Lebanese Style Eggplant with Yogurt is the perfect side dish. Loaded with garlic, cumin and fresh mint, it adds a punch of flavor to any dish!
This simple vegetarian side dish was inspired by a Mediterranean platter I had out a few weeks ago. I loved the eggplant dish so much, I grilled everyone I could to find out the ingredients and the technique.
What I also found out was that the more “traditional” version of this dish is actually made with deep fried and floured eggplant. While I love the idea of crispy eggplant edges, I wanted to avoid deep frying or pan frying because it adds so many more calories and frankly, another messy step.
So far, I have tried this with both grilled and roasted eggplant and they are both great. The grill does add a little bit of smokiness which is nice but either preparation method works so go with whatever is easiest for you!
If you want to go with the more traditional preparation, cube and salt the eggplant and then let it sit out for at least 30 minutes in a strainer. Lightly dust each piece in your favorite GF or regular flour seasoned with a pinch of salt, pepper and ground cumin. Deep fry or pan fry until golden and allow to cool on paper towels. Once cooled, mix with remaining ingredients!
As for the yogurt, I used labneh – which is a thick Lebanese strained yogurt similar to Greek yogurt. Don’t stress if you can’t find it, just sub Greek yogurt but make sure to use full-fat plain.
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Lebanese Style Eggplant with Yogurt is the perfect side dish. Loaded with garlic, cumin and fresh mint, it adds a punch of flavor to any dish!
- 2 pounds eggplant cut into 1" cubes
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- pinch salt and black pepper
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup Labneh or Greek yogurt
- 2 medium cloves garlic
- 3/4 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- couple turns freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped mint
- squeeze fresh lemon juice
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Preheat oven to 450F.
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Cut eggplant into 1" cubes.
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Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.
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Spread out on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes until browned.
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Remove and add to a mixing bowl along with remaining ingredients. Mix until well coated, taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Keep in mind that the flavors will intensify as the dish sits.
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Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!
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Added 1 tsp. tahini to the sauce and garnished with fried flat bread. Awesome!! Definitely making again!!
Hi Kim! So glad you liked it – fried flat bread sounds amazing!!
This looks scrumptious – perfect for entertaining!
I can almost taste this now! I love that you found out how to re-create this dish.
I think I could make a meal out of this with a little bread, it sounds delicious! I want to try it both ways.
These flavors are outstanding. This is perfect for holiday parties!
This looks great! And coincidentally, I just made some homemade labneh today (seriously)!
That’s perfect!
I often forget to cook with eggplant. This looks divine!
This is perfect timing…I have so much eggplant right now.
I’ll take mine grilled! What a tasty looking dish.
This is one of my go-to dishes to order at a favorite Lebanese restaurant. I really like that you lightened the recipe be retained the crispy edges of the eggplant.
Thanks Kirsten!