I posted a recipe not too long ago that mentioned my desire to find more ways to cook with miso. A friend of mine commented: “miso and eggplant is really yummy, you should try it!” I’m so here for the food and recipe recommendations, and you know I’m up to try almost anything. So naturally, I set out to make miso and eggplant!

This recipe is really simple: roast eggplant with olive oil, whisk up the miso sauce, spread it on the roasted eggplant, and broil for a few more minutes. It’s so simple, and I find that the tastiest stuff always is. It’s also good for you, which is always a plus!

We had our miso eggplant over a big bowl of tri-color quinoa. You could choose to make this as a side dish or serve it over a different grain of your choice. Definitely dont skip on the toasted sesame seeds because they add a nice crunchy texture and nutty balance to the flavors.

Ingredients
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 large eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup miso paste
1 tsp ground ginger
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp water
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp red chili paste
fresh chopped scallions
2 servings cooked quinoa for serving, optional

Instructions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place eggplant slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and brush both sides of each slice with olive oil. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until tender, flipping halfway through. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet 10 minutes. Turn oven up to broil. Meanwhile, place sesame seeds in a skillet over medium-low and cook for about 5 minutes or until fragrant. Next, whisk together miso, ground ginger, sesame oil, maple syrup, water, rice wine vinegar, and chili paste in a small bowl. Spread miso mixture on each eggplant round, and broil until fragrant and slightly browned, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and scallions. Serve over quinoa if desired.

Serves 2 generously