- 1 medium eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- 1 fresh fennel bulb
- 2 cups seeded and diced red or yellow bell peppers
- 2 cups diced onions
- 3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons apple cider or red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt ground black pepper
- 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
- 2 cups diced celery
- Finely chopped fresh parsley
- Crumbled feta cheese
- Black olives
- Peel the eggplant and cut it into 1/2-inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups. Cut off the stalks and base of the fennel bulb. Cut it in half, end-to-end, and remove the core if it is tough. Peel away any tough or discolored outer layers of the bulb. Chop the bulb into 1-inch pieces.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- In a large bowl, toss the eggplant, chopped fennel, bell peppers, and onions with the garlic, rosemary, olive oil, and ground fennel seeds. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Spread the vegetables evenly on two lightly oiled rimmed baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, and then turn the vegetables over with a spatula, and continue to bake until the eggplant and bell peppers are tender and lightly browned, up to 15 minutes.
- While the vegetables roast, in a large bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients. Add the diced cucumber and celery. When the roasted vegetables come out of the oven, add them to the bowl and toss well.
- Serve at room temperature or chilled, garnished with parsley, crumbled feta, and/or olives.