This recipe combines the flavors of two Middle Eastern favorites—hummus and baba ganouj—in one easy dish. Serve it family-style, letting diners take their own favorite combination of ingredients. Serve with: Tabbouleh or a green salad tossed with lemon vinaigrette.

Makes 4 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 25 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 25 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small eggplant (about 12 ounces), cubed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
2 tablespoons tahini (see Shopping Tip)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
1 15- or 19-ounce can chickpeas or cannellini beans, rinsed (see Note)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup halved pitted briny black olives, such as Kalamata (optional)
4 whole-wheat pita breads, warmed and cut in half or into wedges

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add eggplant, garlic and 1/8 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is soft and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, whisk tahini, lemon juice, water and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Stir in chickpeas (or beans), parsley and the eggplant.
3. Arrange the chickpea-eggplant salad, tomatoes, onion, feta, olives (if using) and pitas on a platter. Serve at room temperature or chilled and sprinkled with more parsley, if desired.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 313 calories; 11 g fat (3 g sat, 5 g mono); 8 mg cholesterol; 46 g carbohydrate; 11 g protein; 10 g fiber; 563 mg sodium; 622 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (40% daily value), Folate (28% dv), Magnesium & Potassium (18% dv), Iron (15% dv).
2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 vegetable, 1 plant-based protein, 2 fat

TIP: Shopping tip: Tahini is a thick paste of ground sesame seeds. Look for it in large supermarkets in the Middle Eastern section or near other nut butters.

Note: While we love the convenience of canned beans, they tend to be high in sodium. Give them a good rinse before adding to a recipe to rid them of some of their sodium (up to 35 percent) or opt for low-sodium or no-salt-added varieties. (These recipes are analyzed with rinsed, regular canned beans.) Or, if you have the time, cook your own beans from scratch.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Cover and refrigerate the chickpea salad (Steps 1-2) for up to 4 hours.

I loved this recipe - the chickpea/eggplant mixture was very fresh, tangy and delicious and could even stand alone as a lemony side salad. We ate this in pitas with tabbouleh on a warm summer night...very refreshing.

Katie, Milton, VT

This was absolutely delicious and very easy to make. It tasted just as good leftover.

Mary, Pine Bluff, AR

This was really tasty, a perfect quick dinner for a hot summer evening. Great picnic fare!

Beth, Milwaukee, WI