These Vegan Stuffed Eggplants are a hearty and delicious dish that can be enjoyed on its own or as a side. The flavorful filling is easy to make and tastes great in these roasted eggplant halves.
These Vegan Stuffed Eggplants make a really satisfying meal or can be the side dish that rounds out your dinner. With roasted eggplant halves stuffed with finely chopped vegetables, seasoning, and bread and vegan cheese, there is no shortage of flavor. This dish is also easy to make and has lots of room for variations so your whole family can enjoy it.
If you want to serve a vegetable-based dish that has as much flavor as health benefits, then you'll love this one. Potassium, fiber, and vitamins can be found in eggplant, especially the skin. You even have the option to enjoy this dish gluten-free. But first, let's look at what you'll be using to make this fabulous recipe.
Video Tutorial
What you'll need
- Eggplants. Medium sized eggplants are best.
- Olive Oil + Salt. To season the eggplants.
- Bell Pepper. Red, orange, or yellow.
- Tomatoes. Try to find good quality tomatoes.
- Garlic. Use more or less, depending on personal preference.
- Cilantro. Or parsley.
- Crumbled Bread. Use good quality white bread (I make sourdough bread), remove the crust, and just crumble the insides with your hands.
- Vegan Cheese. Optional. I like adding a little bit of cheese to the filling. You can also add some on top.
- Salt and Pepper. To taste.
How to make it
1. Cut the eggplants in half and place them on a baking tray. Drizzle them with olive oil and season with salt. Bake at 400°F for about 30 minutes.
2. While the eggplants are baking, prepare the filling. In a food processor, blend the bell peppers, tomatoes, and cilantro until they look very finely chopped.
3. Transfer the pepper-tomato puree into a skillet, and cook over medium heat until the liquids evaporate. Turn off the heat.
4. Remove the crusts from the bread and crumble the bread right into the skillet.
5. Add the garlic and vegan cheese, and season everything with salt and pepper. Stir well.
6. Remove the eggplants from the oven, and with the help of a fork, move the insides to the sides (they should look like boats).
7. Divide the bread filling into equal parts and stuff the eggplants.
8. Bake for an additional 20 minutes. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro or parsley. Serve.
Tips for the best Vegan Stuffed Eggplants
- Use good quality ingredients. It goes without saying that high quality, fresh vegetables and herbs will give this dish the best flavor. So choose carefully to really get the most out of your ingredients.
- Look for the best eggplants. Medium-sized and firm, your eggplants should have white insides with a slight greenish tint, and the seeds clearly visible. Avoid any with blemishes or spots.
- Finely process the vegetables. Using a food processor gives them a similar size and is an easy way to get the veggies small enough to absorb into the bread.
- Use freshly crumbled bread. Breadcrumbs can be used in a pinch, but they will have seasoning and texture that you don't necessarily want in this dish. Fresh crumbled bread is the best binder.
Add-ins and Substitutes
- Add other vegetables. You could also try adding other vegetables, such as onions, spinach, or mushrooms.
- Add seasonings. For a different flavor combination, try cumin, cayenne, onion powder, cinnamon, or others that would complement the filling in these Vegan Stuffed Eggplants.
- Substitute gluten-free bread. For a gluten free option, try wheat-free bread, homemade or store-bought. You could also mix in cooked rice if you have no bread.
- Add beans. Chickpeas, pinto beans, or black beans, mashed and mixed into the filling, would add some tasty protein to this eggplant dish. Also, try lentils.
How to Store
Store these Vegan Stuffed Eggplants in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. But they taste best when fresh.
How to Serve it
- On its own. Top with some extra vegan cheese or vegan sour cream and enjoy for a light meal.
- With grains. Rice, buckwheat, quinoa, and amaranth are all options to plate alongside these stuffed eggplants. Try this delicious Spinach Rice, Mushroom Couscous, or Rice and Beans.
- Alongside pasta. Pasta with Roasted Pepper Sauce, Creamy Vegan Spinach Orzo, Angel Hair pasta, or Creamy Lemon Spaghetti are so tasty served with this recipe.
- With beans. Try these Vegan Stuffed Eggplants with Vegan Black Bean Burgers, Quick and Easy Chickpea Salad, Simple Mashed Beans, and Easy Hummus Wraps.
These Vegan Stuffed Eggplants are a tasty and filling dish that has lots of flavor and makes a healthy side or main course. It's comfort food without any of the guilt, and I hope you'll love it as much as I do.
More tasty vegan recipes:
Vegan Stuffed Eggplants
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants
- ¼ tsp. sea salt
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 large bell pepper (8 oz.)
- 1 large tomato (8 oz.)
- ¼ cup cilantro
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- 1 ½ cup crumbled bread
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup vegan cheese
Instructions
- Cut the eggplants in half and place them on a baking tray. Drizzle them with olive oil and season with salt. Bake at 400°F for about 30 minutes.
- While the eggplants are baking, prepare the filling. In a food processor, blend the bell peppers, tomatoes, and cilantro until they look very finely chopped.
- Transfer the pepper-tomato puree into a skillet, and cook over medium heat until the liquids evaporate. Turn off the heat.
- Remove the crusts from the bread and crumble the bread right into the skillet.
- Add the garlic and vegan cheese, and season everything with salt and pepper. Stir well.
- Remove the eggplants from the oven, and with the help of a fork, move the insides to the sides (they should look like boats).
- Divide the bread filling into equal parts and stuff the eggplants.
- Bake for an additional 20 minutes. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro or parsley. Serve.
Notes
Tips for the best Vegan Stuffed Eggplants
- Use good quality ingredients. It goes without saying that high quality, fresh vegetables and herbs will give this dish the best flavor. So choose carefully to really get the most out of your ingredients.
- Look for the best eggplants. Medium-sized and firm, your eggplants should have white insides with a slight greenish tint, and the seeds clearly visible. Avoid any with blemishes or spots.
- Finely process the vegetables. Using a food processor gives them a similar size and is an easy way to get the veggies small enough to absorb into the bread.
- Use freshly crumbled bread. Breadcrumbs can be used in a pinch, but they will have seasoning and texture that you don't necessarily want in this dish. Fresh crumbled bread is the best binder.
Garlic is missing from the recipe ingredient list.
Thanks for catching, Justin! Just fixed.
What do you do with the eggplant you scraped out?
I would add it to the filling
Hi Jacqueline! I don't scrape it out, I just move the flesh away and add the filling. Nothing is wasted. 🙂