Go Back
–+ servings
romanian eggplant salad or vinete in a small traditional bowl.
Print Recipe
4.50 from 12 votes

Romanian Eggplant Salad - Vinete

The recipe for the traditional Romanian eggplant or aubergine salad or spread, made with roasted eggplants and mayonnaise or oil. 
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Dips, Sauces and Dressings
Cuisine: Romanian
Servings: 10 - 12 servings
Calories: 82kcal
Author: Adina Beck

Ingredients

Eggplants:

  • 3 medium eggplants
  • parsley
  • bread and tomatoes to serve

Mayonnaise dressing:

  • 2-4 tablespoons homemade mayonnaise or your favorite brand, to taste
  • 2-3 garlic cloves to taste
  • salt and pepper

Oil and onion dressing:

  • 3-4 tablespoons sunflower oil I prefer a milder sort
  • 1 small onion
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

Grill method (Note 1):

  • Grill the eggplants on medium-low to low temperature, somewhere between 20 and 40 minutes or until the skin is evenly charred and the eggplant collapses; the flesh should be really soft.
    3 medium eggplants

Stovetop method:

  • Put some foil around the burners of the stovetop to make sure that the liquid released by the eggplants won't cause too much of a mess. Prick the eggplants with a fork several times and lay them directly on the flame of the burners.
  • Turn regularly with a pair of tongs, making sure that the skin is burnt on all sides. Cook until the skin is evenly charred and the flesh of the eggplants very soft. This should take about 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the eggplants.

Oven method:

  • Bake: Place the eggplants on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or foil and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F/ 180°C for about 45 minutes or until the flesh of the eggplants is very soft.

Roasted Eggplant Salad - Vinete:

  • Peel and drain: After grilling, roasting, or baking the eggplants, let them cool, then carefully remove all the skin. Place the eggplants in a sieve and let drain for about half an hour to one hour.
  • Chop with a special wooden knife made especially for this purpose (if you are Romanian and have one, of course) or with a regular knife.
    You could process the eggplants in the food processor; the salad will then have a mousse-like consistency, which is delicious but not very authentic. I prefer to chop the salad rather roughly so that I have something to chew here and there.

Mayonnaise dressing:

  • Mix the chopped eggplants with 2-4 tablespoons of mayonnaise, preferably homemade (to taste); add the grated garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Mix very well. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with bread and tomatoes.
    2-4 tablespoons homemade mayonnaise + 2-3 garlic cloves + salt and pepper

Oil dressing:

  • Mix the chopped eggplants with the very finely chopped onion and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with bread and tomatoes.
    3-4 tablespoons sunflower oil + 1 small onion + salt and pepper

Notes

  1. See the post for a more detailed description of the cooking methods.

Nutrition

Serving: 2-3 tablespoons | Calories: 82kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 90mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g