A few people in my life have claimed not to like eggplant. Then they try it grilled. “Oh, I must only like it grilled,” they say. Then they try it roasted. “Oh, well I guess I like it roasted, too.”

A few more rounds like this and they finally admit it: they just like eggplant, full stop. (Eating at my house the other night, one of these friends confessed, “I don’t know why I ever thought I didn’t like eggplant. What was I thinking?”)

The only thing I can figure is that people get put off by heavy, greasy eggplant at bad Italian restaurants. Because truly, eggplant is divine. It’s texture is unique: the exterior holds together while it roasts or grills, while the interior collapses into a hot, melted delight. It features in cuisines around the world: from millefoglie di melanzane in Italy, to babaganoush in the Levant, to braised eggplant in Sichuan. And to my taste, it is the meatiest of all vegetables– the one that I am happiest to have as a full meal on its own.

That’s where this recipe comes in. You slice the eggplant in half and chuck it in the oven; then, while it’s roasting, you mix up a glaze with soy sauce, miso, rice vinegar, and sugar. The middle of the eggplant becomes hot and silky, but the exterior–roasted to perfection and covered in umami-rich miso and soy–is browned, bubbling, and glazed.

On top of whatever grains you have lying around, this recipe is a full meal; with a cucumber salad and a tofu or meat dish, it could be the centerpiece of a dinner party.

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Previously:
One year ago: Salade Lyonnaise + A Little Taste of Lyon
Two years ago: Mom’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (our house cookie and a reader favorite)

And for my Australians:
Six months ago: Umami Bomb Mushroom Soup + How to Make Your Veg Taste Better
1.5 years ago: Tip: How to Lessen the Bite of Red Onions
2.5 years ago: Muesli with Nuts, Dried Fruit, and Coconut

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Meaty Roasted Eggplant with Soy-Miso Glaze

Adapted a smidge from Bon Appétit
Serves 5 as a main or up to 10 as a side (see note following recipe)

Ingredients

5 small to medium eggplants (3 pounds or 1.36kg)
6 Tbsp (88mL) canola oil
A piece of ginger about the size of your palm, peeled, finely grated or minced
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (103g) miso (see notes following recipe)
3 1/2 tablespoons (52mL) soy sauce
3 tablespoons (44mL) rice vinegar
3 teaspoons (13g) brown sugar
3 tablespoons (44mL) lime juice (from 2-3 limes)
3 Persian cucumbers, sliced into rounds or cut into chunks (sliced is prettier, but chunks would work better with the grains)
4 scallions, sliced either into matchsticks or thinly crosswise (matchsticks are prettier, but thinly crosswise would work better with the grains)
4 cups cooked grains (such as barley, freekeh, farro, quinoa, or brown rice)
2 big handfuls basil, Thai basil, or cilantro, very roughly chopped

Instructions

Preheat to 400F (204C). Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, then score cut sides with a sharp knife. Roast, cut side up, on a rimmed baking sheet until tender but not quite browned, about 22-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, if your grain of choice isn’t already cooked, get it going now.

Then whisk ginger, miso, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and oil in a medium bowl until smooth-ish. Place 5 tablespoons of the glaze in a separate medium bowl (or in a jar/pyrex that you want to store leftover dressing in). Whisk lime juice into the 5 tablespoons glaze. This is your dressing.

When the eggplant is looking tender but not browned, spoon glaze (i.e., mixture without lime juice) over the cut sides of the eggplants. Increase oven temperature to 450F (232C) and return eggplants to oven. Roast until glaze is browned and bubbling, 12–15 minutes.

While the eggplant is finishing off in the oven, toss the cucumbers, scallions, grains, and basil with about half of the dressing. (If you’re planning on leftovers, see note following recipe.)

Remove eggplant from oven. Place on top of grain salad mixture. Drizzle with additional dressing if desired and serve!

Notes

On quantity: Plan on one eggplant per person + grain salad as a main, or a half an eggplant per person as a side.

On miso: No bones about it: this recipe is salty. I liked it as-is (the fermented funk of the miso kept it interesting) but if you’re worried, you could cut back a little bit on the soy or miso and add a bit of rice vinegar to compensate.

Cooking for leftovers?: As always, if you are cooking for leftovers, only dress what you plan on eating that day. So, just toss that night’s quantity of grain salad with some dressing, and store the remaining grain salad, eggplant, and dressing separately in the fridge.