Escalivada Recipe

🍆 Escalivada Recipe: Traditional Catalan Roasted Vegetables

Escalivada is one of the simplest examples of how good Spanish cooking can be when the ingredients are allowed to speak for themselves.

Eggplant, red peppers and onion are slowly roasted until completely tender, peeled and cut into strips, then dressed with extra virgin olive oil, garlic and salt.

There is no complicated sauce and no long list of spices. Most of the flavor comes from roasting the vegetables until they become soft, slightly smoky and naturally sweet.

This traditional Catalan dish can be served warm, at room temperature or cold, making it especially useful as a starter, side dish or light vegetarian meal.

If you enjoy simple vegetable dishes, you may also like this Pisto Manchego Recipe or these Spanish Spinach and Chickpeas.

⏱️ Cooking Times

If you ever need help converting Celsius, Fahrenheit, cups, grams or milliliters, keep our Cooking Measurement Conversion Chart handy.

🛒 Ingredients for Escalivada

• 2 large eggplants
• 3 red bell peppers
• 1 large onion
• 2 ripe tomatoes, optional
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt, to taste
• 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar or wine vinegar, optional
• Crusty bread, for serving

Ingredient tip: choose firm eggplants with smooth skin and heavy, fleshy red peppers. Since there are so few ingredients, good vegetables and good olive oil make a real difference.

👨‍🍳 How to Make Traditional Escalivada

1️⃣ Heat the oven

Preheat the oven to 200°C / 390°F.

Line a large baking tray with parchment paper or use a shallow roasting dish.

2️⃣ Prepare the vegetables

Wash and dry the eggplants, peppers, tomatoes and onion.

Leave the eggplants and peppers whole.

Cut the onion in half but leave the skin on if you like. It helps protect it while roasting.

If using tomatoes, leave them whole or cut them in half.

3️⃣ Roast everything slowly

Place the vegetables on the baking tray.

Drizzle them lightly with olive oil.

Roast for around 45 to 55 minutes.

Turn the peppers and eggplants once or twice during cooking so they soften evenly.

The exact time depends on their size.

4️⃣ Look for the right texture

The vegetables are ready when:

• The peppers have collapsed and their skins are blistered.
• The eggplants feel completely soft when pressed.
• The onion is tender through the center.
• The tomatoes, if using, are soft and slightly caramelized.

Do not worry if parts of the pepper skin become dark.

That roasted surface adds flavor and will be removed later.

5️⃣ Let the vegetables rest

Transfer the hot peppers and eggplants to a bowl and loosely cover them for about 10 to 15 minutes.

The trapped steam makes the skins much easier to remove.

6️⃣ Peel the peppers and eggplants

Once cool enough to handle, peel away the skin.

Remove the stems and seeds from the peppers.

Cut the eggplant flesh and peppers into long, rustic strips.

Peel the onion and slice it into strips as well.

7️⃣ Arrange the escalivada

Place the roasted vegetables on a large serving plate.

You can keep each vegetable in separate strips or mix everything together.

I prefer leaving them slightly separated because you can still taste each vegetable individually.

8️⃣ Add garlic and olive oil

Scatter the finely chopped garlic over the vegetables.

Drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt.

If you like a little acidity, add a few drops of sherry vinegar.

9️⃣ Let it rest before serving

Escalivada improves after resting for around 15 to 30 minutes.

This gives the roasted vegetables time to absorb the olive oil and garlic.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

👀 How to Know Escalivada Is Properly Roasted

The biggest mistake is taking the vegetables out too early.

A good escalivada should be extremely tender.

Look for:

• Collapsed peppers with loose, blistered skin.
• Silky eggplant flesh with no firmness in the center.
• Sweet, tender onion rather than crunchy pieces.
• Roasted juices that can be spooned back over the vegetables.

The finished texture should be soft and almost silky rather than crisp.

🇪🇸 What Is Escalivada?

Escalivada is a traditional vegetable dish from Catalonia.

Its name comes from a Catalan cooking tradition involving vegetables roasted over embers or flame.

