Turkish Eggplant Salad - Patlıcan Salatası is a smoky Turkish meze made with charred eggplant and sweet peppers. A simple dressing of garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and pomegranate molasses brings it all together. It is a classic of the meze table, and it goes well with grilled meat and warm bread.
It is very easy to make with a handful of basic ingredients, and it is naturally vegan and gluten free. Serve it warm, at room temperature, or cold from the fridge; it tastes even better the next day.
Jump to:
- Why This Recipe Works
- What is Patlıcan Salatası?
- Patlıcan Salatası vs Patlıcan Ezmesi and Baba Ganoush
- Ingredients You'll Need
- How to Make Turkish Eggplant Salad
- How to Roast Eggplants for Patlıcan Salatası
- Recipe Tips From the Chef
- Variations
- Serving Suggestions
- Storage and Make Ahead Instructions
- Recipe FAQs
- Related Recipes
- Turkish Eggplant Salad - Patlıcan Salatası
Why This Recipe Works
- Roasting the eggplants and peppers over a flame is what makes this taste like the meze you get at a kebab house, and it takes about 20 minutes.
- Draining the roasted eggplant in a colander pulls out the bitter juices, so the salad tastes clean and never turns watery.
- Pomegranate molasses brings a sweet and sour note that lemon juice on its own cannot give you.
- It is naturally vegan and gluten free, with nothing to swap out.
- You can make it a day ahead, and it actually tastes better once the flavors have had a night to settle.
- Leave it chunky as a salad or chop it finer as a dip, so the same bowl works next to grilled meat or with warm bread.
- There is no frying and no tahini, so it stays light and you can still taste the eggplant itself.
What is Patlıcan Salatası?
Patlıcan Salatası is a popular salad in Turkey, often served alongside grilled meats, kebabs, or fresh bread. The base is always smoky roasted eggplant, which is mashed or chopped, then mixed with vegetables and a simple dressing.
Depending on the region, you might find it made with tomatoes, peppers, onions, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and pomegranate molasses for extra depth.
It is very versatile and you can serve it warm, at room temperature, or chilled. I usually leave the vegetables a bit chunky, but you can chop them finely if you’d like it more like a dip.
Patlıcan Salatası vs Patlıcan Ezmesi and Baba Ganoush
All three start with roasted eggplant, so people mix them up a lot. You chop patlıcan salatası, so you can still see the pieces of eggplant, pepper, and onion in the bowl.
Patlıcan ezmesi takes the same base and mashes it down until it spreads like a dip, and it usually has yogurt in it rather than a lemon and olive oil dressing.
Baba ganoush comes from Levantine cooking rather than Turkish, and the ingredients that sets it apart is tahini. The sesame paste makes it much richer and softens the smoky taste. If that is what you are after, make my mutabal instead.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
- Eggplants - Medium-sized, roasted until soft and smoky inside. You can find detailed instructions on how to buy eggplants in my Melitzanosalata (Roasted Greek Eggplant Dip) recipe.
- Sweet Peppers - Fire-roasted red or green peppers add color and sweetness.
- Garlic cloves- It is my go-to flavoring for Patlıcan Salatası and is absolutely essential.
- Lemon juice - I always prefer freshly squeezed lemon juice over bottled lemon juice for maximum flavor.
- Red onion - I add them for a bit of bite and color. You can roast them before adding for extra sweetness, or add them raw for crunchiness. You can also use white and yellow onions.
- Olive oil - I use a good quality extra virgin olive oil for salad dressings and dips.
- Pomegranate molasses - It is a thick syrup made with pomegranate juice. It has an intense sweet-and-sour flavor and adds a sweet and tangy depth to dishes. You can buy it from most Turkish / Middle Eastern shops or online.
How to Make Turkish Eggplant Salad
Roast the Vegetables
The first thing you’ll need to do is roast the eggplants, sweet peppers, and red onions, as this is what gives the salad its signature smoky flavor. To stop the eggplants from bursting while cooking, poke each one a few times with a fork or toothpick.
Set your vegetables over a gas flame or on the BBQ and cook until the skin is nicely charred and the insides are soft, turning them every so often. This usually takes about 10 minutes for the peppers and 20 minutes for the eggplants and red onions to cook through.
Peel and Drain
Put the roasted vegetables in a bowl and cover it, or seal them in a bag, for 10 minutes. The trapped steam loosens the skins so they slip off easily.
Peel them, pull out any big pockets of seeds, then sit the eggplant in a colander for 10 to 15 minutes. Letting those bitter juices drain away is the step most people skip, and it is what keeps the salad clean tasting instead of watery.
