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Home » Lunch » Warm Mediterranean Eggplant and Bulgur Salad with Feta

Warm Mediterranean Eggplant and Bulgur Salad with Feta

Published: Apr 10, 2024 by Dora · This post may contain affiliate links ·

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10 min to prepare, 30 min in the oven for an easy, refreshing warm Mediterranean Eggplant and Bulgur Salad with feta, zucchini, olives. Perfect for a crowd, for parents, toddlers, adaptable for picky eaters, baby-led weaning and for lunch or dinner.

Two plates with the salad.
Jump to:
  • Why we love this mediterranean bulgur salad
  • Ingredients
  • How to Make This Bulgur Wheat Salad
  • Additions
  • Variations
  • How To Serve Bulgur Salad to Babies And Toddlers?
  • Storage
  • FAQ
  • Other Family Recipes
  • Warm Mediterranean Eggplant and Bulgur Salad with Feta
  • Comments

Why we love this mediterranean bulgur salad

  • Refreshing taste of Mediterranean 
  • Easy summer roasted vegetable salad recipe - 10 min prep, 30 min oven
  • Light summer lunch, light dinner or tasty side dish
  • Kid-friendly salad with an Mediterranean salad dressing of balsamic vinegar, olive oil and mustard
  • The bulgur is oven cooked - yep 
  • Energy-loaded nutritious vegetarian dish filled with carbohydrates, protein and fat. And plenty vitamins and minerals too
  • Baby-led weaning friendly, easily adapted to picky eaters and toddlers

​You might also like our other healthy recipes such as 

Ingredients

Let's talk about what makes this dish so special:

Labelled ingredients on a white background.
  • Eggplant: Adds a rich, meaty texture with a hint of sweetness when roasted.
  • Bulgur: This whole grain provides a hearty base and a dose of fiber to keep you feeling full and satisfied.
  • Cherry Tomatoes: Bursting with juicy flavor, these little gems add a pop of color and freshness to the salad.
  • Feta Cheese: Its creamy, tangy goodness perfectly balances the other ingredients. And it is my favorite type of goats cheese. 
  • Olives: Whether you prefer briny Kalamata or mild green olives, they bring a salty kick that complements the dish beautifully.
  • Olive Oil: Used for roasting the vegetables and creating a luscious dressing, olive oil adds richness and depth of flavor.
  • Salt and Pepper: Essential for seasoning and enhancing the natural flavors of the ingredients.
  • Balsamic Vinegar and Mustard: The dynamic duo behind our flavorful dressing, adding acidity and a touch of complexity.

How to Make This Bulgur Wheat Salad

Collage of images showing the steps to making the recipe.
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F.
  2. Wash and cut the zucchini and eggplant into pieces about 1 cm thick. You can peel the skin off also if you wish. For baby-led weaning, peel the eggplant and zucchini and cut the veg the width and length of about 2 adult fingers stuck together. Omit the salt.
  3. Wash about half of the cherry tomatoes and cut in halves.
  4. Combine vegetables in a large bowl, add the 2 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper and mix everything with your hands.
  5. Line an oven baking sheet with parchment paper and place the veggies on the baking tin.
  6. Bake for about 30 minutes. Until soft but now overbaked (for baby-led weaning and pincer grasp you want them to be soft enough so you can mash them between your fingers).
  7. Meanwhile, place the bulgur in a baking dish and add water and place in the oven for 20 minutes. Allow to cool for about 20 minutes. (You can also cook bulgur in a large saucepan on the stove but I prefer to just pop everything in the oven)
  8. Cut the feta into cubes, olives into halves and the rest of the cherry tomatoes into halves. If the olives have a seed, remove it.
  9. Prepare the mediterranean balsamic vinegar dressing - mix the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and mustard in a small bowl. 
  10. Once the veggies are baked, take out from the oven and allow to cool for about 20 minutes.
  11. Place the cooled roasted veggies into a serving bowl, add the feta, olives, fresh cherry tomatoes and cooled bulgur and mix.
  12. Pour the dressing over the salad before serving and mix. 

Salad is best served at room temperature. 

Collage of images showing the steps to making the recipe.

Additions

  • Fresh Herbs: Sprinkle some fresh mint or flat leaf parsley for an extra burst of flavor.
  • Red Onion: Thinly sliced red onion adds a zesty kick and a pop of color. Or some fresh green onions. 
  • Bell Peppers: Add some bell peppers to the baking tray with the rest of the vegetables.
  • Pomegranate Seeds: For a touch of sweetness and a delightful crunch.
  • Toasted Pine Nuts: Adds a nutty flavor and a satisfying crunch to the salad.
Summer salad with bulgur, roasted veg and feta on a plate.

Variations

  • Middle Eastern Twist: Swap the feta for crumbled goat cheese and add a tahini drizzle for a creamy finish.
  • Greek Inspired: Add some chopped cucumber and a squeeze of lemon juice for a refreshing twist.
  • Sundried Tomatoes: For an intense burst of flavor, toss in some chopped sun-dried tomatoes.

How To Serve Bulgur Salad to Babies And Toddlers?

