Momma Anita’s Armenian Eggplant And Pomegranate Salad

If my mother has a pomegranate handy, she’ll pop some seeds into one of her lovely salads.  Here is one salad she’s made since I was little.  She tells me that it’s a traditional Armenian salad. It’s a super easy salad to make, and it can’t be healthier. You just need about 30 minutes to grill the eggplant. I serve this with lamb chops or even grilled fish.

My mother serves this salad with tomatoes; although, I am not quite sure about combining pomegranate seeds with tomatoes. I’ll leave it for you to decide whether to include tomatoes or not.

 

 

Here is what you’ll need:

• 2 large eggplants
• 1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
• 2 green onions, both white and green parts, thinly sliced
• 1/2 pasilla pepper, chopped
• 1/4 of a medium red onion, chopped
• a handful of cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/4 cup olive-oil
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• pinch of Aleppo pepper, or crushed red pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

 

Pre-heat the oven broiler, puncture the eggplants several places with a spoon, and broil for about 30 minutes. Turn the eggplant over 15 minutes through and keep an eye on it. The flesh inside should be soft when you pierce with a fork. Once done, set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, chop the parsley, tomatoes (if using), onions, green onions, and pasilla pepper, and add to the bowl. Add the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and Aleppo pepper.

Peal the skin off the eggplant and chop it roughly. Add to the bowl and mix with the other ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. Lastly, add the pomegranates seeds and mix again. Taste the salad here. Add more lemon juice or salt if you think it needs some more.