Japanese Eggplant Salad with Baby Zucchini
Fresh ginger, garlic, soy, and miso add zinginess to eggplant and zucchini
Japanese eggplant, as you see, are long and slender. They have a great flavor and, unlike globe eggplants, you just slice and fry them. No advance salting and no squeezing to rid the globe eggplant’s bitter taste. For this recipe you’ll need 1 pound of trimmed eggplants.
I created this recipe in memory of my friend, Aglaia Kremezi, who died on May 18, 2026. I did write a newsletter about her, but I wanted to say more, and I thought a few more photos showing how the salad is prepared might be helpful to you.
Aglaia had authored many cookbooks on Greek and Mediterranean cuisine, and she and her husband, Costas, welcomed guests to their cooking school on the beautiful island of Kea. Aglaia loved to cook with eggplant and zucchini. She sometimes referred to them as humble vegetables, implying they were suitable for cooking in many ways. And now that I live in Hawaii, I thought she might enjoy a dish of these vegetables as a salad with a miso and ginger dressing.
The Recipe
Makes 4 to 6 servings
3 medium Japanese eggplants, about 1 pound total
1/2 pound baby zucchini, or 2 medium zucchini
Extra-virgin olive oil, as you need it
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 cherry tomatoes, halved through the stem
Lettuce leaves to line the serving platter
For the Dressing
1 tablespoon white miso
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 to 3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger, peeled or not
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley leaves
Cut the stems off the eggplant at an angle and slice the eggplant at an angle into 1/2-inch-thick slices (eyeball the thickness).
In a large non-stick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium high. When the oil is shimmering, layer in the eggplant. All of it may not fit. Cook 3 to 4 minutes total, until both sides are nicely browned. Set the eggplant on paper towels and cook any remaining slices. Add more oil if necessary. Salt and pepper the fried eggplant slices.
Cut the baby zucchini in half the long way, then in half crosswise. If using medium zucchini, slice them crosswise about 1/4-inch thick. Cook as you did the eggplant in olive oil. Set aside on a plate and salt and pepper the slices lightly.
Line a serving platter with lettuce leaves.
For the dressing, put the miso, soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons of the rice vinegar into a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the olive oil, honey, ginger, and garlic. Taste. If you feel the dressing is a bit shy of tartness, drizzle in up to 1 more tablespoon of rice vinegar. Whisk in the parsley.
To serve, arrange the eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes atop the lettuce-lined platter. Whisk the dressing one final time and drizzle it evenly over the vegetables. Serve portions on salad plates. Leftover salad keeps well in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Serve at room temperature.
Happy Cooking!