These Greek vegetarian stuffed aubergine/eggplant (yemista) recipe is so easy to make. These aubergine make the perfect vegetarian meal in themselves. But you can serve them as a side dish too.
Greek vegetarian stuffed aubergine/eggplant
Comfort food comes in many guises, from soup to bakes, crisps to curry, it’s whatever makes you feel all warm and cosy inside and ticks those boxes of feel-good food. This stuffed aubergine dish is comfort food to me. It is hearty and filling and packed with flavour. Oh, and it’s Greek too which makes it even better in my book.
Yemista/Gemista
This is the term for stuffed vegetables in Greece. In fact they have their own section on the Greek menu as they are such an important part of the Greek cuisine.From stuffed tomatoes to vine leaves. Stuffed peppers to zucchini and even zucchini flowers.
Vegetables in Greece are stuffed with everything from meat to rice, herbs to cheese.
Ingredients for vegetarian stuffed aubergine
Filled with healthy Mediterranean veggies, mixed seeds, chilli and rice, this stuffed aubergine makes a full meal in itself and is completely vegetarian too. Great for those avoiding meat completely or if you are like me and just like to have a few meals per week that are veggie only.
This is one of those recipes that is great for using up bits and pieces in the fridge, like that little bit of cooked rice or quinoa you had for supper last night, and those ends of veggies in the salad drawer.
I add the kick of chilli to my stuffed aubergine dish. Just this touch of heat elevates the dish from an everyday veggie plate. Add in the creaminess of the feta and you have total heaven on a plate.
Ingredients alternatives
Get creative with your stuffing ideas, just use whatever you happen to have lurking in the fridge. While I have used a few sultanas, you could use dried apricots, raisins, whatever you fancy.
How to make stuffed eggplant
I bake my aubergine first for thirty minutes so that the flesh is already cooked and tender when I mix it in with the other vegetables and then finish it all under the grill. This gives a lovely blend of textures, the softness of the well cooked aubergine and the crispness of the courgettes, red peppers and onions that are only cooked under the grill.
How many will this stuffed aubergine serve
This stuffed aubergine/eggplant recipe will serve two people with a green salad on the side.
We need comfort food at this time of year and what better than Mediterranean flavours to add a bit to warmth to our cold winter months. What’s your favourite comfort food?
Looking for more stuffed vegetable ideas? Then check these out before you go;
Super easy vegetarian stuffed peppers/yemista
Paella style stuffed peppers with feta
Greek stuffed tomatoes with prawns
Greek lamb stuffed cabbage leaves
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Easy Greek Vegetarian Stuffed Aubergine/Eggplant
Ingredients
- 1 aubergine/eggplant
- 1 tbsp chopped red onion
- 1 tbsp chopped red pepper
- 1 tbsp chopped courgette
- 2 tsp sultanas
- 2 tsp mixed seeds pumpkin, sunflower etc
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 chopped tomato
- 2 tbsp crumbled feta
- 1/2 tsp chopped fresh chilli or pinch dried chilli flakes
- 2 tbsp cooked rice or quinoa
- 1 tbsp fresh coriander
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pierce the aubergine all over with a fork and then wrap in foil and bake in the oven at 180C/350F for 30 minutes.
- Cut in half and scoop out the cooked flesh and chop up into small pieces.
- Mix the cooked aubergine flesh with all other ingredients in a bowl (omit the coriander)
- Stuff all of this back into the aubergine shells and grill for 10 minutes at high heat.
- Serve with a wedge of lemon and scattered with fresh coriander.
Notes
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