Your Next Go-To Side Dish: Sumac-Roasted Eggplant with Maple Tahini Drizzle

Every recipe I create for my books reflects a facet of how I like to eat in real life. I cannot write a cookbook without an eggplant recipe (or two!) because I love this vegetable so much. I will happily gobble up all four servings of this eggplant—roasted until its flesh is creamy, sprinkled with citrusy sumac and fresh mint, and drizzled with maple syrup–spiked tahini—with zero complaints.

Sumac-Roasted Eggplant with Maple Tahini Drizzle

Serves 4

Ingredients

Main

• 4 Chinese eggplants
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) avocado oil
• 1¼ teaspoons (6 mL) ground sumac, plus more for serving
• ½ teaspoon (2 mL) salt Freshly cracked black pepper

For the maple tahini drizzle

• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) tahini
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) water
• ⅛ teaspoon (0.5 mL) salt

For serving

• Flaky sea salt
• 1⁄3 cup (75 mL) packed fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Roast the eggplant: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Using a paring knife, score the halves diagonally, spaced ½ inch (1 cm) apart. Place the eggplant cut side up on the prepared baking sheet.
3. Brush the eggplant with the avocado oil. Sprinkle with the sumac, salt, and lots of pepper. Turn the eggplant halves over so they are cut side down on the baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and roast until soft and golden brown on the cut side, about 45 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, make the maple tahini drizzle: In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, maple syrup, water, and salt.
5. To serve, pile the eggplant on a serving platter. Spoon the maple tahini drizzle over the eggplant. Sprinkle with a bit more sumac, flaky sea salt, and mint. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. (I like to chop and fry the leftover eggplant, then add a bit of water and any leftover maple tahini drizzle until warmed through.)

Excerpted from Plant Magic by Desiree Nielsen. Copyright © 2024 Desiree Nielsen. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

Next: A Gluten-Free Carrot Cake That Tastes Like the Real Deal