Mediterranean Couscous Salad With Roasted Eggplant

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant, skin on, cubed
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 box couscous
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 3/4 cup black olives, sliced
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups feta cheese, cubed

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Optional: Prepare eggplant by salting generously and leaving in a colander for 1-2 hours. Before cooking, rinse the salt off, and pat dry with a paper towel.
3. Place eggplant, onions, and whole garlic cloves in a pan and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place in oven and Roast for 15 minutes.
4. While the eggplant is roasting, cook couscous according to package directions, then transfer to a large salad bowl.
5. Remove baking dish from oven, and transfer garlic cloves to a separate plate. Use 1 or 2 forks to mash garlic cloves into a chunky paste. Coat the eggplant with mashed garlic and set aside to cool.
6. Add cucumber, tomatoes, bell pepper, roasted veggie mix, lemon juice, olives, parsley, and basil to the couscous. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil to combine. Salt and pepper to taste.
7. Gently fold in feta and refrigerate until ready to serve, at least 15 minutes.