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    Home » Salad » Crispy Eggplant Caprese Stack

    Crispy Eggplant Caprese Stack

    September 15, 2019

    2079 shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This crispy eggplant caprese stack is not only visually awesome, but tastefully awesome! The eggplant is breaded with panko breadcrumbs, pan fried to golden crispy perfection, and then stacked high with classic caprese salad ingredients.

    a stack of crispy eggplant, tomato, mozzarella, arugula salad, piled high on a white plate with a red tomato, basil, and parmesan cheese block in the background

    Eggplant

    holding a whole eggplant in hand over a wooden cutting board

    Eggplants are one of my favorite vegetables to cook with. They are high fiber, low calorie, that is so versatile. Rich in nutrients, eggplant recipes are the perfect vegetable to still get a hearty meal with no meat necessary.

    Prepping the eggplant

    eggplant peeled, and sliced into ½ inch slices on a cutting board

    Although eggplant skin is edible, it can be tough and bitter so I peeled mine using a vegetable peeler. Once peeled, we are going to use a chef’s knife and cut the eggplant into ½ inch slices.

    Salting eggplant

    sliced eggplants on a baking sheet lined with paper towels

    Next we are going to salt our eggplant slices. It is said that by salting the eggplant, it will draw out the bitterness associated with eggplant. Eggplants are known to not be as bitter as they once were which is great but, I also salt for other reasons too. Much like zucchini’s, eggplants have a high water content, so by salting them we will draw out the extra moisture, ensuring our breading will get crispy. Another reason is we are seasoning it from the inside out. The salt penetrates through the eggplant, ensuring every bite you have later is perfectly seasoned.

    clean sliced eggplant lined on a baking sheet

    I salted both sides of the eggplant and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes on a paper towel lined baking sheet. After the 30 minutes is up, I washed the excess salt and moisture off the eggplant in a colander, and dried each piece with paper towel. You want to make sure the eggplant is dry so the breading will adhere.

    breading station of panko, egg wash, flour, and crispy eggplant

    Next I set up a breading station of: all purpose flour, panko breadcrumbs, and 2 beaten eggs. I like using panko breadcrumbs because it gives you such a nice crunchy breading. There are already pre-seasoned Italian panko breadcrumbs, or you can throw some dry herbs into the plain panko.

    panko breaded eggplant slices on a baking sheet

    1: Coat the eggplant slice in all purpose flour, give it a light shake to remove any excess flour. 2: Coat the floured eggplant slice in egg wash. 3: Place the eggplant slice in the panko breadcrumbs and cover the slices by pressing the panko breadcrumbs into the eggplant on each side. Set aside and repeat with all remaining slices.

    Pan frying the eggplant

    3 slices of eggplant shallow frying in a cast iron skillet

    In a cast iron skillet, over medium heat add a cup of high smoke oil. I used grapeseed, but just make sure whatever oil you use is approved for frying. I shallow fry over medium heat, not high heat. This ensures that you get a nice golden brown breading and cooked inside, without burning the breadcrumbs. I cooked them for about 3-4 minutes on each side, once the breading is golden flip to the other side.

    crispy breaded eggplant on a paper towel

    Once golden brown on both sides, carefully remove the eggplant from the oil and place on a plate or baking sheet lined with paper towels for excess oil to drain. I add a small pinch of kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, then proceed to cook the rest of the slices.

    Caprese Ingredients

    bag of arugula, two tomatoes, lemon, mozzarella log, and basil pack on a cutting board

    Crispy breaded eggplant is SO versatile, you can make sandwiches with it, make eggplant parmesan, but I decided to make a caprese salad stack with it.

    arugula in a bowl, lemon squeeze, olive oil, salt and pepper on a cutting board

    If you’ve made my chicken milanese recipe, you’ve tried this simple citrus arugula salad. With arugula, lemon juice, olive oil, kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, it’s quick and so tasty.

    Assembling the caprese stack

    close up of a stack of crispy eggplant, tomato, mozzarella, arugula salad, piled high on a white plate with a red tomato, basil, and parmesan cheese block in the background

    To assemble the caprese stack, I lay down some of the citrus arugula salat, followed by a crispy eggplant slice, slice of tomato, slice of mozzarella cheese, two basil leaves, then repeat! At the end, I topped it with more arugula salad, followed by shaved parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic glaze.

    a stack of crispy eggplant, tomato, mozzarella, arugula salad, piled high on a white plate with a red tomato, basil, and parmesan cheese block in the background

    Visually beautiful, but we don’t want a leaning tower of pisa situation here. To serve, you can carefully slice it down the middle, or I prefer to just serve the top half to one guest and the bottom half to another.

    close up of a stack of crispy eggplant, tomato, mozzarella, arugula salad, piled high on a white plate with a red tomato, basil, and parmesan with balsamic glaze dripping off

    This crispy eggplant caprese stack is the salad/appetizer that will wow your dinner guests. I hope you enjoy!

    Interested in more Italian inspired meals?

    • Chicken Milanese
    • Penne Alla Vodka
    • Spinach and Beef Lasagna
    • Baked Chicken Parmesan
    • Homemade Bolognese Sauce
    • Stuffed Pasta Shells

    For the web story version of this recipe, click here!

