Crunchy Eggplant Dippers

I love to give parties, and it’s always an interesting challenge to find appetizers and finger foods that appeal to my vegan/vegetarian friends. This one ticks all the boxes: easy to make, relatively quick, vegan, and adaptable to various tastes.

Prep time 25 minutes with cooking time of 20 minutes; this recipe serves 12, depending.

Ingredients:

2 Japanese eggplant, 8″ long (5 ounces each)
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon water
5 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup gluten-free Panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon oregano

Optional: Marinara sauce for dipping

Method:

1.   Preheat the oven to 425⁰ Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush with olive oil.

2.   Cut ends of the eggplant off. Slice eggplant into 1/3 inch thick rounds.

3.   Prepare red wine vinaigrette by adding red wine vinegar, water, olive oil, Dijon mustard, and oregano in a small mixing bowl. Whisk together until well combined. Set aside.

4.   In a larger mixing bowl, add breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano. Set aside.

5.   Dip a few eggplant slices at a time into the red wine vinaigrette, then into the breadcrumb mixture. This step should be done in batches.

6.   Arrange breaded eggplant on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Once golden brown, flip eggplant slices and bake for another 5-10 minutes until both sides are golden brown.  When done, take out of the oven and let cool until ready to serve.

7.   If desired, heat marinara sauce in a small saucepan to serve as a dipping sauce for the eggplant slices.

For the printable .pdf file, click HERE.