Having a barbecue? Ditch the heavy meat skewers for something a bit lighter but just as flavorful. Just imagine – you’re chilling outside with a glass of rosé, listening to some Bob Marley tunes, and then bam!—you’re enjoying a delicious medley of summer’s finest veggies in grilled, portable flatbread form. Marinated eggplant takes minutes to grill, before being tucked into a flatbread filled with hummus, avocado, more veggies, and a sweet garlic sauce.–Nina Olsson
Eggplant Kebabs
Equipment
- 8 to 16 wooden skewers
Ingredients
For the marinated eggplant
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 medium eggplants, unpeeled and cut into 1-inch (25-mm) chunks
For the garlic sauce
For serving
- 2 avocados, diced
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 3 1/2 ounces green or purple cabbage, shredded
- 3 1/2 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 about 6 oz red pepper, cut into strips
- 2 1/4 cups baby spinach
- A handful fresh herbs, such as cilantro, mint, and parsley, coarsely chopped
- A handful of toasted almonds or other nuts
- 4 flatbreads
- Store-bought or homemade hummus
- Store-bought or homemade harissa
- Lemon wedges, for squeezing
Instructions
Marinate the eggplant
- In a medium bowl, mix together the oil, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add the eggplant to the bowl with the marinade, and toss to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
- While the eggplant is marinating, fill a shallow dish with water and place the wooden skewers in it to soak.
Make the garlic sauce
- Using an immersion blender or a small food processor, process all the ingredients until well combined.
☞ TESTER TIP: If you don’t have an immersion blender or small food processor, first mash the garlic and salt with a fork or the flat side of a chef's knife to form a paste, then scrape it into a bowl and whisk in the remaining ingredients.
Grill the eggplant kebabs
- Heat a charcoal or gas grill until hot. Alternatively, heat a grill pan on the stovetop over high heat.
- Thread the eggplant onto skewers, using about 8 chunks per skewer.
- Grill the kebabs, turning occasionally, until lightly charred on the outside and tender inside, 6 to 12 minutes total. If using a grill pan, slick the pan with a little oil prior to cooking.
Assemble the eggplant kebabs for serving
- Serve the eggplant kebabs along with the flatbreads and desired serving options. Let everyone fashion their own creation. Any remaining ingredients can be served on the side as salad.
Notes
*What can I substitute for harissa?
As far as the level of heat goes, sambal olek is a great substitution. However, harissa has lots of ingredients, it isn’t just heat. You can use something hot, like a sambal or Sriracha or chile paste but you might want to add a pinch of caraway to add that harissa-like flavor.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This is a perfect combination of flavors: a spicy eggplant kebab and a fresh salad, the strong flavor of harissa, the smooth hummus, all this in a soft flatbread. Healthy and delicious food, with simple ingredients, and so easy to prepare. It took 10 minutes to get charred eggplant that was tender inside.
These eggplant kebabs came together really easily. I used 4 small globe eggplants and the marinade was just the right amount to nicely coat all of the pieces. I let them stand for about 4 hours just because I made it in the afternoon. I don’t have an immersion blender and the volume of the garlic sauce was too little for my blender to emulsify it properly. For others without an immersion blender I’d suggest making a paste with fresh garlic and salt and stirring that through some yogurt.
The salad of serving ingredients was delicious and crunchy and fresh. I think it could do with a simple lemon and olive oil dressing though. The flavor of the eggplant kebabs was nice but for the second batch I added a little more oil to give the spices some moisture to help them cook through. The skewers with the added oil were much more delicious.
I cooked them for closer to 6 minutes on the stovetop to get some nice char and softness in the middle. They continue to soften after you take them off, so best not to leave them longer. We had 4 generous servings, especially with the salad, garlic sauce, and hummus. I used the hummus recipe on this site which was perfect. I also made my own harissa. On the whole, totally delicious and will definitely make these eggplant kebabs again.
There is a lot going on in these wraps! And while it may seem like a lot of components to put together, it’s worth the effort for the flavor rewards. The salad delivers a bright, herbal punch and an interesting crunch to offset smooth eggplant and avocado. You have warm spices on the eggplant, tang from the hummus, pungent garlic sauce, and the heat of harissa. It all adds up to a vegetarian (in my case, vegan) meal with a balance of flavor and a balance of nutrition.
I took the vegan option for this wrap by using Kite Hill’s almond yogurt and agave syrup in the garlic sauce. Don’t hesitate to do this. The flavors of the olive oil and especially the garlic are strong here and no one will notice the vegan substitutions. If you are among the eggplant-averse, I think this recipe would work beautifully with tofu or tempeh instead of eggplant. You will probably have leftover garlic sauce (because it’s very strong, you don’t need much on the wraps).
Because it’s basically an aioli, mostly garlic and oil, you should keep it for a maximum of 4 days in the refrigerator. It could be frozen for longer storage. I used 1 very large eggplant. I let the eggplant marinate for a little over 30 minutes The eggplant to a bit longer to cook than suggested. On my Big Green egg, it was about 6 minutes per side. When cooked it had some grill marks and browning on the edges of the chunks. I got 8 skewers of eggplant and used 2 skewers per wrap. I used all three herbs mentioned—cilantro, mint, and parsley—and used a handful of each.
These kebabs pack a punch and paired with the salad, sauce, and hummus, it’s like a party on the taste buds. While not vegetarian, we try to limit meat in our diet and this is a great vegetarian option that is truly satisfying. I used large eggplants and the marinade was a little sparse for the eggplants. I ended up doubling the amount to make sure all the eggplant were coated. I opted to marinate the eggplant in a resealable plastic bag for convenience. My grill time was approximately 3 to 5 minutes a side, turning the kebabs once.