Babies

  • Omit salt from the recipe
  • Omit feta and olives due to sodium
  • Omit cherry tomatoes as they present a choking hazard unless you have really big ones that can be quartered so baby can hold them easily
  • Baby-led Weaning
    • Peel the zucchini and eggplant and cut into the width and length of two adult fingers stuck together
    • Serve with bulgur wheat on a preloaded spoon
baby-led weaning zucchini, eggplant and bulgur wheat
  • 9 months old+ (or whenever ready for pincer grasp)
    • Cut up eggplant, zucchini and cherry tomatoes into bite size pieces or the same as for baby-led weaning
    • Serve bulgur on a preloaded spoon
    • Avoid feta and olives (too salty)
  • Toddlers
    • Serve the same as for parents but keep feta on the lower end because of the high sodium content
    • For picky eaters you can separate the ingredients as in the photo below
Plate of food for toddlers and bowl of salad for parents

Storage

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Just note that the vegetables may release some excess liquid as they sit, so you may want to drain it before serving.

FAQ

Can I make this salad ahead of time for meal prep?

Absolutely! This salad actually gets better as it sits, allowing the flavors to meld together. Just hold off on adding the dressing until you're ready to serve.

Can I roast the vegetables on the grill instead of in the oven?

Definitely! Grilling the vegetables will add a delicious smoky flavor to the salad. Just make sure to keep an eye on them to prevent burning.

There you have it, folks - a tasty, nutritious, and oh-so-satisfying warm Mediterranean Eggplant and Bulgur Salad with Feta. Give it a try for your next meal and let the flavors whisk you away to the shores of the Mediterranean. Enjoy!

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If you've tried this recipe for kids then rate the recipe below and leave us a comment!

Summer salad with bulgur, roasted veg and feta on a plate.

Warm Mediterranean Eggplant and Bulgur Salad with Feta

10 min to prepare, 30 min in the oven for an easy, refreshing Meditteranean summer salad with roasted eggplant, zucchini, olives and grain. Perfect for a crowd, for parents, toddlers, adaptable for picky eaters and baby-led weaning for lunch or dinner.
5 from 5 votes
Author: Dora
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 40 minutes mins
Servings 2 servings
Fridge Life? 3 days
Freezable? No

Ingredients

Salad

  • 4 oz bulgur
  • 1 cup water for bulgur
  • 1 zucchini medium-sized
  • 1 eggplant medium-sized
  • 3.5 oz cherry tomatoes
  • 3.5 oz feta cheese
  • 10 olives
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt omit for babies under 1
  • pepper

Dressing

  • 3 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon mustard

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F.
  • Wash and cut the zucchini and eggplant into pieces about 1 cm thick. You can peel the skin off also if you wish. For baby-led weaning, peel the eggplant and zucchini and cut the veg the width and length of about 2 adult fingers stuck together. Omit the salt.
  • Wash about half of the cherry tomatoes and cut in halves.
  • Place the veggies into a mixing bowl, add the 2 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper and mix everything with your hands.
  • Line an oven baking tin with parchment paper and place the veggies on the baking tin.
  • Bake for about 30 minutes. Until soft but now overbaked (for baby-led weaning and pincer grasp you want them to be soft enough so you can mash them between your fingers).
  • Meanwhile, place the bulgur in a roasting tin and add water and place in the oven for 20 minutes. Allow to cool for about 20 minutes.
  • Cut the feta into cubes, olives into halves and the rest of the cherry tomatoes into halves. If the olives have a seed, remove it.
  • Prepare the dressing - mix the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and mustard.
  • Once the veggies are baked, take out from the oven and allow to cool for about 20 minutes.
  • Place the cooled veggies into a serving bowl, add the feta, olives, fresh cherry tomatoes and cooled bulgur and mix.
  • Pour the dressing over the salad before serving.

Notes

Nutrition calculation is an estimate and is based on an adult serving of this meal.

How to serve to babies and toddlers? 

  • Omit salt from the recipe
  • Baby-led Weaning
    • Peel the zucchini and eggplant and cut into the width and length of two adult fingers stuck together
    • Serve with bulgur wheat on a preloaded spoon
    • Avoid feta, olives, and cherry tomatoes
  • 9 months old+ (or whenever ready for pincer grasp)
    • Cut up eggplant, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes into bite-size pieces or the same as for baby-led weaning
    • Serve bulgur on a preloaded spoon
    • Avoid feta and olives
  • Toddlers
    • Serve the same as for parents but keep feta on the lower end because of the high sodium amount
    • For picky eaters, you can serve the ingredients separately
Don't use too much salt. When baking veggies, use just a small amount of salt when you mix them with olive oil. A few pinches are enough to help the eggplant release its natural sourness and to enhance the taste of the veggies. If you use too much the final dish might be too salty because you're also using feta cheese which is naturally salty.
Don't overbake the veggies. The veggies should be as the Italians would say "al dente". This means that they will be cooked but still a bit firm so that they hold the texture. If you overbake them they will be too soft and probably release too much water that will interfere with the salad's consistency.
Allow the veggies and bulgur to cool. I highly recommend you let the veggies and bulgur cool enough before mixing in with the rest of the ingredients. This will probably be about 20 minutes for each. If you mix them in while they are still hot or very warm chances are they heat the feta cheese and olives and the overall taste won't be as good.

Nutrition

Serving: 1adult servingCalories: 759kcalCarbohydrates: 66gProtein: 18gFat: 50gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 30gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 936mgPotassium: 1178mgFiber: 19gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 786IUVitamin C: 34mgCalcium: 322mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

If you've tried this salad recipe for kids then rate the recipe below and leave us a comment!

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