Chickpea and Eggplant Salad

Ingredients

• 1/2 a small red onion, finely sliced
• 1 large eggplant, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into thin half moons
• A good glug of extra virgin olive oil
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 2 (13.5-ounce) cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 large fresh tomatoes
• 1 bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 teaspoons garlic-infused olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Slivered almonds, to serve

Instructions

1. Cover the onion with water and set aside for half an hour—this reduces the harshness of its taste when eaten raw.
2. Next prepare the eggplant. Spread the half-moon slices out on a baking sheet and brush them with olive oil. Place on a high rack under the broiler for 5 minutes, then take out and brush again with a mixture of olive oil and lemon juice—you can make it quite wet, as the eggplant will absorb all the liquid. Place back under the broiler until the edges of the slices are slightly blackened and the flesh is soft. Set aside in a large bowl.
3. On the same baking sheet, spread out the chickpeas and broil until they're golden. Add them to the bowl of eggplant.
4. Dice the tomatoes into small cubes and add to the bowl along with the parsley, drained red onion slices, garlic oil, cayenne pepper, remaining lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper and mix well. Serve warm, with a sprinkling of slivered almonds.

Notes