Easy Mediterranean Stuffed Eggplant Recipe (Vegetarian)
- Rodney Taylor
- Mar 19
- 3 min read
This stuffed eggplant recipe begins with tender roasted eggplant halves that are filled with a
simple vegan stuffing of instant cooked couscous, chickpeas, tomatoes, and fresh herbs. This makes a beautiful vegetarian main or a side dish next to your favorite protein! Serve it warm or at room temperature.
Photo from the Mediterranean Dish.
PREP TIME 20 mins COOK TIME 45 mins
INGREDIENTS
2 large eggplants
Kosher salt
Olive Oil
For spice mixture
For the Filling:
1 cup dry couscous I used this one
1 cup canned or cooked chickpeas drained
1 Roma tomato small diced
1 green onion chopped
Handful fresh parsley finely chopped
To Serve:
Tahini sauce per this recipe
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut eggplant in half lengthwise. Season the inside with kosher salt and set aside, inside up for about 30 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, mix spices the spices together.
4. Pat eggplant dry, removing as much of the salt as you can, then brush the flesh with extra virgin olive oil. AF
5. Roast the Eggplant. Place eggplant halves, flesh side up, on an oiled baking pan. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Or until the eggplant flesh is soft and tender.
6. Cook the instant couscous, while the eggplant is cooking, prepare the couscous according to the instructions. (I use the box kind, it’s easier to prepare and still tastes wonderful.)
7. Make the filling. Fluff the couscous with a fork and season with a dash of salt and the 1 tsp of spice mixture you reserved earlier. Add chickpeas, chopped tomatoes, green onions, and parsley. Toss to combine.
8. If you’re adding tahini sauce, make it according to this recipe.
9. Assemble the stuffed eggplant. Arrange the roasted eggplant on a serving platter, flesh side up. With the back of a spoon, push the flesh down to create somewhat of a cavity for the couscous filling. Spoon in the couscous filling. Drizzle with tahini. Enjoy!
NOTES
Cook's Tip: If you have the time, don't skip salting the eggplant. This step helps the eggplant sweat out its bitterness and also helps break down its spongy texture.
For gluten free option: Use cooked quinoa in place of couscous.
Make Ahead: You can roast the eggplant one night in advance. Let it cool completely and store it in a covered container till the next day. Bring it to room temperature before adding the filling.
Storage: This vegetarian stuffed eggplant will keep in the fridge for 2 to 3 days, but it's best enjoyed fresh.
Visit our online shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including extra virgin olive oils, couscous, and all-natural and organic spices used in this recipe.
My Thoughts:
I figured it was time for a bit of a change, so here is a nice vegetarian dish. As you can see, this recipe has a number of ingredients, however, it is still an easy recipe to follow as most of the ingredients are combined in one step. Since this was a first for me, cooking eggplant I didn’t know that they had to be cut and set aside to sweat out some of their moisture, so this will add to the prep time, however, I was still able make it close to the time listed. Just use that time to prep the rest of the dish and maybe do some house cleaning or cleaning up in the kitchen. How did it taste? I did make this recipe a few times before I was able to get it to the flavor that I liked, plus having never eaten eggplant before I didn’t know what it would taste like, which is why I wasn’t fond of this dish the first few times I made it, but it did finally grow on me. The nice thing about this dish is that there are just hints of the allspice, and cinnamon which are main ingredients in some dishes inspired by the middle east, which make it a enjoyable dish to have. And the other nice thing about it is it can be a main dish, or a side dish.
Hope you enjoy.
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