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–+ servings
brown rice salad in a bowl with a fork
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5 from 8 votes

Brown Rice Salad with Roasted Eggplant

This healthful and satisfying brown rice salad with roasted eggplant and feta is equally packed with rich umami flavor and vital nutrients. It's make-ahead friendly and great warm or cold.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Grains
Cuisine: American
Keyword: brown rice salad
Servings: 6
Calories: 364kcal
Author: Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Ingredients

  • 1 cup raw brown basmati rice
  • ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt divided
  • 1 medium eggplant about one pound/455 grams, peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces
  • 1 medium red onion diced small
  • 5 cloves garlic chopped
  • 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil, divided
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 15 oil-cured black olives pitted and minced
  • 2 ounces (56 grams) feta cheese, crumbled
  • 6 large fresh basil leaves minced
  • 2 cups cooked chickpeas optional
  • Juice of ½ lemon about 2 tablespoons/(30 ml)

Instructions

  • In a medium pot, combine rice, 1 ¾ cups water, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt.
  • Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and cook at a gentle simmer for 40 minutes or until water is absorbed. Cool slightly. (See note 1).
  • Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°F with a rack in the middle.
  • On a large rimmed baking sheet, place the diced eggplant, onion, and garlic. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and the pepper. Toss to coat evenly and spread in a single layer.
  • Roast for about 30 minutes, until tender.
  • Pour the rice, roasted eggplant mixture, olives, feta, basil, and chickpeas (if using) into a large bowl.
  • Sprinkle with the lemon juice and toss gently to combine.
  • Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

  1. Alternatively, you can cook the rice in the Instant Pot like this. It's become my favorite method.
  2. To make this dish vegan, simply leave out the feta. To bulk it up, instead of chickpeas, try cooked lentils or diced chicken breast.
  3. Brown rice salad with roasted eggplant is super make-ahead friendly. It will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a week.
  4. Nutritional information for this recipe includes chickpeas.

Nutrition

Calories: 364kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 12.4g | Fat: 13.2g | Fiber: 9.2g