healthy eggplant is super simple and only requires slicing and topping with a quick mint sauce and feta cheese and mmmmm it’s the bees knees.
Step 1: Prep Eggplant
Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Cut the eggplant in half, lengthwise. Score the eggplant, cutting slits into just the flesh (not the skin), making about 5 cuts diagonally across the eggplant. Make another set of cuts diagonally the other way to create a cross hatch pattern (here’s our guide to cutting eggplant).
Step 2: Bake
Brush eggplant with a bit of oil. Place scored eggplant cut side down on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Carefully flip eggplants to be cut side up, then return to the oven and cook for 10 more minutes.
Step 3: Sauce
Meanwhile, combine all Sauce ingredients.
Step 4: Serve
When the eggplant has finished cooking, transfer it to a serving plate. Top with mint sauce and crumbled feta cheese.
Recipe Tips
Save It: If you have leftover eggplant, you can store it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you can, I recommend removing the feta mint sauce to store it separately but it is not totally necessary. When ready to reheat, simply reheat in the oven (will help retain the crispy texture better) or microwave until heated through.
Variations: If you want to mix it up, you can try roasted eggplant with different spices and cheeses. A favorite is baked eggplant parmesan with grated parmesan, parsley, and garlic (no mint for this one). Another good variation is to use goat cheese and cranberry sauce for a Thanksgiving take on this. You can also grill the egg plant for a grilled aubergine – perfect for summer!
FAVORITE SHEET PAN
This large nonstick sheet pan is one of my everyday favorites!
More Egg-celent Recipes
Level up your weekly dinners with these other tasty eggplant recipes!
- Herby Bulgur Stuffed Eggplant is a hearty and delicious meal, perfect for lunch or dinner.
- Stuffed Eggplant Parmesan is one of my favorites (as I mentioned above with the parmesan variation)! With such classic flavors, everyone loves this recipe!
- Eggplant Lasagna is the perfect vegetarian lasagna. Filled with gooey cheese and no gluten or grains!
Ingredients
Eggplant
- 1 eggplant
- 1 Tbsp olive oil 15 mL
- ¼ cup feta cheese 30 g
Mint Sauce
- 2 Tbsp olive oil 30 mL
- 1 tsp lemon juice 5 mL
- 2 Tbsp finally chopped fresh mint
- 1 clove garlic minced
- Pinch each of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cut: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Cut the eggplant in half, lengthwise. Score the eggplant, cutting slits into just the flesh (not the skin), making about 5 cuts diagonally across the eggplant. Make another set of cuts diagonally the other way to create a cross hatch pattern. Brush with 1 Tbsp olive oil.
- Bake: Place scored eggplant cut side down on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Carefully flip eggplants to be cut side up, then return to the oven and cook for 10 more minutes.
- Sauce: Meanwhile, combine all Sauce ingredients.
- Serve: When eggplant has finished cooking, transfer to a serving plate. Top with mint sauce and crumbled feta cheese.
Jess says
I have never had eggplant whole like this – it was unbelievably tender and delicious! I put mine under the broiler for a couple minutes and then dusted them with Harissa powder – that went well with the mint and feta.
Sarah says
I’m so happy to hear it, Jess! Sounds delish with that harissa! 😀
Becky Bingham says
I thought this was a delicious and easy way to cook eggplant! My hubby and kids didn’t love it, but I’ll be making this again for sure! I paired it with the Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables.