【Eggplant Summer Salad】♢Quick & Easy!♢A Refreshing yet Hearty Salad Recipe Perfect as a Side Dish!

Overview

This refreshing yet hearty summer salad recipe features 2 eggplants, cucumber, and ground pork. Tossed in a Mapo Eggplant-style Chinese dressing, it transforms a simple salad into a satisfying main or side dish. The key is the dressing made with vinegar, sesame oil, and doubanjiang (chili bean paste), which can be whipped up in no time. It's a versatile recipe that pairs perfectly with rice or drinks!

Key Tips

• Prep
  • Cut the eggplants into bite-sized pieces and soak in water beforehand to remove bitterness.
• Prep
  • Slice the cucumber thinly or cut into bite-sized pieces beforehand.
• Heat control
  • Season the ground pork with salt and pepper before sautéing thoroughly in a pan.
• Seasoning
  • Combine the vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, sugar, sesame oil, doubanjiang, ground Sichuan pepper, and chicken bouillon powder to make the dressing.
• Seasoning
  • Mixing all the dressing ingredients together before tossing with the vegetables and meat ensures an even flavor.
• Finishing
  • Finish by generously sprinkling toasted sesame seeds over the dish.
• Flavor balance
  • The combination of refreshing vinegar with rich sesame oil and doubanjiang creates a satisfying, main-dish-worthy salad.

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• 2eggplants
• 1/3cucumber
• 60–70gground pork
• Saltand pepper, to taste
• Generous1 tbsp vinegar
• 1tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2tsp garlic (grated or paste)
• 1tsp sugar
• 2tsp sesame oil
• 1/2tsp doubanjiang (chili bean paste)
• Apinch of ground Sichuan pepper (sansho)
• Apinch of chicken bouillon powder
• Toastedsesame seeds, to taste (generous amount)

Instructions

1. 1

   Cut the eggplants into bite-sized pieces (wedge-cut or bite-sized) and soak in water to remove bitterness.

2. 2

   Slice the cucumber thinly or cut into bite-sized pieces.

3. 3

   Mix the vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, sugar, sesame oil, doubanjiang, ground Sichuan pepper, and chicken bouillon powder together to make the dressing.

4. 4

   Heat oil in a pan and sauté the ground pork seasoned with salt and pepper.

5. 5

   Once the ground pork is thoroughly cooked, remove it from the pan (or let it cool).

6. 6

   Drain the eggplants and heat them in a microwave or pan until softened.

7. 7

   Combine the eggplants, cucumber, and sautéed ground pork in a bowl.

8. 8

   Pour the prepared dressing over the ingredients and toss well to combine.

9. 9

   Plate the salad, sprinkle generously with toasted sesame seeds, and serve.

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