Meatless delight: The ultimate stuffed eggplant recipe
Baked, juicy, perfectly tasty, and completely... meatless. Stuffed eggplants from this recipe can serve as an intriguing appetizer for an evening with friends or a full-fledged dinner your family will surely enjoy. It worked well for me!
Regarding stuffed vegetables, zucchinis, tomatoes, and bell peppers currently lead the way in the kitchens. It’s no surprise — these vegetables are just begging to be filled with delicious stuffing and consumed with great delight after a short time in the oven. However, I believe this trio is incomplete and should be made into a harmonious quartet. I added eggplant to the esteemed group of vegetables. And I do not regret it.
What stuffing suits this interesting and still somewhat "exotic" vegetable? A recipe I found some time ago suggested lentils, cheese, and tomato paste. Of course, other vegetables and spices will enhance the whole dish. The recipe is completely meatless, but — according to my observations — it should appeal not only to vegetarians but also to those who consider breaded pork chops and meatloaf every Sunday a tradition.
If this introduction has piqued your interest, I invite you to try the recipe. It’s a piece of cake; the result will exceed your wildest expectations!
Stuffed and baked eggplants
Ingredients:
- 2 eggplants, firm, with glossy skin
- 1 cup of lentils
- 1 onion
- olive oil
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 carrot
- 1 red bell pepper
- Three small tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- spices: oregano, sweet paprika, a bit of chili, cumin, salt, and pepper
- 3.5 ounces (oz) of yellow cheese in a block
- dill
- parsley
Instructions:
- Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and use a spoon to remove the pulp (do not discard it!). Leave some pulp on the sides to better hold the stuffing in the middle.
- Rub the vegetables with salt and set them aside for half an hour. After this time, rinse them, wipe them with a paper towel, and bake them for 20 minutes at 375°F.
- Cook the lentils according to the package instructions, then drain and cool them. Finely chop the onion and sauté it in a pan. Add the grated carrot, pressed garlic, chopped bell pepper, and eggplant pulp. Season and sauté the mixture.
- Drizzle the vegetables with tomato paste and add the tomatoes. Sauté for another 5 minutes. Finally, add the lentils.
- Fill the eggplants with the prepared stuffing. Please place them in a greased ovenproof dish, sprinkle with grated cheese, and bake again for 15 minutes at 400°F. Serve warm, sprinkled with herbs, and cut into smaller pieces.
