Grilled Eggplant Bruschetta

I adore bruschetta and have since the first time I tried it. But let’s face it, that french bread isn’t so kind to the blood sugars or the waistline. Enter my favorite bread substitute: eggplant. It doesn’t have all that much flavor on its own so it’s perfect for topping with the bright, bold taste of tomatoes, garlic and basil. And grilling the eggplant first just adds to the summery appeal. In short, with eggplant bruschetta you have a delicious low carb appetizer.

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Ingredients

Topping:

2 cups diced fresh tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped basil
2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Grilled Eggplant:

1 medium eggplant, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp oil of choice (olive, avocado, walnut, whatever you fancy – I like walnut)
Pepper to taste

Instructions

For the topping, combine tomatoes, basil, garlic and olive oil in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper and let sit for flavors to meld.
For the eggplant, lay slices in a single layer and sprinkle with salt. Let sit half an hour.
Preheat grill to medium. Grill eggplant until tender and slightly charred, about 5 to 7 minutes per side.
Remove and brush with oil, then sprinkle with pepper.
Place about 2 tbsp of bruschetta topping on each slice of eggplant. Serve warm or cold.

Yield: 8 (about 2 slices per serving)

Cholesterol: 0mg

Food energy: 71 Calories

Total fat: 5g (62.7% calories from fat)

Carbohydrate: 6g

Protein per serving: 1g

Total dietary fiber: 2g

Sodium per serving: 206mg