Baked Eggplant with Caramelized Onions (Central Greece)

I ate this baked eggplant many times in Nafpaktos in central Greece. I was told by my study abroad program director that Nafpaktos has the best eggplant in Greece.

Mediterranean Diet: Baked Eggplant and Caramelized Onions (Central Greece)

 The caramelized onions add sweetness to the otherwise bitter eggplant. The great thing about this dish is that it’s so rustic, that you can easily alter the quantities of garlic, oil, onions, and oregano to suit your taste buds. Some people love a ton of garlic and they can do their thing. Some people might only use half a clove for the baked eggplant and that works too.

I’m usually pretty extravagant with the olive oil because it’s a purely vegetable dish so it needs a lot of olive oil. Get a crusty fresh loaf of bread to dip in the juices.

Mediterranean Diet: Baked Eggplant and Caramelized Onions

Other articles/videos by George Zikos

George’s Vegan Pesto Video

George’s Culinary Perspective of Thessaloniki

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Mediterranean Diet: Baked Eggplant with Caramelized Onions (Central Greece)

Baked Eggplant with Caramelized Onions (Central Greece)

George Zikos
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 213 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 large eggplant
  • 2 medium onions, sliced
  • 1-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tomatoes, diced
  • Oregano
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Slice eggplant lengthwise into ¼ inch slices and arrange on a plate. Salt the eggplant (about 1 teaspoon) and let sit.
  • In a saute pan on medium, heat 2 Tablespoons oil. Cook the sliced onions in the oil stirring often for about 30 minutes until completely caramelized. Remove from pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Pat the eggplant dry with a paper towel.
  • In a rectangular baking dish drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil on the bottom. Add a small layer of chopped tomatoes.
  • Then layer eggplant, caramelized onions, more tomatoes, garlic, oregano, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and a small drizzle of oil (around 1 teaspoon for each layer).
  • Continue layering until all ingredients are used up.
  • Bake at 350 covered for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
  • Serve as a side dish or an appetizer with bread to dip in the juices.

Nutrition

Calories: 213kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 2gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gSodium: 5mgPotassium: 406mgFiber: 5gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 36IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mg
Have you tried this recipe? Tell us about it!Click here to rate this recipe in the comments section below.
About the Author: George Zikos
George studied International Business in Greece in 2015 for three semesters. His family is from the island of Crete, and he lived with them for a whole summer. During that time, he started working for Mediterranean Living and contributing his firsthand experiences of the traditional Cretan diet. He learned fluent Greek along the way, being fully immersed in a traditional Cretan village. He is since graduated with a business degree from Worcester State University. George loves language and traveling, so he completed a TEFL certificate program at the Boston Language Institute in order to teach English abroad and travel the world. He currently works full-time blogging, recipe formulating, and social media marketing for Mediterranean Living. His passions include language, gardening, hiking, skateboarding, and watching sports. He dreams of living in Crete one day, after he travels the world learning as many languages and cultures as possible.

2 Comments

  1. Susan M August 24, 2019 at 4:25 pm - Reply

    What a simple dish but it tastes so amazing!

    • Bill Bradley, R.D. August 26, 2019 at 7:11 pm - Reply

      Thank you!

5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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