This vegan stuffed eggplant recipe with quinoa is perfect as a centrepiece at a dinner party or family meal at home.
While this vegan stuffed eggplant recipe isn’t the quickest meal to make, it’s well worth the effort and it has the benefit of being possible to prepare 100% in advance.
There are three stages – preparing the shells, preparing the filling and putting them together to cook.
It’s important to cook the shells properly because undercooked eggplant can ruin the whole effect and when you get the shells cooked to perfection, they give the whole dish its wow value.
Preparing the Eggplant Shells
Scoop out all the flesh from the eggplant and cover both the flesh and the shells with salt. Leave to sweat for 30 minutes while you prepare the rest of the vegetables for the recipe.
After 30 minutes, you’ll see that the eggplant has oozed out a brown liquid. Rinse well and rub it to make sure that you don’t leave the salt behind on the flesh.
Pat the shells and the flesh dry with kitchen paper. Next, use a brush to coat the shells with olive oil, both inside and out.
Place them face down in a baking tray and cook at 190ºC for about 20 minutes – or until the skin is just starting to wrinkle.
Remove from the oven and set aside for filling.
Preparing the Filling
Chop 2 cloves garlic, 1 small chilli, 1 onion, 1 piece of red pepper, 3 plum tomatoes and 3 mushrooms. Fry the garlic and chilli first, then add the onion and a little cumin and the chopped eggplant flesh.
Cook until the onion’s translucent, then add the chopped mushrooms and then after a few moments, the red pepper.
Wait until the mushrooms have reduced and are looking cooked before you add the chopped tomatoes.
Onions, eggplant, mushroomsPlus red pepperPlus tomatoFinished filling for eggplants
Continue to cook until the tomato begins to lose its shape. Add a little drop of water and stir. The sauce will absorb the water almost immediately.
Repeat a couple more times until the sauce no longer absorbs the water instantly, or you have the consistency you want.
Add a couple of spoonfuls of quinoa to the stuffing and a handful of toasted pine nuts and you’re ready to go.
Finishing the Dish
Stuff the shells with the filling and sprinkle with a little olive oil.
Cover with a layer of nutritional yeast or homemade vegan parmesan and place in the oven for about 20-30 minutes.
Keep an eye on them, as the cooking time will vary depending on the size of the eggplant.
Stuffed eggplant sprinkled with nutritional yeast
Serve with quinoa and carrot sauce . . . or with whatever sauce you fancy!
Recipe by Love Vegan LivingCourse: Main courseCuisine: Vegan, Gluten freeDifficulty: Easy
Servings
2
servings
Prep time
30
minutes
Cooking time
40
minutes
This is a favourite recipe for inviting people around to eat. Prepare in advance and then just pop into the oven and you’ve got a beautiful and tasty creation to serve your family or guests.
Ingredients
1 eggplant per 2 people
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 slice red pepper
3 mushrooms
3 tomatoes
1 small red chilli or use half
Toasted pine nuts
Olive oil for cooking
Quinoa already cooked
Directions
Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh. Sprinkle the shells and the flesh with abundant salt and leave it to sweat for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes the eggplant with have oozed a dark coloured liquid. Wash it off and rinse the eggplant really well to remove the salt.
Chop an onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 slice of red pepper, 3 mushrooms and 3 plum tomatoes.
Fry the garlic with some fresh chilli and then add the chopped onion and 1/2 tsp cumin. Add the eggplant flesh and cook. When the onion is transparent, add the chopped mushroom and chopped red pepper.
Leave to cook before finally adding the chopped tomatoes and leaving to reduce their shape. Add a tiny amount of water and the tomato mix will absorb the water as you stir. Repeat this method 3 times or so, until the mixture no longer consumes the water.
Add a few spoonfuls of quinoa and mix well. Finally, and optionally, add some toasted pine nuts.
Preparing the Shells
Take the shells and brush them liberally with olive oil.
Place them face down on a baking tray in the oven at 190ºC for about 15-20 minutes, keeping an eye on them and taking them out as soon as the skin begins to wrinkle.
Stuffing and Cooking the Shells
Fill the shells with the stuffing, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with nutritional yeast and cook in the oven at 190ºc for 20-30 minutes, checking that they don’t burn.
Serve with quinoa and a sauce of your choice.
If you enjoyed this quinoa-stuffed eggplant recipe here are some related recipes.
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