    Made this recipe and loved it? Leave a star rating below!

    a stack of crispy eggplant, tomato, mozzarella, arugula salad, piled high on a white plate with a red tomato, basil, and parmesan cheese block in the background

    Crispy Eggplant Caprese Stack

    This eggplant caprese stack is visually and tastefully awesome! With crispy panko encrusted eggplant, stacked high with mozzarella, tomato, and a citrusy arugula salad. The perfect appetizer to kick your meal off!
    4.54 from 15 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: breaded eggplant, caprese salad, caprese stack, crispy eggplant, eggplant caprese
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Inactive Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 472kcal
    Author: Stephanie

    Equipment

    • Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet 
    • Citrus Juicer
    • Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls
    • OXO Good Grips Non-Stick Pro Half Sheet
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    Crispy Eggplant Ingredients

    • 1 large eggplant peeled, sliced into ½ inch slices
    • 1 tablespoon Kosher salt divided
    • 2 cup Italian panko breadcrumbs
    • ½ cup all purpose flour
    • 2 eggs beaten
    • 1 cup high smoke point oil for frying
    • Fresh ground black pepper

    Caprese Ingredients

    • 1 large tomato sliced into ½ inch slices
    • 8 ounce mozzarella sliced into ½ inch slices
    • Handful of fresh basil leaves whole
    • 3 handfuls arugula
    • Juice of ½ lemon
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • Pinch Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper

    Garnish:

    • Freshly shaved parmesan cheese
    • Olive oil
    • Balsamic glaze

    Instructions

    Eggplant

    • Line a baking sheet with paper towel and place sliced eggplant side by side. Sprinkle ½ the kosher salt on one side, then flip the eggplant slices and salt the other side. Let the eggplant rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to draw moisture out [see note]. After 30 minutes are over, rinse eggplant slices in a colander, and pat dry [see note].
    • In separate bowls, place the panko breadcrumbs, beaten egg, and all purpose flour. Grab one of the eggplant slices and coat in the flour, lightly shake to remove excess. Next, dip each slice in the egg wash. Finally, place in the panko breadcrumbs and coat each side, pressing the breadcrumbs to adhere. Set aside and repeat with remaining slices.
    • In a cast iron skillet, over medium heat [see note] once the oil is shimmering add 2-3 slices of eggplant careful to not overcrowd the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until they are golden brown. Carefully remove from the oil and set on a paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil. Add small pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. Repeat and cook remaining eggplant slices.

    Caprese Stack

    • In a medium bowl, add the arugula, olive oil, lemon juice, kosher salt, and black pepper, toss to combine.
    • On a plate, lay down some of the arugula salad, then place an eggplant slice, stack on top tomato slice, followed by mozarella slice, 2-3 fresh basil leaves, another eggplant slice, tomato, mozzarella, basil, and one last eggplant slice. Top with more arugula salad, then garnish with freshly shaved parmesan cheese, drizzle of olive oil, and balsamic glaze.
    • To serve, carefully slice down the middle, or divide top half and bottom half to serve guests. Enjoy!

    Notes

    • Salting the eggplant helps to: draw excess moisture out, remove bitterness, and season the eggplant from the inside out.
    • Ensure eggplant slices are fully dried, or breading will not adhere properly.
    • Shallow pan frying over medium heat allows you to develop a golden brown crust without burning the breadcrumbs and cook the food through. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 472kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 127mg | Sodium: 2359mg | Potassium: 558mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1263IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 404mg | Iron: 3mg
    Made this recipe?Mention @GirlWithTheIronCast or tag #girlwiththeironcast!
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    2079 shares

    Originally Published: September 15, 2019 Post Updated: November 16, 2022 Filed Under: Appetizer, Dinner, Italian, Lunch, Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes, Spring Delights, Summer, Vegetarian Tagged With: Arugula, Basil, Eggplant, Tomatoes

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Patticakes

      June 30, 2022 at 6:22 pm

      One of the best vegetarian meals we have ever had. Wow. Thank you – it will go into our summer rotation.

      Reply
    2. Patticakes

      June 30, 2022 at 6:22 pm

      One of the best vegetarians meals we have ever had. Wow. Thank you – it will go into our summer rotation.

      Reply
      • Stephanie

        June 30, 2022 at 6:31 pm

        I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    3. Catherine

      March 28, 2022 at 2:33 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely delicious and level easy.

      Reply
    4. Mollie Sweeney

      September 16, 2020 at 5:25 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe was an absolute winner for me. I am recently decreasing my meat consumption and I definitely feel in love with this meatless meal. I did try to make my own balsamic glaze and over reduced it into balsamic tar – oops – definitely getting store bought next time. I subbed spinach in for arugula just because it’s our preferred leafy green. Awesome recipe!

      Reply
    5. Maura

      August 30, 2020 at 9:52 am

      Yes I am
      Making this eggplant today for my family
      Prepared the eggplant yesterday and assembled it today
      I have to warm it up then plate it
      Hope it is ok baking it with tomatoe n moz on eat

      Reply

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