Thai Eggplant and Zucchini Salad
This Thai Eggplant and Zucchini Salad has amazing flavors, and I’m always saying give grilled eggplant and zucchini a chance! And I think a salad with Thai flavors and these favorite garden veggies is such a fun combination.
PIN the Thai Eggplant Salad to try it later!
I’m hoping this amazing Low-Cal Hmong Spicy Eggplant from Viet World Kitchen might convince some eggplant-reluctant people to try grilled eggplant! Recently I made this very tasty salad with grilled eggplant and zucchini with my nephew Jake.
We both loved the Thai flavors in the dressing, and absolutely devoured the salad, with both of us loving the grilled eggplant with slightly charred skin. Then over the next couple of days I told various people about this new favorite salad, and one after the other they told me “I don’t like eggplant.” And I patiently explained to each person how I never liked eggplant either, until I tried grilled eggplant.
So if you like Thai flavors, I’m urging you to be adventurous and give grilled eggplant a chance. Of course you could make the salad with all zucchini if you insist, but Jake and I both thought the grilled eggplant was so spectacular in this that next time I’d probably skip the zucchini and use all eggplant.
And if you’re a vegetable fan, this Thai Eggplant and Zucchini Salad was adapted from one I found in Vegetables Every Day (affiliate link), a book I’ve used over and over for interesting ways to cook vegetables.
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Japanese eggplant or Asian eggplant
- zucchini
- Peanut Oil (affiliate link)
- salt and fresh ground black pepper for seasoning vegetables
- green onions
- chopped fresh herbs (preferably cilantro, mint, or Thai basil)
- chopped peanuts
- fresh-squeezed lime juice, I used my fresh-frozen lime juice
- fish sauce, preferably Red Boat Fish Sauce (affiliate link)
- Sriracha Sauce (affiliate link) or other Asian hot sauce
- Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link) or sweetener of your choice
What Eggplant did we use for Thai Eggplant and Zucchini Salad?
There are lots of different types of eggplant. I used the long skinny Japanese Eggplant from my garden for this, and I always love using some kind of Asian Eggplant for grilling, since they work so well on the grill. This type of eggplant variety doesn’t need to be peeled or salted before cooking, and they’re also great for stir-fried dishes with eggplant.
What gives this recipe spicy Thai flavors?
The interesting dressing for this salad has fresh lime juice, fish sauce (or Vegetarian Fish Sauce), Sriracha Sauce, and Golden Monkfruit Sweetener to give it the distinctive flavors that make Thai food so great!
Is Thai Eggplant and Zucchini Salad an authentic Thai Recipe?
I’m not claiming that this salad with eggplant and zucchini is an authentic Thai recipe, but it does have the the salty, sweet, spicy, sour flavor combination that Thai food is known for.
How can you make Thai Eggplant and Zucchini Salad a vegetarian salad?
Just use Vegetarian Fish Sauce, (affiliate link) if you want to make this a meatless salad.
Cooking the vegetables for Thai Eggplant and Zucchini Salad:
(This section and the one below are only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Cut off the ends of the eggplant and zucchini, then cut into lengthwise pieces.
- Brush all sides with peanut or grapeseed oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Lay the eggplant and zucchini on a preheated and well-used grill.
- I wanted to get grill marks on two sides, so I put a flat side down and then watched for grill marks to appear. When the first side had nice grill marks, we flipped the veggies to the other flat side.
- After 15 minutes the eggplant was all nicely charred, but we left the zucchini on for another 5 minutes. You also might cut the zucchini a little thinner than the eggplant.
- Let zucchini and eggplant pieces cool on a cutting board.
Finishing the Thai Eggplant and Zucchini Salad:
- While the vegetables cooled, I mixed the spicy and colorful dressing.
- When the vegetables were cool, I cut them crosswise into strips and put them in a bowl to marinate in a couple of tablespoons of the dressing. (Sorry, forgot to take a photo of that step.)
- Chop the cilantro and slice the green onions. (If you’re a cilantro hater I would use mint or Thai basil, or just a bit more green onion.)
- Mix in the green onions and cilantro with the marinating veggies, adding a bit more dressing. (You might won’t need all the dressing.)
- I served extra dressing on the side to dip pieces of eggplant or zucchini into.)
- Top each serving of salad with a couple of spoonfuls of chopped peanuts and serve.
More Tasty Ways to Give Eggplant a Chance:
- Spicy Grilled Eggplant from Kalyn’s Kitchen
- Slow Cooker Punjabi Eggplant with Potatoes from The Perfect Pantry
- Grilled Eggplant with Feta and Herbs from Kalyn’s Kitchen
- Low-Cal Hmong Spicy Eggplant from Viet World Kitchen
- Garlic-Lover’s Vegetable Stir Fry from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Thai Eggplant and Zucchini Salad
This Thai Eggplant and Zucchini Salad has amazing Thai flavors in the dressing, and this is the perfect recipe to try grilled eggplant!
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 lbs. Japanese eggplant, ends trimmed and cut lengthwise
- 3 medium zucchini, ends trimmed and cut into lengthwise strips (I cut the zucchini into sixths lengthwise)
- (see notes for other options)
- 2 tsp. peanut oil for brushing vegetables and grill (see notes)
- salt and fresh ground black pepper for seasoning vegetables
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup (or more) chopped fresh herbs (see notes)
- 1/4 cup chopped peanuts
Dressing Ingredients
- 3 T fresh lime juice
- 1 T + 1 tsp. fish sauce (See Notes for Vegetarian option)
- 2 tsp. Sriracha Sauce (or less; this was spicy but not unbearable for me)
- 1 tsp. Golden Monkfruit Sweetener or sweetener of your choice
- 2 tsp. peanut oil
Instructions
- Brush grill grates with grapeseed or peanut oil, then preheat grill to medium-high. (You can only hold your hand there for a couple of seconds at that heat.)
- Wash and dry eggplant and zucchini, trim ends, and cut into lengthwise strips.
- Brush vegetables with oil and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
- Lay strips on the hot grill, flesh side down and cook about 5-7 minutes or until grill marks appear.
- Turn vegetables and cook until that side has nice grill marks, about 5-7 minutes more.
- Zucchini may take slightly longer than eggplant, but grill all vegetables until they are nicely charred and cooked through.
- As they are done remove the vegetables to a cutting board and let them cool to room temperature.
- While veggies cool, whisk together the lime juice, fish sauce, Sriracha Sauce (affiliate link), sweetener of your choice, and oil.
- When vegetables have cooled, cut them into short crosswise pieces.
- Toss with a few tablespoons of the dressing, and let them marinate while you finish prepping other ingredients.
- Slice the green onions into thin strips and chop the cilantro, mint, or Thai basil.
- Chop peanuts.
- Stir green onions and herbs into the salad and add more dressing until the salad is as wet as you’d like it. (You may not need all the dressing; save to use as a dipping sauce at the table.)
- Serve salad in individual bowls, topped with a few spoonfuls of chopped peanuts.
- This kept reasonably well overnight in the fridge, but it was best freshly made.
Notes
You can also make this salad with only zucchini or only eggplant if you prefer. I think the dressing would be good on many kinds of other grilled vegetables like peppers, onions, sweet potatoes, or winter squash.
We loved the salad with cilantro, but use cilantro, mint, or Thai basil, whichever you prefer. I like Red Boat Fish Sauce (affiliate link) for this recipe. I prefer Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link), but use any no-calorie sweetener you prefer. I prefer Peanut Oil (affiliate link) for Asian recipes, but use the oil you prefer.
For strictly vegetarian, use Vegetarian Fish Sauce, (affiliate link) or just replace fish sauce with soy sauce or Coconut Aminos, whichever you prefer.
Recipe adapted from Vegetables Every Day (affiliate link).
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 111Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 0mgSodium 326mgCarbohydrates 12gFiber 3.8gSugar 5gProtein 3.6g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glyemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Using an approved sweetener makes this Thai Eggplant and Zucchini Salad a perfect salad for low-carb diets or for any phase of the original South Beach Diet.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Eggplant Recipes or Salad Recipes to find more ideas like this one! Use the Diet Type Indes to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
The Thai Eggplant and Zucchini Salad recipe was first posted in 2011, when I had Asian Eggplant in my garden. It was last updated with more information in 2023.
36 Comments on “Thai Eggplant and Zucchini Salad”
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Terrah, you can also use Uncle Ben's Converted rice (white or brown) which is one of the most low-glycemic types of rice, due to the converting process. I use it a lot when I don't want brown rice.
Oh, it came out SO GOOD….
The Japanese eggplant roasted so sweet and silky! The only thing is next time, I'll start roasting the zucchini first, as it's more hearty in texture. But all of those flavor married together. Along with the aroma of jasmine rice, my apartment smelled like a restaurant!
I couldn't help thinking to myself that if I'd used brown rice, the meal would have been TOTALLY SB phase two, lol.
Terrah, that definitely sounds good to me!
