Souvlaki hummus bowl with grilled eggplant and naan bread

I love mediterranean inspired food! I like to create new meals using different elements each time. That’s how I came up with this souvlaki hummus bowl with grilled eggplant and naan bread.

This is a simple, easy and quick way to enjoy mediterranean food, without spending hours in the kitchen preparing all the different dishes for a mezze platter. And even though it’s simple, all the flavors are there. It is so good! Give this mediterranean bowl a try, you won’t be disappointed.

How I make this souvlaki hummus bowl with grilled eggplant and naan bread?

You can use store-bought naan bread, but I like to make mine myself. Since the dough has to rise to double in size, that’s what I start with. While I am waiting for it to rise, I prepare the other components. Also, the meat has to marinate. If I don’t forget, I usually do that the night before, so it can marinate overnight. If not, here is how I start:

Marinate the meat for the souvlaki

I add the cubed meat and all the marinate ingredients – yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper – to a mixing bowl or a resealable bag. I either combine it all with a wooden spatula (mixing bowl) or I massage the meat in the sealed bag. I leave the meat to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, but preferably longer.

Make the dough for the naan bread

Now that the meat is marinating in the fridge, I make the dough for the naan bread. Here you can read in detail how I make whole wheat naan bread for this souvlaki hummus bowl. I start with the ‘starter’ and then continue to make the actual dough. Every time I have to wait while the dough is rising, I continue with the other components of this meal >>>

Cut the eggplant to let it ‘sweat’

I cut the eggplant into disks, place them on a towel, sprinkle them with some salt and cover them with another towel to extract the excess moisture. I leave the eggplant for 20-30 minutes. In the meantime I pickle the red onions.

Quick-pickling the red onions

To pickle the red onions, I heat up some apple cider vinegar, water, salt and sweetener (maple syrup or honey) and stir to combine it all. After adding the red onion to a small jar, I pour the hot liquid on top of it, close the lid and shake it well. I let it sit for 30 minutes. That’s it!

I usually have a batch of pickled onions and cucumbers in the fridge. I make a few jars every once in a while and keep them in the back of the fridge… one less thing to prepare! In the notes below the recipe you will find a quick-pickling method. Or go here for the full recipe.

Cut/prepare all the toppings

I usually make this meal if I have leftover quinoa in the fridge; one less thing to prepared! If I don’t have any leftovers, I just follow the directions on the package to make. Once it is ready, I set it aside.

I always serve this souvlaki hummus bowl, with slices of cucumber. They are so refreshing and give extra crunch to the meal. So all I do is wash the cucumber, slice it and set it aside until serving. Instead of using fresh cucumbers, you can also pickle them like the red onions as mentioned above.

Make the hummus

Here you can read in detail how I make hummus. I love homemade hummus. It is so much better than store bought, but to save time, you can use that as well for this souvlaki hummus bowl.

Make the souvlaki

Once the meat has marinated, I shake off the excess marinate and add 4-5 cubes to a skewer. Once all the meat is on skewers, I heat up a skillet with some olive oil. When the oil is hot, I add 3-4 skewers to the skillet. Once one side is golden brown, I rotate the skewer until all sides are done. I cut one cube in half to check for doneness. I like mine medium rare.

Grill eggplant

Once the eggplant hast lost most of its moisture, I sprinkle oregano on the slices and I heat up a skillet with some olive oil. When the oil is hot, I add the sliced eggplant to the skillet, 3 or 4 at a time, until the bottom is golden brown. Then I flip them over and grill the other side.

Make naan bread

Now that the dough has risen and doubled in size, I cut it in 4 or 6 pieces. I roll them into balls and cover them with a tea towel for 5-10 minutes. In the meantime I flour my countertop and look for my rolling pin.

I roll out each dough ball into a round/oval shape and heat up a skillet with a bit of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, I pick up a rolled out naan bread and transfer it to the skillet. This will make the dough stretch out more, but that is a good thing as long as there are no holes in it. Thin dough will make sure there are air pockets when the naan bread is grilling in the skillet.

The naan bread is ready to flip, when it has puffed up and the bottom is golden brown. I do the same for the other side. Then I transfer it to a plate and continue making naan bread until all of them are done.

Assemble the souvlaki hummus bowl

I start by spreading out hummus on a plate or shallow bowl. The rest of the hummus I serve on the side in a small bowl.

I add quinoa next. Hummus and quinoa form the bottom of the bowl. Now I layer the bowl with the grilled eggplant, the souvlaki, pickled onions and cucumber. The naan bread I tuck in there as well or I serve it on the side.

