Whipped Feta, Eggplant + Chimichurri
If you are looking for a show stopping centre-piece for any occasion, this is the recipe you need. It looks stunning, the colours are bright and the chimichurri is full of vibrant herbs and lemon. Delicious with any protein added on the side. To make this dairy free directly replace the feta for thick coconut yoghurt.
Serves: 4-6
Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients –
2 eggplants, cut in half lengthways
4 tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp sea salt
200g cherry tomatoes
Whipped Feta
50g feta, crumbled
1/4 cup hulled tahini
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup water
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp sea salt
Chimichurri
1 cup chopped fresh herbs
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ red chilli, finely chopped
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 cloves garlic, crushed and finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp of sea salt
2 tbsp dukkha
3 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
Method –
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Place the eggplant halves face up on a baking tray. With a sharp knife, score the eggplant flesh of each half in 3 lines lengthways and evenly rub with the cooking oil and salt. Bake for 20 minutes. Add the whole cherry tomatoes to the baking tray and roast for another 10 minutes.
While the eggplant and tomatoes are roasting, make the whipped feta. Process all the ingredients in a blender until you have a smooth creamy whip. (Alternatively you can use a stick blender.)
For the chimichurri, mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl.
To assemble the salad, evenly spread the whipped feta over the base of a flat, round plate, using the back of a spoon.
Arrange the roasted eggplant and tomatoes on top. Lastly, drizzle over some chimichurri and sprinkle with dukkah and pine nuts.
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Any leftover chimichurri will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.