Eggplant Tacos

Eggplant tacos are a delicious and unusual way to interpret traditional tacos with a vegetarian twist. Since it’s a fusion of Mexican cuisine and typical ingredients of Mediterranean cooking, I’ll provide you with a distinctly Italian interpretation of this dish.

Ingredients

• 2 large eggplants
• 8 corn or flour tortillas
• 250 g of cherry tomatoes
• 1 small red onion
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 bunch of fresh cilantro (or parsley if you prefer a more Italian flavor)
• 1 lemon (the juice)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Chili powder (optional)
• 1 ripe avocado
• 100 g of feta (or another fresh cheese if you prefer a more local variant)

Preparation

1. Wash the eggplants and cut them into cubes of about 1 cm. Lightly salt and let rest for about 20 minutes. This will help remove the bitterness of the eggplants.
2. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large pan and add the dried eggplants and chili powder if you wish for a spicy note.
3. Sauté the eggplants over medium-high heat until they become golden and soft.
4. In the meantime, cut the cherry tomatoes in half, the onion into fine julienne, and the avocado into slices.
5. Heat the tortillas in a non-stick pan for a few minutes per side or according to the instructions on the package.
6. Assemble the tacos: place some eggplants, cherry tomatoes, onion, avocado, and crumbled feta cheese in the center of each tortilla.
7. Dress everything with lemon juice, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper.
8. Garnish with cilantro or parsley leaves.
9. Serve immediately to enjoy them warm.

Eggplants can also be cooked in the oven or grilled, depending on preferences and for a more summery taste. Moreover, you could add other typical Italian condiments like chopped olives or a touch of pesto to further enrich the flavor of your Italian-style eggplant taco.