Vegetarian Stuffed Eggplant Recipe

Name: Vegetarian Stuffed Eggplant Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 4 large globe eggplants; 2 teaspoon kosher salt; 4 tablespoons olive oil; 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil or Butter; 1 onion; 1 green pepper; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 cup coarse bulgur; 1 fresh tomato; 1 can chickpeas; 2 cups boiling water; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 cup Tahini Yogurt Sauce; ¼ cup Italian parsley

User Reviews

5.0

30 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Cooling time for eggplants
15 mins
Total Time
1 hr 20 mins
Servings
4 servings
Calories
331 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Mediterranean

Vegetarian Stuffed Eggplant Recipe

Robert Berry

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Mediterranean-Inspired Vegetarian Stuffed Eggplant Recipe - Roasted eggplant halves filled with bulgur pilaf and drizzled with tahini yogurt sauce.

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Ingredients

Servings

For The Eggplants

4 large globe eggplants cut vertically in half
2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons olive oil

For The Bulgur Wheat Pilaf

2 tbsp Vegetable Oil or Butter
1 onion medium sized/chopped (approximately 1 cup)
1 green pepper seeded - (jalapeno or a small bell pepper would work) approximately 1/2 cup
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup coarse bulgur both coarse and extra coarse bulgur would work for this recipe
1 fresh tomato cut into small cubes (approximately 1 cup)
1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
2 cups boiling water or you can use vegetable stock
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Optional

1 cup Tahini Yogurt Sauce to drizzle
¼ cup Italian parsley roughly chopped

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Instructions

To Roast Eggplant Halves:

Rinse eggplant under cold water and dry with a kitchen towel or paper towels.
Cut eggplant in half lengthwise. Then using the tip of a knife, score the flesh into a diamond cross-hatch pattern going about an inch deep making sure to not pierce the skin.
Transfer the eggplant halves cut side up onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Season evenly with the kosher salt. Let them sit for 30 minutes on the sheet pan.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (or 200 degrees C).
Over a kitchen sink, gently squeeze the eggplants to get the extra moisture out. Pat-dry the cut face of the eggplants using a paper towel.
Brush the halves evenly with olive oil. Arrange eggplants face down on the baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 45-60 minutes or until the eggplant collapses and the bottom side turns golden brown.
Let it cool on the counter for at least 20 minutes. Turn the cut side up and transfer them onto a serving platter to stuff.

To Make The Stuffing:

While the eggplant halves are roasting, make the bulgur pilaf. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add in onion and pepper and saute until translucent, 4 minutes. Add in tomato paste and stir constantly for a minute or until thoroughly incorporated into the vegetables and thickened.
Add in ground cumin, coarse bulgur, tomatoes, chickpeas, and water (or stock). Season with salt and pepper.
Give it a stir, bring it to a boil, put the lid on, turn down the heat to low. Let it simmer for 10-12 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.
Off the heat, let it to rest for 10 minutes (with the lid on) and fluff it with a fork.

To Assemble:

Fill each roasted eggplant half with bulgur pilaf.
Sprinkle with parsley and drizzle with tahini yogurt sauce if using. Serve immediately.

Notes

roasting the eggplant halves a day in advance and storing them in an airtight container. When ready to stuff them, heat them in a 300 F oven for 10-15 minutes.
If you want to make this recipe gluten-free
try it filling the eggplant halves with my
Lemon Quinoa recipe instead.
: In an airtight container, baked stuffed eggplant can last up to 4 days in the fridge. Just make sure you bring the aubergine halves to room temperature before storing them. To reheat, simply preheat the oven temperature to 300 degrees F. and cook the halves for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through.
: To eliminate the stress of weeknight cooking, you can make this dish in advance. Just cook the eggplant and bulgur wheat pilaf, store them in separate airtight containers, and assemble the eggplant halves right before serving. To reheat, bake the assembled halves in the oven at 350 degrees F. for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through.
: Both the flesh of the eggplant and eggplant shells are known to lose their shape and texture once exposed to extreme cold. To keep your eggplant skin as fresh as possible, I don’t recommend freezing them.
You can save time by roasting the eggplant halves a day in advance and storing them in an airtight container. When ready to stuff them, heat them in a 300 F oven for 10-15 minutes.
Arrange the eggplant halves in a baking dish to make it easier to stuff.
If you want to make this recipe gluten-free try it filling the eggplant halves with my Lemon Quinoa recipe instead.
If you don't care for the Tahini Yogurt Dressing, you can also use my Greek Yogurt Dressing
Storage: In an airtight container, baked stuffed eggplant can last up to 4 days in the fridge. Just make sure you bring the aubergine halves to room temperature before storing them. To reheat, simply preheat the oven temperature to 300 degrees F. and cook the halves for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through.
Make Ahead: To eliminate the stress of weeknight cooking, you can make this dish in advance. Just cook the eggplant and bulgur wheat pilaf, store them in separate airtight containers, and assemble the eggplant halves right before serving. To reheat, bake the assembled halves in the oven at 350 degrees F. for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through.
Freezing: Both the flesh of the eggplant and eggplant shells are known to lose their shape and texture once exposed to extreme cold. To keep your eggplant skin as fresh as possible, I don’t recommend freezing them.

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Calories 331kcal (17%) Carbohydrates 32g (11%) Protein 5g (10%) Fat 22g (34%) Saturated Fat 3g (15%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g Monounsaturated Fat 15g Sodium 1825mg (76%) Potassium 343mg (10%) Fiber 8g (32%) Sugar 3g (6%) Vitamin A 616IU (12%) Vitamin C 15mg (17%) Calcium 39mg (4%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 331 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	331kcal	17%
Carbohydrates	32g	11%
Protein	5g	10%
Fat	22g	34%
Saturated Fat	3g	15%
Polyunsaturated Fat	2g	12%
Monounsaturated Fat	15g	75%
Sodium	1825mg	76%
Potassium	343mg	7%
Fiber	8g	32%
Sugar	3g	6%
Vitamin A	616IU	12%
Vitamin C	15mg	17%
Calcium	39mg	4%
Iron	2mg	11%