Herbed Quinoa with Grilled Eggplant

This grilled eggplant is topped with feta, colorful ripe cherry tomatoes, and a zesty dill herbed quinoa. Here’s how to grill eggplant.

The other day, Alex and I visited our friend’s urban farm on the south side of Indianapolis. It was quite a sight: an oasis of green a midst junkyards and concrete. We snapped up bright cherry tomatoes and glossy purple eggplants at the farm stand, and chatted with farmer Amy as she diligently harvested onions. If you would have told me years ago that I’d be buying vegetables from urban farms and making them into meals, I would have said “You’re crazy.” But low and behold: this visit resulted in a tasty quinoa with eggplant recipe that’s a perfect summery dinner recipe. Here’s how to make it!

Just a little background…from when seasonal food wasn’t on our radar

Ten years ago, I had little interest in food. My dinners consisted of cereal and hot pockets and microwave dinners. YES, this is 100% true. It was a lonely way to eat. I felt isolated. I’d shop at large corporate chain groceries and feel depressed after I left. Of all the reasons to get into food, what hooked me was the community.

I started to go to farmers markets. At the market, I could talk to the actual person who grew the food! It was mind blowing. I became fascinated by the personal connections. Little by little, Alex and I started trying to figure out what to do with these vibrant tomatoes and eggplant and cucumbers, so unlike the limp ones in the supermarket.

That’s a very condensed version of how Alex and I got to where we are today, making things like herbed quinoa with eggplant from the farmers market. It sounds so hippie vegetarian of us, but really, we never set out to become that. We just fell in love with the people behind the food. And over time, we fell in love with the food too.

Making herbed quinoa with eggplant

Enough about us…let’s talk about this recipe! We hope you’ll fall head over heels in love with this herby quinoa with eggplant. It’s a Mediterranean-style recipe with fresh and zesty flavor. The smoky taste of the eggplant is a fabulous contrast to the dill and feta in the quinoa. Here’s how to grill eggplant, which you can use in other recipes as desired (it would be perfect painted with BBQ sauce too!). This herbed quinoa would be equally as delicious on its own as a side dish for a summer cookout!

How to make herbed quinoa

This herby quinoa highlights all the best flavors that summer has to offer! Here are the basic steps for how to make it:

• Cook 1 cup quinoa. Cook up a pot of quinoa using our Perfect Quinoa method (or our Instant Pot quinoa if you have a pressure cooker).
• Stir in 1 tablespoon each olive oil and white wine vinegar. This gives the fluffy quinoa a flavor pop.
• Mix in 6 tablespoons mixed chopped herbs. Mix it with fresh herbs of your choosing! We used 2 tablespoons each fresh dill, basil, and cilantro. (If you’re not growing herbs at home, it’s pretty simple! You don’t even need garden space: just pots and a sunny ledge. Here’s how to grow herbs.)
• Add sliced cherry tomatoes and feta cheese crumbles. The icing on the cake is the feta; it makes for a salty, savory undertone. Using multi-colored tomatoes makes for brilliant colors!

Looking for more with quinoa? Here are our best Easy Quinoa Recipes.

Here’s how to grill eggplant

Now to make quinoa with eggplant: we grilled lengthwise slices on a charcoal grill until they were charred and tender. Here’s how to do it!

1. Preheat a grill to medium high heat.
2. Cut the eggplant into 3/4-inch slices lengthwise and sprinkle liberally with kosher salt. Place it in a colander for 15 to 30 minutes (this removes bitterness and helps the eggplant to soften).
3. Brush the eggplant with olive oil on both sides.
4. Place the eggplant on the grill and cook 4 minutes per side, until tender and grill marks form.

Looking for more with eggplant? Try our Best Eggplant Recipes, from eggplant marinara to eggplant Parmesan to grilled eggplant sandwiches.

This quinoa with eggplant recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free.

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Looking for more grilling ideas?

Outside of this grilled eggplant with herbed quinoa, here are a few more grilling ideas:

• Best Grilled Veggie Burger
• Grilled Vegetable Pasta
• BBQ Grilled Cauliflower (or Grilled Cauliflower)
• Greek Grilled Portobello Burger
• Grilled Buffalo Cauliflower Sandwich
• Grilled Veggie Fajitas
• Grilled Eggplant Parmesan
• Grilled Corn on the Cob | How to Roast Corn on the Grill
• Pesto Portobello Mushroom Burger
• Grilled Cauliflower Steak with Corn Salsa
• Tomato & Grilled Eggplant Stacked Sandwich
• Grilled Teriyaki Mango Skewers
• Loaded Grilled Nachos
• Grilled Eggplant Salad with Yogurt
• Greek Grilled Veggie Skewers
• Grilled Carrots with Lime and Cilantro
• Grilled Romaine Lettuce
• Simple Grilled Paella
• 100 Grilling Recipes
• Mint Pesto Grilled Cheese on the Grill

Updated January 2020