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Eggplant is back on my table and making me happier than ever.
I talked about the many virtues of this glorious purple vegetable before, so I won’t go into them again but you can read all about it here. Suffice it propose that this is something we should all be cooking and eating more often.
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What I will say is that if you are looking for a meal that will have you leaning back in your chair after each bite in sheer delight, then you need to turn on your ovens, roll up your sleeves, and get working on this. I made this for two of us (though we ended up having a little left over, which was absolutely brilliant reheated for lunch the next day), but you can easily increase the quantities with minimal extra work if you want to serve a crowd. This makes an excellent main course, a beautiful side dish, or, if you cut each eggplant into smaller pieces, would be the perfect addition to a buffet table.
The savory, salty flavors of the feta and sundried tomato are absolutely perfect against the mild flavors of the eggplant, broccoli and chickpeas, and the cilantro and parsley add a bright note that balances out the entire dish. So good. So, so good. Not only that, it’s vegetarian, super healthy, and loaded with nutrients for tip-top health. What can I say? Please get cooking!
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Roasted Eggplant filled with a Savory Vegetable Medley
Begin by roasting the eggplant:
2 small eggplants (aubergines) sliced in half length-wise through the stem
sea salt
olive oil
Preheat your oven to 175°C/350°F
Lay the eggplants cut side up on a parchment-lined baking pan. Cut a cross-hatch in each eggplant, sprinkle with sea salt, and drizzle generously with olive oil. Bake for one hour or until golden brown and soft.
While the eggplants bake, prepare the filling:
1 yellow onion, diced
1 cup cooked chickpeas, drained
2 cups raw broccoli, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup diced sundried tomatoes
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped, included stems and leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Warm oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and fry until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add chickpeas, garlic, broccoli, sundried tomatoes, salt and pepper. Add a splash of water, stir, cover, and cook for 2-3 minutes until broccoli is bright green but still slightly crisp. Remove from heat and stir in feta and herbs.
Stuff the eggplants:
When the eggplants are ready, remove from oven. Spoon the vegetable filling evenly over the top of the eggplants and use the back of a spoon to press the filling down into the eggplant. Return the stuffed eggplant to the oven and back for an additional 10 minutes.
Serve hot with 1/2 cup of greek yogurt mixed with 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice.
Serves 2 as a main course or 4+ as a side dish.
Love eggplant? Try these recipes:
Baked Eggplant with Tomato, Red Lentil and Herb Sauce
Grilled Zucchini and Eggplant with Lemon Mint Yogurt Dip
Like this recipe? Please let me know in the comments below and share with your friends!