Roasted Eggplant & Tomato Chermoula Bowl
Rate this recipe
~$2.38 CAD per serving (estimate)
Ingredients
- 2 (~1 kg)Large eggplants, cut into 2cm cubes (roasted vegetables)
- 1½ cupsCherry tomatoes, halved (roasted vegetables)
- 3 tbspOlive oil (roasted vegetables)
- ¼ cupToasted almonds or pumpkin seeds (roasted vegetables)
- Fresh mint leaves, torn (roasted vegetables; large handful)
- 1 cupFresh cilantro, packed (chermoula sauce)
- ½ cupFresh parsley, packed (chermoula sauce)
- 4 clovesGarlic (chermoula sauce)
- 2 lemonsLemon juice (chermoula sauce)
- 5 tbspOlive oil (chermoula sauce)
- 1½ tspGround cumin (chermoula sauce)
- 1 tspSmoked paprika (chermoula sauce)
- ½ tspGround coriander (chermoula sauce)
- ½ tspCayenne (optional) (chermoula sauce; optional)
Nutrition / serving
- Calories305 kcal
- Protein7 g
- Carbs22 g
- Fat23 g
- Fiber10 g
Cost Estimate
~$2.38 CAD per serving (estimate)
Instructions
Preheat & roast eggplant
Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Toss eggplant with 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast 25–28 min, flipping halfway, until deeply golden with almost-charred edges.
Add tomatoes
Add cherry tomatoes to the baking sheet for the last 8 min — they should blister and burst.
Make chermoula
Blend all sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor until a thick, vibrant green sauce forms. Taste and adjust — more lemon, salt, or cayenne as desired.
Toast nuts/seeds
Toast almonds or pumpkin seeds in a dry pan 2–3 min until golden. Cool.
Assemble bowls
Spread chermoula as the base. Top with roasted eggplant and blistered tomatoes. Drizzle more chermoula on top. Scatter toasted almonds and fresh mint.
Chef's Cool Facts
Morocco's Great Herb Sauce
Chermoula is to Moroccan cooking what chimichurri is to Argentina — the essential herb sauce that goes on almost everything. Every family has its own version.
Eggplant Needs High Heat
Eggplant is 92% water by weight. Roasting at very high heat is critical — the water must evaporate quickly for caramelization to occur. Too cool and eggplant steams into mush.
Almonds at a Glance
A single 30 g serving of almonds provides ~6 g protein, ~4 g fibre, and high levels of vitamin E — one of the most nutrient-dense snack foods.