At home, the oven is the easiest way to reproduce that slow roasted flavor.

The classic combination focuses on eggplant and red peppers, although onion and tomato are also commonly included in home-style versions.

Spain’s official tourism website features escalivada as a traditional Catalan dish and describes the vegetables as being roasted, peeled, cut into strips and dressed with garlic, olive oil and salt.

Traditional Escalivada on Spain.info

🔥 Oven or Open Flame?

Traditionally, roasting the vegetables over an open flame or embers gives escalivada a more pronounced smoky flavor.

At home, however, the oven works perfectly.

If you want a little more smokiness, you can place the peppers briefly under the broiler at the end until the skins darken in places.

Just watch them carefully.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

The eggplant is still firm

It needs longer in the oven.

The center should be completely soft before you remove it.

The peppers are difficult to peel

Let them rest covered while still hot.

The steam loosens the skin.

The dish tastes bland

Do not be afraid to use enough olive oil and salt.

Escalivada has very few ingredients, so seasoning matters.

The garlic is too strong

Raw garlic becomes stronger as it rests.

Use one clove instead of two if you prefer a milder flavor.

The vegetables are watery

Drain off excessive liquid before arranging them, but do not discard all the roasting juices because they contain plenty of flavor.

✨ Tips for Better Escalivada

• Roast until very soft: this dish should not have crunchy vegetables.
• Peel while slightly warm: the skins come away more easily.
• Save some roasting juices: spoon them over the finished dish.
• Use good olive oil: it is one of the main flavors.
• Let it rest: escalivada tastes better after the dressing has had time to soak in.
• Serve at room temperature: the flavors are often more noticeable than when it is fridge-cold.

🌱 Is Escalivada Vegan?

Yes.

Traditional escalivada is naturally vegetarian and vegan when made simply with vegetables, garlic, olive oil and salt.

That makes it one of the easiest traditional Spanish dishes to serve when you need a plant-based option.

🍞 How to Serve Escalivada

One of the simplest ways is to pile the roasted vegetables onto toasted rustic bread.

You can also serve escalivada:

• As a vegetable starter
• Alongside roasted potatoes
• With Pan con Tomate
• As part of a Spanish tapas spread
• With olives and crusty bread
• As a side dish for rice or legumes

For another traditional vegetarian Spanish dish, try our Pisto Manchego.

🧊 Storage

Escalivada is excellent for making ahead.

Keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Add a little extra olive oil before storing so the vegetables remain moist.

Take it out of the refrigerator around 20 to 30 minutes before serving if you prefer it at room temperature.

🥄 Nutritional Information

Nutritional values are approximate and depend mainly on the amount of olive oil used.

❓ FAQ About Escalivada

What is escalivada made from?

The traditional base is roasted eggplant and red peppers dressed with olive oil, garlic and salt.

Onion and tomato are also commonly added.

Is escalivada served hot or cold?

It can be served warm, at room temperature or cold.

I prefer it at room temperature because the flavors of the roasted vegetables and olive oil are more noticeable.

Can I make escalivada the day before?

Yes.

It is actually an excellent make-ahead dish because the vegetables absorb more flavor as they rest.

Do I need to peel the eggplant?

Yes.

Once roasted until completely tender, the skin should come away easily.

Can I cook escalivada on a barbecue?

Absolutely.

Cooking the vegetables over charcoal or flame gives them a more traditional smoky character.

Can I freeze escalivada?

You can, but the texture of the vegetables may become softer after defrosting.

It is much better refrigerated and eaten within a few days.

Is escalivada healthy?

It is based mainly on roasted vegetables and olive oil, making it a simple vegetable-rich Mediterranean dish.

🍆 Simple Ingredients, Proper Spanish Flavor

Escalivada is proof that a good Spanish recipe does not need to be complicated.

Roast the vegetables until completely tender, peel them carefully and dress them with good olive oil, garlic and salt.

That is really all there is to it.

Serve it with crusty bread and you have a traditional Catalan vegetarian dish that works just as well as a tapa, starter or light meal.