Looking for an alternative to eggplant parmesan?
Grilled Eggplant with a tomato and pepper medley is a great low carb alternative to the fried eggplant parmesan. This grilled eggplant with tomato and pepper medley recipe is not fried and also is not layered in cheese. It’s a great healthy meal! When you combine a few of these ingredients with the grilled eggplant you have a fantastic low carb meal that is quick to prepare and easy to make.
Sweating Eggplant
How do you grill eggplant with tomatoes and peppers?
Eggplant is easy to grill but must be prepared correctly. The first step in preparing the eggplant is peeling and slicing them. For this recipe, I cut off the very top and bottom of the eggplant. You then have a choice to either peel or not peel the eggplant. Some people don’t like the eggplant skin because of the texture. I didn’t peel the eggplant for this recipe but feel free to peel all or half the eggplant by slicing down the side of the eggplant in vertical strips. Once peeled, slice the eggplant about a 1/2 inch and lay them flat on a sheet pan so that they can sweat.
Why sweat Grilled Eggplant?
The main reason people will sweat eggplant is to pull out excessive liquid that might give the eggplant a bitter taste. There are varying opinions about whether to sweat or not sweat an eggplant. I tend to sweat eggplant whenever possible to avoid any bitterness.
Lay the sliced eggplant out so it can be salted. Generously, salt the laid out eggplant on each side. You will begin to notice little beads of liquid forming on the eggplant. Let them sit there for an hour to pull out the excessive liquid. If you are pressed for time you can do a 1/2 hour, but anything less then that is just a waste of your time. After the moisture is pulled out of the eggplant rinse each side with water to get rid of any remaining salt.
Eggplant with sear marks
Now it’s time to grill the eggplant. First oil your grill and bring the temp up to 400 degrees. Place the eggplant on the oiled grill grates. Rotate the eggplant 90 degrees after 3 minutes and let them grill for another 3 minutes. Flip the eggplant and lower the grill flames to low. Let the eggplant sit on direct heat for another 5 minutes.
Sliced Eggplant and diced pepper tomato reduction cooking on a grill
While the eggplant is grilling you can prepare the tomato pepper medley. Dice three plum tomatoes and chop a cup of roasted red peppers. Often I will roast the red peppers, but for time reasons I used a jar of roasted red peppers. Take a 1/4 cup of olive oil and put in a cast iron pan over direct heat on the grill. Then add the tomatoes and peppers. After 5 minutes of cooking add the basil and stir the mixture.
Diced Tomato Diced Peppers and basil cooking on the grill
Once the eggplant is cooked place the grilled slices on a serving plate. Add the the tomato and pepper mixture over the eggplant.
Grilled Eggplant covered in tomatoes peppers and basil
Finish the eggplant dish with more fresh cut basil and a balsamic vinegar reduction. The combination of all the ingredients give great flavor without the fat and calorie content of eggplant parmesan.
Grilled Eggplant covered in basil tomato and peppers
For me, the balsamic vinegar reduction brings it all together. It brings just the right amount of acidity to the eggplant dish. Keep in mind you can either buy balsamic reductions in the grocery store or you can make your own. When you make at home you can get creative with extra ingredients in the reduction to give it additional flavor.
Grilled Eggplant with tomato peppers and basil
Don’t forget the fresh basil. Dried basil just doesn’t work as well. Enjoy!
Grilled Eggplant
Grilled Eggplant
Sliced eggplant grilled then covered with diced tomatoes, roasted red peppers, basil and a balsamic vinegar reduction.
Ingredients
- 1 Eggplant
- 3 Plum Tomatoes
- 1 cup roasted red peppers
- Fresh Basil
- Balsamic Vinegar Reduction
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
Instructions
Cut off both ends of the eggplant and slice a 1/2 inch thick
Lay each piece of eggplant flat and generously salt
Let the eggplant sit for a 1/2 hour
Wash salt off of the sliced eggplant
Dice the 3 tomatoes
Dice the roasted red peppers
Place sliced eggplant on a hot grill
Place the tomatoes, red peppers in a cast iron skillet and then place the skillet on the grill
After 5 minutes of cooking add basil to the pepper tomato mixture
Rotate the eggplant after three minutes
Flip the eggplant after another three minutes
Reduce your direct heat to low and cook for another 6 minutes
Plate the eggplant slices and then cover the eggplant with the tomato basil pepper reduction
Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the tomatoes and finish with some additional fresh basil
Notes
Bring the grill up to 400 degrees before grilling the eggplant
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