Mix the Salad
Some people like their salad chunky, others prefer it smoother. Chop the eggplant, pepper, and red onion into your preferred size.
Mince the garlic and chop the parsley. In a large bowl, combine the chopped roasted vegetables, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, and pomegranate molasses. Season with salt, paprika, and freshly ground black pepper.
Patlıcan Salatası tastes great freshly made, but letting it sit for 20 to 30 minutes helps the flavors blend together.
How to Roast Eggplants for Patlıcan Salatası
The way you roast the eggplants decides how smoky the salad tastes, so pick the method that suits your kitchen.
Prick each one a few times with a fork first, whichever way you go, or the steam has nowhere to escape and they can burst.
Over a Gas Flame
Sit the eggplants straight on the burner over medium heat and turn them every few minutes until the skin is black all over and they collapse when you press them. Eggplants take about 20 minutes and peppers about 10. This gives you the deepest smoky taste.
On the Barbecue or Coals
The best of the lot, and how they do it in Turkey. Keep the vegetables at the edge of the coals so the skin chars slowly while the middle turns soft.
Under the Broiler
Lay everything on a lined tray on the top shelf and broil for around 25 minutes, turning every 5 minutes. You still get a proper char, just a little milder than an open flame.
In the Oven
Roast at 425°F (220°C) for 45 to 50 minutes, until the skins wrinkle and the eggplants feel hollow. This is the tidiest method but you get almost no smoke, so stir in a pinch of smoked paprika at the end to make up for it.
Recipe Tips From the Chef
- Medium eggplants have fewer seeds and softer flesh, which works much better here than the big ones.
- Keep turning the eggplants as they char so the skin blackens evenly. If one side burns right through, the flesh underneath dries out.
- Peel the eggplants while they are still slightly warm, as the skin comes away much more easily.
- Let the peeled eggplant sit in a colander for 10 to 15 minutes so the bitter juices drip out and the salad does not turn watery.
- Keep the vegetables in bigger pieces for a chunky salad, or chop everything finer for something closer to a dip.
- Give the finished salad 20 to 30 minutes to sit before serving so the flavors have time to blend.
- One garlic clove is enough. Any more and it buries the smoky taste you worked for.
- Rub the chopped red onion with a pinch of salt and a little sumac, then rinse it and squeeze it dry. That takes away the raw, sharp bite.
- Do not wash the peeled eggplant under the tap, as it takes the smoky flavor straight down the drain. Pick off any stubborn bits of black skin with your fingers instead.
- Chop everything by hand. A food processor turns the eggplant to paste in seconds and you lose the texture that makes this a salad.
- Drizzle the olive oil over just before the salad goes on the table so the aroma stays fresh.
- Taste the pomegranate molasses before you add it all, since brands vary a lot in how sour they are. Start with half a tablespoon.
Variations
- Stir 3 to 4 tablespoons of thick strained yogurt through the finished salad and leave out the pomegranate molasses. It turns creamy and mild, and it is how a lot of families in Turkey serve it.
- Add a chopped, deseeded tomato for a fresher, juicier bowl. Squeeze out the watery seeds first so the salad does not go sloppy.
- A chopped green chili or a teaspoon of Turkish red pepper paste gives it a kick.
- Use sumac in place of the pomegranate molasses for the same sour note without the darker color, so the eggplant and peppers stay bright.
- Mash everything with a fork until it is spreadable and serve it with warm bread instead of as a chunky salad.
- A handful of chopped walnuts stirred in at the end adds crunch.
- Fresh dill or mint alongside the parsley changes the whole character of the bowl.
Serving Suggestions
This is a meze first, so it is happiest on a table with a few other small plates around it. Put it out with warm bread and let everyone help themselves while the grill is still going.
As part of a meze spread: Serve alongside Mediterranean Hummus Dip, Cacik, Saksuka, and Turkish Acili Ezme Salad, with plenty of warm bread for scooping.
With grilled meats: Pairs beautifully with Baked Lamb Chops, Joojeh Kabab, or Kadınbudu Köfte.
On fresh bread: Spoon onto warm Laffa Bread or crusty Sourdough Bread.
With fish: The smoky eggplant works well with Baked Sea Bass in Foil or Baked Salmon.
In wraps: Add it to Lavash Bread with Grilled BBQ Chicken Thighs or Lebanese Falafel.
Storage and Make Ahead Instructions
Patlıcan Salatası keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, and the flavor only gets better after the first night. Take it out about 20 minutes before serving and give it a good stir, as the olive oil firms up when it is cold.
