A perfect topping for toast or a sandwich, Marinated Eggplant and Onion, is an easy way to upgrade anything on bread! It's so delicious and can be stored for your sandwiches all week.
Looking for more delicious toppings? Try our Avocado Lime Crema, EASY Ricotta Bruschetta, or Mascarpone Toast with Lox.
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Best Way to Use Eggplant
One of my favorite ways to use up eggplant from the garden is by making marinated eggplant and onion. Really, any vegetable I want to use up I try to make into some kind of marinade or olive oil concoction. Obviously one of the best is fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic, and basil in love oil. But honestly, tomatoes don't hold a candle to my marinated eggplant and onion.
This concoction winds up on my sandwiches, burgers, toast, and bagels, and it's my temporary snack while I'm standing in front of the refrigerator looking for a permanent snack. It's filled with delicious flavors of garlic and basil, with a balance of sweet and sour with lemon and balsamic.
You absolutely need to keep a mason jar filled with this in your fridge. It's easy to make and it is unbelievably delicious. Perfect over an Italian chicken cutlet sandwich! It's a great dish to bring with you to a bbq or family party. It transfers in one hand and you don't even need a tray to carry it!
Substitutions and Ingredient Notes
You want to make sure you use a high-quality EVOO because it is going to be one of the main flavors you taste in this side.
Onions. You can substitute shallots for onions for a more subtle flavor.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step 1: Slice eggplant into circles. Lay out the eggplant on a flat surface and salt both sides of the eggplant. Allow them to sit for 20 minutes and then use a paper towel to pat dry to remove excess moisture.
Pro-Tips
- It's important to remove as much moisture as you can from the eggplants by salting them because pan-frying them when they have a lot of moisture can lead to cooling the pan and then steaming. They will get wet and mushy and not absorb as much olive oil.
Step 2: In a large pan add 1 tablespoon olive oil and saute onions until soft and translucent. Remove the onions from the pan and set them aside. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and fry eggplants on each side until golden brown. You may need 1 more tablespoon of olive oil for the second batch.
Step 3: Allow the eggplant and the onions to cool until room temperature. Chop eggplant into half-inch pieces. Place onions and eggplant into the mason jar. Combine with EVOO, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, basil, and crushed garlic cloves. Place in the refrigerator for 8 hours to marinate.
Enjoy on toast, sandwiches, or however you can imagine.
This recipe is a great add-on for sandwiches, toast, and even a quick pasta. I love having some in the fridge to snack on throughout the week.
FAQs
It can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week. Throughout the week the eggplant will get more and more creamy. I like to let it marinate at least overnight, although 8 hours does the trick.
Salting will help remove some moisture from the eggplant so that when it cooks it's not mushy.
If you love this eggplant side, leave a rating below! It's so easy! You can also follow us on Instagram @vindelgiudice.
More Amazing Sides!
📖 Recipe
Marinated Eggplant and Onion
Equipment
- 1 saucepan or cast iron pan
- 1 large mason jar or storage container
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant
- ½ large onion or 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoon olive oil for cooking
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil for marinating
- 1 lemon
- 1½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 basil leaves
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
Instructions
- Slice eggplant into circles. Lay out the eggplant on a flat surface and salt both sides of the eggplant. Allow them to sit for 20 minutes and then use a paper towel to pat dry to remove excess moisture.
- In a large pan add 1 tablespoon olive oil and saute onions until soft and translucent. Remove from pan. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and fry eggplants on each side until golden brown. You may need 1 more tablespoon of olive oil for the second batch.
- Allow the eggplant and the onions to cool until room temperature. Chop eggplant into half-inch pieces. Place onions and eggplant into the mason jar. Combine with EVOO, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and crushed garlic cloves. Place in the refrigerator for 8 hours to marinate.
- Enjoy on toast, sandwiches, or however you can imagine.
Vinny
An easy marinated eggplant spread we make in the summer whenever we're grilling! I know you'll enjoy!