Manouri, Eggplant and Orzo Salad
Published September 8, 2007
Mikkel Vang for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Susan Spungen. Prop Stylist: Sabine Tucker.
- Total Time
- About 50 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
Kosher salt
2 cups dried orzo
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or as needed
3 cups ½-inch-diced eggplant (from a 1-pound eggplant)
¼ cup canola oil
3 tablespoons flour
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon, fresh lemon juice, or as needed
¼ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced lengthwise into ¼-inch slivers
¾ cup chopped roasted red peppers (jarred or homemade)
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
1 tablespoon finely chopped dill
2 tablespoons roughly chopped basil
4 ounces manouri, cut into ½-inch cubes (about ¾ cup)
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 to 8 servings)
25 grams carbs; 276 calories; 12 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 18 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 227 milligrams sodium; 4 grams protein; 2 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the orzo according to the package directions. Drain, toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and spread on a baking sheet. Let cool in the refrigerator.
- Step 2
Toss the eggplant with 1 ½ teaspoons salt and place in a colander set over a bowl or in a sink. Put several bowls or plates on top of the eggplant and let drain for at least 30 minutes.
- Step 3
Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside. In a heavy 10-inch skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil and the canola oil over medium heat. Squeeze the excess liquid from the eggplant, blot with paper towels and toss in a bowl with the flour. In two batches, fry the eggplant until the cubes are crisp and golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the prepared baking sheet. (Add a little extra oil to the pan for the second batch, as needed.)
- Step 4
In a large bowl, toss the orzo with 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, the lemon juice and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Fold in the olives, peppers, mint, dill, basil and manouri. Taste and adjust for seasoning with additional salt, pepper, lemon juice or olive oil. Just before serving, toss in the fried eggplant.
Private Notes
Comments
I've made this many times and always receive positive feedback! I bake the diced eggplant at 400 instead of frying it; at the end I turn the oven to 'broil' for a couple minutes to crisp the eggplant. I do not use the flour. I sub feta cheese for Manouri, as I never find Manouri at my local store.
This is pretty good. I love orzo salads. However, this doesn't really make sense for the category it's in- lunch food to take to work. The eggplant does not keep overnight and become oily and gummy with the flour. I tried crisping them in the oven right before I left for the office, but they didn't last for 4 hours. Better as a lunch or dinner at home.
I would roast the eggplant in a small amount of olive oil next time.
Perhaps I've been slow to notice the nutritional information feature at the bottom of the ingredients list. It's a boon when checking for certain items (fats and sugar content, e.g.) and adapting the recipe.
Used feta as that was what we could find and roasted the eggplant instead. Served at a party and it was a huge hit! Will make again.
I grilled the eggplant, onion, and peppers, which added a nice flavor to the salad. Otherwise I made as directed & we enjoyed for many heatwave meals!
Really really tasty combo of flavors but way too much orzo. I'd do maybe a cup dried if not less.