Zhoug Roasted Aubergines with Crunchy Chickpeas and a Goldenberry Pumpkin Seed Buckwheat Salad

A richly flavoured, light yet hearty vegan and gluten-free dinner or lunch that is packed with fresh vegetables, wholesome grains and colour. Juicy tender roasted aubergine, crunchy protein-packed chickpeas and chewy zingy goldenberries make for a feast for the senses. A quick and easy meal option that works well both warm and cold – save leftovers for lunch the next day.

I hate to say that summer is over but now that September is here, all I can think about is roasted vegetables. I mean, even in summer, I was still roasting vegetables. The amplified flavour of a gentle roast in the oven is next to none – it truly shows the magic of fresh produce. They turn wonderfully rich in flavour especially roasted aubergines that I’ve used here.

Zhoug Roasted Aubergines with Crunchy Chickpeas and a Goldenberry Pumpkin Seed Buckwheat Salad

Aubergines are so versatile and I think they often get overlooked on the vegetable aisle so I am making them the star of the show for this recipe. I do have to admit that first time I made this Zhoug Roasted Aubergines with Crunchy Chickpeas and a Goldenberry Pumpkin Seed Buckwheat Salad, I roasted the aubergine one evening, turned off the oven and forgot about them until the next morning. Now, I don’t advise following in my footsteps but it still worked!

Score the flesh of the aubergine to allow the Zhoug paste and flavour to sink in and to roast evenly. If you’re not familiar with the green paste, it’s primarily a mix of coriander, chilli and garlic and has a light but rich flavour and works really well on roasted vegetables. I like this one from Belazu if you’re looking for one.

Zhoug Roasted Aubergines with Crunchy Chickpeas and a Goldenberry Pumpkin Seed Buckwheat Salad

The second star of the meal is the crunchy roasted chickpeas. You may know my trick by now for perfectly crisp chickpeas is a dusting of arrowroot powder. It absorbs the excess liquid and allows the flavours to stick to the chickpeas. Ground cumin is all you need here, and these things are addictive – they also make great snacks from a jar.

The final element of my Zhoug Roasted Aubergines with Crunchy Chickpeas and a Goldenberry Pumpkin Seed Buckwheat Salad is the buckwheat salad. I love using buckwheat for it’s nuttier flavour, sturdier texture and fun shape. Plus, it is naturally gluten-free, a good source of protein and fibre and cooks in less than 10 minutes. Add some chewy and tart dried goldenberries, crunchy pumpkin seeds, fresh herbs and chopped spring onion for a quick and easy tabbouleh-style grain salad.

This salad is loaded with colour, flavour and texture: juicy roasted tender aubergine, sticky sweet cherry tomatoes, tangy dried goldenberries and earthy crunchy roasted chickpeas. It takes 40 minutes in the oven with only 5 minutes of prep time, making it a simple and fuss-free dinner for friends and family.

If you are aubergine obsessed like me, so how about these recipes too: Smoky Aubergine Baba Ganoush, Sticky Asian Aubergines and Curried Chickpeas or Sticky Sweet Chilli Aubergine and Hummus Rainbow Bowl.

Zhoug Roasted Aubergines with Crunchy Chickpeas and a Goldenberry Pumpkin Seed Buckwheat Salad

• Servings: 2
• Time: 45 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

A richly flavoured, light yet hearty vegan and gluten-free dinner or lunch that is packed with fresh vegetables, wholesome grains and colour. Juicy tender roasted aubergine, crunchy protein-packed chickpeas and chewy zing goldenberries make for a feast for the senses.

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 2 medium aubergines
• 2 tbsp Zhoug paste
• 1 tin chickpeas, drained
• 2 tsp arrowroot powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 12 cherry tomatoes
• 100g buckwheat
• 2 spring onions, sliced
• Chopped fresh parsley
• 100g raw dried goldenberries
• 40g pumpkin seeds
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 tbsp pomegranate arils
• 4 tbsp coconut or almond yoghurt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180Fan/200*C and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Slice the aubergine in half lengthways and score the flesh. Arrange face up and smother with the Zhoug paste and 1 tbsp olive oil. Roast for 30-40 minutes until tender.
2. Pat the chickpeas dry, toss with 1 tbsp olive oil, the arrowroot powder, ground cumin and some salt and black pepper. Roast for 20-30 minutes until crispy, turning over halfway through. Drizzle the tomatoes in a little olive oil and some salt and black pepper and roast for 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook the buckwheat according to packet instructions, drain and leave to one side. Stir through the sliced spring onion, fresh parsley, goldenberries and pumpkin seeds.
4. Serve the roasted aubergines on top of the buckwheat salad, topped with roasted crunchy chickpeas, the tomatoes, the pomegranate and yoghurt and some extra goldenberries and seeds.

Zhoug Roasted Aubergines with Crunchy Chickpeas and a Goldenberry Pumpkin Seed Buckwheat Salad

I hope you will love this fresh recipe for Zhoug Roasted Aubergines with Crunchy Chickpeas and a Goldenberry Pumpkin Seed Buckwheat Salad. Let me know what you think below and if you make it by tagging me. I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With Zhoug roasted aubergine love x