Eggplant Chickpea Salad With Olive Dressing
Updated September 23, 2025
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Sue Li.
- Ready In
- 45 min
- Rating
- Comments
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Ingredients
2 pounds globe or Japanese eggplant
2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed and patted dry
½ cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, coarsely ground (see Tip)
Salt
Black pepper
2 heads romaine (about 1 pound)
20 pitted Castelvetrano or other meaty green olives
1 small shallot or ¼ small red onion
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
⅔ cup crumbled feta
Whole-milk yogurt, for serving, optional
Fresh herb leaves such as oregano, cilantro or dill, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
71 grams carbs; 24 milligrams cholesterol; 813 calories; 31 grams monosaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 52 grams fat; 25 grams fiber; 1574 milligrams sodium; 23 grams protein; 20 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
Heat the oven to 450 degrees. While the oven heats, cut the stems off the eggplant, cut the eggplant into 1-inch chunks and transfer to a sheet pan. Add the chickpeas, drizzle with ½ cup olive oil and toss to combine and coat well. Add the fennel seeds, ¼ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper; toss again.
- Step 2
Roast, tossing occasionally, until the eggplant is golden and tender and the chickpeas are slightly crisp, 30 to 35 minutes.
- Step 3
Meanwhile, roughly chop romaine and divide among serving bowls or plates. Roughly chop the olives and place in a small bowl. Finely chop the shallot and add to the bowl with the olives along with the lemon juice and remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine.
- Step 4
When ready to serve, top the romaine with the roasted eggplant and chickpeas. Sprinkle with the feta and drizzle with the yogurt, if using, then top with the herbs. Spoon the olive dressing over the vegetables.
To coarsely grind fennel seeds, gather them in a shallow pile on a cutting board and slice through them slowly two to three times. The seeds may bounce and roll around, so using a medium or large cutting board helps keep them contained and makes the process easier. Alternatively, you can crush them slightly using a mortar and pestle.
Private Notes
Comments
Hi! A restaurant near my has a very similar salad so I added a couple things based on what they do which make an already amazing recipe go to over the top good. They use chunks of hothouse cucumbers and thinly shaved fennel bulb and then I added some falafel for more substance and a ton of freshly chopped oregano. In my opinion, adding a big dollop of plain Greek yogurt is a must and turns the dressing into something out of this world.
I used wilted spinach instead of romaine, but otherwise followed the recipe and thought it was delicious!
@Kathleenid try cumin seed, which fits this middle eastern profile.
1/2 cup olive oil = 960 calories. I used less than 1/4 cup, and I thought the recipe came out great. Very interesting flavors. I also used cumin seeds instead of fennel.
Just made this and I have NO IDEA why it has 5 stars. I didn’t have the herbs but there is no way they would have made this even a 3. I love all the ingredients, but this was so lacking in any flavour. Fennel seeds as the only spice?? Eggplant isn’t flavourful and neither are chickpeas. Yogourt also bland. Feta is the only strong flavour but it is utterly lost in this hodgepodge mess that looks as boring as it tastes. Help me understand these raves.
The recipe is fantastic as written. Be conscious of the salt though (I used home made unsalted garbanzos and seasoned lightly) Fresh herbs are a nice addition but the salad will still taste great if you don’t have any.