I would not freeze the finished salad, because the eggplant goes mushy and releases a lot of water once it thaws. You can freeze the roasted eggplant flesh on its own for up to 3 months instead, then thaw it, drain it well, and mix the salad fresh.
To get ahead, char the eggplants and peppers a day early, peel them, drain them in a colander, and keep them covered in the fridge. Chop everything and add the dressing on the day you plan to serve it, so the onion and parsley stay fresh.
Recipe FAQs
You can, but you’ll lose the signature smoky flavor. If you can’t roast over an open flame, use the oven’s broil setting to char the skin.
A mix of balsamic vinegar and a little honey gives a similar sweet-tangy taste.
Yes, though red peppers are sweeter. Green peppers will give a slightly sharper taste.
Bitterness comes from the juices in the eggplant, and from picking one that is too big and full of seeds. Choose medium eggplants that feel heavy with tight, shiny skin, scoop out any large seed pockets after roasting, and let the flesh drain in a colander for 10 to 15 minutes before you chop it.
No. You salt eggplant when you fry or griddle slices and want to draw the water out first. Here you roast them whole and drain them afterward, which does the same job.
Related Recipes
For more delicious, colorful, and healthy Turkish Salad Recipes, why not try:
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Turkish Eggplant Salad - Patlıcan Salatası
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants
- 2 large red peppers (sweet Romano peppers)
- 1 small red onion
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (adjust to your taste)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (adjust to your taste)
- 2 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves
Instructions
Roast the Vegetables
- Start by roasting the eggplants, sweet peppers, and red onions, as this is what gives the salad its smoky flavor. Poke each eggplant a few times with a fork or toothpick so it does not burst while it cooks.
- Set your vegetables over a gas flame or on the BBQ and cook until the skin is nicely charred and the insides are soft, turning them every so often. This usually takes about 10 minutes for the peppers and 20 minutes for the eggplants and red onions to cook through.
Peel and Drain
- Place the roasted vegetables in a bowl and cover for 10 minutes. This makes the skin easier to remove.
- Peel off the skin and discard any large seeds. Let the eggplant drain in a colander for 10 to 15 minutes to get rid of the bitter juices.
- Some people like their salad chunky, others prefer it smoother. Chop the eggplant, pepper, and red onion into your preferred size.
Mix the Salad
- Mince the garlic and chop the parsley.
- In a large bowl, combine the chopped roasted vegetables, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, and pomegranate molasses.
- Season with salt, paprika, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Patlıcan Salatası tastes great freshly made, but letting it sit for 20 to 30 minutes helps the flavors blend together.
Notes
- Fridge: Keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Take it out 20 minutes before serving and stir it through.
- Freezer: Not for the finished salad, the eggplant goes mushy and watery. Freeze the roasted eggplant flesh on its own for up to 3 months instead.
- Make ahead: Char the vegetables a day early, peel and drain them, keep them covered in the fridge, and dress the salad on the day.
- Pick medium eggplants that feel heavy with tight, shiny skin. Big ones carry more seeds and taste bitter.
- Char over a gas flame or coals for the smokiest result. Under a broiler it takes about 25 minutes. In the oven, roast at 425°F (220°C) for 45 to 50 minutes and stir in a pinch of smoked paprika at the end, since you get almost no smoke that way.
- Cover the hot vegetables for 10 minutes so the steam loosens the skins, then peel them while they are still warm.
- Drain the peeled eggplant in a colander for 10 to 15 minutes. This takes out the bitter juices and stops a watery salad.
- Do not rinse the peeled flesh under the tap, it washes the smoky flavor away.
- Chop by hand. A food processor turns it to paste in seconds.
- One garlic clove is enough. More buries the smoky taste.
- Rub the chopped red onion with salt and a little sumac, then rinse and squeeze it dry, to take out the raw bite.
- Taste the pomegranate molasses before you add it all. Brands vary in sourness, so start with half.
- Rest the finished salad for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
- Pomegranate molasses: Use 1 teaspoon of sumac, or balsamic vinegar with a little honey. Sumac also keeps the color brighter, as pomegranate molasses darkens the salad.
- Peppers: Sweet red Romano peppers are best. Green peppers work and taste sharper.
- Parsley: Dill or mint both work.
- Yogurtlu: Stir in 3 to 4 tablespoons of thick strained yogurt and leave out the pomegranate molasses. This version is no longer vegan.
- Add a chopped, deseeded tomato for a fresher salad.
- Add a chopped green chili or a teaspoon of Turkish pepper paste for heat.
- Mash it smooth and serve it as a dip.
Michelle says
Smoky, fresh, and really flavorful. A great side dish or dip. It is our go-to BBQ salad.