Another option is to serve it all in separate bowls and platters, so everyone can stuff their own naan bread. My kids love doing it theirselves. And I have noticed they are willing to try more things, when they are in charge of preparing their own plate/bowl.

We love mediterranean inspired food in this household. Especially when the kids get to fill their own naan bread! We hope you will like it too. It is

versatile – easy to make – so colorful – adjustable to everyone’s liking – and SO delicious!

Are you inspired and looking for more mediterranean meals? How about this falafel naan burger, lemon marinated chicken pitas or family friendly falafel. All my mediterranean inspired dishes you will find in my mediterranean night aka wrap-your-own-pita.

Souvlaki hummus bowl

This mediterranean-inspired bowl with grilled eggplant and naan bread is an fun and easy meal for the whole family. Serve everything in a bowl or all components separate so it becomes fill-your-own-naan night!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean

Servings 4 people

Equipment

• 8 skewers (wooden or metal, not too big so they still fit in the skillet)
• 1 Rolling pin

Ingredients

  

Souvlaki

• 1½-2 lbs steak (sirloin, tender loin, flat iron, strip steak all are good cuts)
• 2 tbsp extra virgen olive oil
• 1 cup yogurt (can be dairy free)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• s+p (to taste)
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)

Grilled eggplants

• 1 large eggplant/aubergine (cut in discs)
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil (for grilling)

Other toppings

• 2 cups hummus (homemade** or store bought)
• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 cup pickled onions (homemade* or store bought)
• 1 small cucumber (washed and sliced)
• 4 naan breads (homemade*** or store bought)
• 1 lemon (cut into wedges)(to serve on the side, optional)

Instructions

 

• If you are making your own naan bread, start with making the dough for it first.
• Either marinate the beef overnight or start doing that now. Add the cubed meat and all the marinate ingredients – yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper – to a mixing bowl or a resealable bag. Combine it all with a wooden spatula (mixing bowl) or massage the meat in the sealed bag. Leave the meat to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, but preferably longer.
• Place the slices of eggplant on a towel, sprinkle them with some salt and cover them with another towel to extract the excess moisture. Leave the eggplant for 20-30 minutes. In the meantime
• If you are making homemade pickled red onions, do that now. See Notes below for ingredients and instructions.
• If you are making homemade hummus, do that now and set it aside until serving.
• Once the meat has marinated, shake off the excess marinate and add 4-5 cubes to a skewer. Once the meat has marinated, I shake off the excess marinate and add 4-5 cubes to a skewer. Once all the meat is on skewers, I heat up a skillet with some olive oil. When the oil is hot, I add 3-4 skewers to the skillet. Once one side is golden brown, I rotate the skewer until all sides are done. I cut one cube in half to check for doneness. I like mine medium rare.
• Once all the meat is on skewers, heat up a skillet with some olive oil. When the oil is hot, add 3-4 skewers to the skillet. Once one side is golden brown, rotate the skewer. Continue until all sides are done.
• Once the eggplant hast lost most of its moisture, sprinkle oregano on the slices and heat up a skillet with some olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the sliced eggplant to the skillet, 3 or 4 at a time, until the bottom is golden brown. Then flip them over and grill the other side.
• Now that the dough for the naan bread has risen and doubled in size, cut it in 4 or 6 pieces. Roll them into balls and cover them with a tea towel for 5-10 minutes. In the meantime flour the countertop.
• Roll out each dough ball into a round/oval shape and heat up a skillet with a bit of olive oil.
• Once the oil is hot, pick up a rolled out naan bread and transfer it to the skillet. This will make the dough stretch out more, but that is a good thing as long as there are no holes in it.
• When the naan bread has puffed up and the bottom is golden brown, flip it over. When they bottom side is browned as well, transfer it to a plate and continue making naan bread until all of them are done.
• Now assemble the hummus bowl. Spread out hummus on a plate or shallow bowl. The rest of the hummus I serve on the side in a small bowl. Add quinoa next. Now layer the bowl with the grilled eggplant, the souvlaki, pickled onions and cucumber. Tuck the naan bread in there as well or serve it on the side. Enjoy!

Notes

*Quick-pickling red onions:

-1 large red onion / 1 small cucumber

-¾ cup apple cider vinegar (or cucumbers)

-¼ cup water

-1 tsp sea salt

-1-2 tbsp maple syrup or honey, to taste

Heat up all ingredients -/- red onion until it simmers. Place red onion/cucumber in a small jar, pour hot liquid on top of it, close the lid and shake. Let marinate for 30 minutes. Refrigerate afterwards or use immediately.

*how to make pickles (detailed)

**homemade hummus

***naan bread

 

Nutritional information:

the information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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