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Three salads get made over with spices, crunchy pickles and fragrant herbs for a hearty, snack-worthy platter.

Pro tip: You can substitute the Egg Salad Garlic Aioli with ½ cup mayo or aquafaba mixed with garlic and Dijon.

Ingredients

For the Eggplant Salad:
  • 2 medium heavy eggplants
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
  • ½ red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 small sweet or bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
  • A handful parsley tops, about ½ cup, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons wine vinegar, red or white
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • Toasted sliced peeled almonds, to serve
For the Tuna Salad:
  • 1 cup Puy lentils, cooked 20 minutes to tender and drained
  • About 3 tablespoons tomato paste or sundried tomato paste
  • 3 cloves garlic, grated or chopped
  • 1 tablespoon Harissa or Sriracha
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • Two 6-ounce cans drained and flaked sustainable tuna
  • 1 carrot, grated
  • ½ white onion, finely chopped
  • 1 rib celery, finely chopped
  • 1 Persian cucumber, finely chopped
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped
  • 2 scallions
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
For the Egg Salad Garlic Aioli:
  • 1 round teaspoon Dijon
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 clove garlic, grated or pasted
  • ⅓-½ cup olive oil
For the Egg Salad:
  • 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
  • 3 tablespoons chopped cornichons or relish
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 rib celery with leafy tops, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons capers in brine, drained and chopped
  • 10 hard-boiled eggs, homemade or store-bought (sold in dairy aisle of market)
  • 3 scallions, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup chopped dill and parsley
To serve:
  • Grilled buttered everything and pumpernickel bagels or saltines and bagel crisps or blistered and cut Naan bread, Gem lettuce or Bibb lettuce

Yield

Serves: 4

Preparation

For the eggplant salad, preheat oven to 450˚F.  

Prick the eggplants in several places with tines of fork, roast to very tender and collapsing, skin blistered, about 35 minutes, cool. Place peeled eggplant in food processor with juice of 1 lemon, coarsely grind, and add to a bowl. Add garlic, red onion, peppers, chopped parsley, vinegar and EVOO, stir and serve or chill. To serve, top the eggplant with toasted nuts.  

For the tuna salad, cook lentils and drain, rinse. (Some markets sell cooked lentils in pouches in produce department as well.) Place the tomato paste in bowl and add 2 tablespoons super-hot water, whisk into paste, add garlic, harissa or sriracha, spices, pepper, lemon juice, and EVOO. Add the tuna to the dressing, then add carrots, onion, celery, cucumber, chopped eggs, salt and pepper, scallions, dill, and parsley. Combine with lentils.  

For the garlic aioli, in a large mixing bowl, combine the Dijon, lemon, yolk, salt, and garlic. In a very slow stream, whisk in olive oil to form aioli. Or, start with mayo or aquafaba mayo and combine with Dijon and pasted garlic.  

For the egg salad, to the aioli dressing, add the horseradish, chopped cornichons or relish, shallots, celery and capers, then add chopped eggs and combine, then fold in scallions and herbs.

Serve the salads on bed of lettuce with crackers, bagel crisps, grilled bagels or blistered Naan bread.