Hi Kaylyn,
First, let me just say that I actually planned my latest shopping list around many of your blog recipes! I haven't been on South Beach for many years but I still love the idea of eating veggies, fruit, lean meat, healthy grains.
Now, I went shopping as I said. I bought lots of zucchini and my first Japanese eggplant. I love Italian but it makes my tongue tingle a little. I hear Japanese eggplants are the solution for people like me.
I don't have a grill so I'm just going to roast them in my oven with some peanut oil that I did have. I'm also going to add a little chicken to this. Finally, I'm topping this with some premade Thai peanut sauce I have on hand. Serving this with Jasmine rice. This is my dinner tonight. Can't wait!
Thanks Lydia, love this salad!
I used to be one of those "not crazy about eggplant" people, but I love the seedless Japanese eggplant. Grilling it with Thai flavors is inspired!
So glad you have been enjoying the blog. I'm not sure what would be a vegetarian substitute for fish sauce; have you tried googling it?
I would love to make this dish for my daughter. She is a vegetarian and so I can't use fish sauce. What should I use as a substitute?
I'm a big fan of your blog. I love your recipes!!
Jen, so glad you liked it, and what a great idea to broil the eggplant.
Wow, this was AMAZING. I had to make some adjustments, as I have no grill and don't like zucchini, so I broiled half inch eggplant disks until browned and tossed in some spinach and tomatoes. Next time I'll broil some portobella mushrooms with the eggplant. Tasty, filling and great for work lunches. Thanks for another fantastic recipe!
Nurse Jen in NYC
Rebecki, that is fantastic! So glad to hear about your success.
We made this the day after you posted the recipe and served it warm over brown rice. I loved it – but squirted some extra sriracha on it (love that stuff).
Thanks, Kalyn. I've been beaching it for 15 months and lost 70 pounds with your help.
Miriam, hope you enjoy it!
I just bookmarked this recipe- it looks DELICIOUS. You had me at grilled zucchini. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
-Miriam
Your pictures are great. I can't wait to make this dish very soon!!
Soma, my pleasure! Glad you liked this idea.
I can eat anything eggplant and I think grilling elevates the flavors.. ahh the smoky aroma of eggplants. Kalyn love the dressing here, esp the use of Sriracha and also the peanut topping.
and thanks for adding mine:)
Thanks Maria, I loved the dressing!
Love the Thai flavors! Great recipe for this time of year.
Thanks for that nice feedback. Many people are surprised that I have no ambitions to write a cookbook, but I do plan to keep blogging for a long time.
This has got to be the most beautiful eggplant dish ever. I would follow your recipe page, if only to look at the fantastic pictures. You've lost your calling–should be a cookbook author. Thanks.
Becky, I'm sure you would like this! Wish I had more eggplant and I'd give you some.
I need to give eggplant a second chance I think. Maybe I've never had it fresh or I've picked the wrong ones out of the bunch OR maybe I just needed your recipe!!
Sarah and Joanne, fun hearing from some eggplant fans!
Dave, the skin of Asian eggplants is thinner than that of larger ones, and is very tasty when they're grilled. They aren't mushy if you don't overcook them.
Barbara, wish I had more and I'd bring you some.
It sounds like a dish my family would love. Now to find some Asian eggplant.
HUH… Intresting. I am not at all a fan of the skin of an egg plant. But, wasn't it mushy when you cut into it. When I grill egg plant, I scrape the meat from the skin and make a dip. I must over cook it.
BTW, beautiful grill marks!
Huge eggplant LOVER right here! And zucchini ain't so bad either 😛 I love the sound of this dressing to spruce them up!
This looks awesome! I love grilled eggplants. I must try this recipe…soon…
Megan, I've only made it with cilantro, but I have no doubt that it would be good with mint or Thai basil as well. (I wish I had Thai basil and I'd definitely try it that way.)
This sounds fantastic, have you tried making it with Thai basil too?
Dara, thanks. We loved it!
Lydia, I agree, the Japanese eggplants are part of my new-found appreciation for eggplant. Perfect for the grill.
Thanks Maris!
Roz, hope you enjoy it.
HI Kalyn, oh my…this looks amazing! I'm going to give this a go soon!!!
Great pictorial which has left me salivating for these veggies!
Ever since discovering the Japanese eggplant, which are virtually seedless, I've been a huge fan of eggplant. The grilling gives it such great flavor, smoky and not mushy (and I think it's the mushy that people who say they don't like eggplant are responding to). I second your idea — give grilled eggplant a chance!
I can't make this fast enough. Really, flavors and fresh grilled veggies sounds fantastic, Kalyn!