Tangy Lemon Mustard Falafel-less Salad
YAYYY! It’s GOOD salad time. It’s tangy lemon mustard falafel-less salad time, YUSSSS. And by “good,” I mean absolutely AMAZING.
What I didn’t mean is a boring salad with a few basic vegetables and a classic mayonnaise or oil dressing. Those aren’t good salads. Those are “ugh, I should probably eat something healthy and greeny and vegetabley” salads.
No. No. You should know by now. When it comes to salads, I go ALL OUT. If a salad doesn’t have fatty, crunchy, roasty things in it and a bomb dressing, I don’t want any part of it, mmmkay?
If I’m gonna make/eat/post a salad, it has to be very, very delicious and flavor-packed. It has to be a salad that I’m EXCITED to eat. Like for real. When it comes to these types of salads, particularly this mixed greens lemon basil salad with an array of roasted vegetables, I’m more excited to eat them than I am to eat any of the other lunch/dinner options on hand, carbs included. AND IT’S NUTRITIOUS SALAD WE’RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
Let’s get down to it then.
I titled this salad ”tangy lemon mustard falafel-less salad” because I couldn’t really list out all the salad ingredients in the title this time, since there.are.so.many.amazing.additions which would render the title VERY lengthy if all were included in the name.
So. I summarized them. By choosing “falafel-less.” Is it the best title ever? Probably not. But. Quite a few of the ingredients found in this tangy roasted vegetable salad are also found in falafel sandwiches.
Ingredients like roasted eggplant. And onions. And parsley. And greens. So. I figured. It’s a good enough name. And falafel-less has a nice, unique ring to it, even if it’s not THE MOST accurate portrayal of what this salad is really all about, nay?
Anyway. The details. For this tangy lemon mustard falafel-less salad.
We’ve got a bed of mixed greens. Classic.
We’ve got cubed eggplant chunks that are roasted with generous olive oil, salt, and pepper until tender and charred and steamy.
We’ve got red onion wedges that are also roasted with generous olive oil, salt, and pepper until soft and caramelized and succulent.
And we’ve got chickpeas, ALSO roasted with generous olive oil, salt, and pepper until golden and crunchy and crisp.
And. There are some non-roasted peeps along for the ride: creamy avocado cubes, because really, what’s a salad without avocado. And. Fresh parsley, chopped up and tossed in for some extra herby flavor and freshness.
The steamy roasted eggplants and onions and chickpeas provide so much texture and flavor and richness and fattiness and yumminess to this tangy mixed greens salad I could go on forever.
As for the dressing. It’s a special one.
This lemon mustard dressing is addictive, in a word.
It’s so tangy and also herby and also garlicky and also mustardy and also so very delicious and flavorful.
It’s got mayo as a base, with some water, freshly crushed garlic, yellow mustard, fresh lemon juice, dried basil and parsley, and salt and pepper.
There’s just something about the combination of all the above-mentioned ingredients that makes this dressing one of the richest, tastiest, tangiest salad dressings I’ve EVER had the pleasure of consuming.
Wholesome mixed greens with charred, succulent, crispy, tender roasted eggplants and onions and chickpeas. Plus creamy avocado. And cooling fresh parsley. And an addictive lemon mustard basil dressing.
Tangy lemon mustard falafel-less salad — you make salad an exciting delight to ponder and ingest.
Tangy Lemon Mustard Falafel-less Salad
Yield: about 6-8 servings/large salad
1 eggplant, cubed
1 red onion, sliced into strips or wedges
16 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Olive oil, salt, and black pepper, for roasting
1 large bag/container mixed greens
Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
1 avocado, cubed
Dressing:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons water
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
4 garlic cloves, crushed
4 teaspoons yellow mustard
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1+ teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Spread the cubed eggplant on one baking sheet and the chickpeas and red onions on the other. Drizzle both generously with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until eggplant and onions are charred and tender and chickpeas are golden and crispy, 28-40 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together all the dressing ingredients until smooth. Arrange roasted vegetables and chickpeas over the mixed greens, along with the avocado and parsley, and drizzle/toss everything with dressing and serve.
