Roasted aubergine, courgette & chickpea salad with lemon-tahini dressing
A make-ahead, transportable Mediterranean traybake salad — smoky roasted veg, chickpeas and a silky tahini dressing.
This is your perfect bring-a-dish: transport-friendly, served warm or cold and reliably good at parties. Smoky roasted aubergine and courgette meet hearty chickpeas and a silky lemon-tahini dressing — it feeds a crowd and keeps well in the fridge.
Make it the night before and you’ll arrive at the party looking smug rather than frantic. It’s vegan and gluten-free by design, but full of flavour so nobody misses the meat.
Ingredients
- 2 aubergine — about 700–800 g total
- 2 courgette — about 350–450 g total
- 2 red pepper
- 2 tinned chickpeas — 400 g tins, drained and rinsed
- 1 red onion — medium
- 250 g cherry tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves — finely sliced or crushed
- 30 g fresh parsley — leaves picked and roughly chopped
- 80 g tahini
- 2 lemon — juice (and a little zest if you like)
- 80 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 5 ml smoked paprika
- 5 ml ground cumin
- 10 ml sea salt
- 5 ml black pepper
- 15 ml maple syrup
- 30 ml toasted sesame seeds
- 50 g pomegranate seeds — optional, to scatter before serving
Equipment
- baking tray
- large mixing bowl
- small bowl or jar for dressing
- sieve or colander
- whisk or fork
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C conventional.
Trim and cut the aubergine into roughly 2 cm chunks. Halve the courgettes lengthways and slice into 2 cm pieces. Core and cut the red peppers into similar-sized pieces. Peel the red onion and cut into wedges. Peel and slice or crush the garlic cloves.
Tip all the prepared vegetables into a large baking tray. Drizzle with 60 ml of the extra virgin olive oil, then sprinkle over the smoked paprika, ground cumin, 1 tsp sea salt and half the black pepper. Toss so everything is evenly coated and spread in a single layer.
Roast on the middle shelf for 35 minutes, turning once at about 18 minutes, until the vegetables are deeply browned at the edges and tender.
While the vegetables roast, drain and rinse the tinned chickpeas thoroughly and pat dry with kitchen paper.
Make the dressing: whisk the tahini with the juice of the lemons, the maple syrup, the remaining 20 ml extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and the remaining black pepper. Add 1–2 tbsp cold water to loosen until you have a silky, pourable dressing.
Tip the roasted vegetables into a large mixing bowl. Add the tinned chickpeas, cherry tomatoes and roughly chopped fresh parsley. Pour over the lemon-tahini dressing and toss gently to combine.
Taste and adjust seasoning with the remaining sea salt if needed. Scatter over the toasted sesame seeds and the optional pomegranate seeds.
Chill the salad for at least 60 minutes to let the flavours marry — it can be chilled up to 24 hours before serving. Bring back to room temperature for 15 minutes before serving if preferred.
Tips
- Avoid soggy aubergine: don’t crowd the tray when roasting and make sure pieces are a similar size so they cook evenly.
- Pat the chickpeas dry on kitchen paper — excess water dilutes the dressing and makes the salad soggy.
- Make the dressing ahead and whisk again before using; it will thicken in the fridge and a splash of water restores the texture.
- This salad improves after a few hours in the fridge as the dressing soaks in — ideal for making the day before.
- If transporting, bring the dressing in a separate jar and toss with the salad just before serving for the freshest texture.
Substitutions
aubergine → sweet potato or butternut squash, cut into similar-sized chunks and roasted until tender
Noticeably differenttinned chickpeas → cooked green or brown lentils (about 300 g cooked)
Stays closetahini → natural yoghurt (use 100 g) — results in a creamier, dairy-containing dressing
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 320
- Calories
- 8 g
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 300 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I serve this warm or does it have to be cold?
Either works. Serve at room temperature or gently warmed. If chilled, bring out 15–20 minutes before serving so the dressing loosens.
How long will it keep?
Stored in an airtight container it keeps well for 3–4 days in the fridge. Expect the dressing to thicken; stir in a splash of water or lemon juice before serving.
Can I add cheese?
Yes — crumbled feta or grilled halloumi are great additions but make the dish non-vegan.
Can I make the vegetables ahead and roast on the day?
You can roast the vegetables the day before and refrigerate. Reheat briefly or combine cold — both give good results.
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