Easing gently into fall, here is a healthy and satisfying stuffed eggplant recipe, a perfect dish that lets you linger at the dinner table during a cool, autumnal evening.
It is full of all kinds of good things: spinach, rainbow chard, red rice, and eggplant (of course).
Note: I used Sicilian eggplants, which are round and a little easier to stuff, but you can use regular eggplants instead.
You’ll need:
- 1/2 cup red rice
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 bunch rainbow chard, de-stemmed and roughly chopped
- 1 red onion, roughly chopped
- 2 sicilian eggplants
- 2 cups spinach
- salt, pepper
- olive oil
- 3 T rice vinegar
- a pinch of sugar
- 4 T plain greek yogurt
1. Prepare the rice and vegetables first – you can get these going at the same time – bring rice and stock to a boil in a medium-sized saucepan, then reduce heat, add chard leaves (not the stems), a pinch of salt, a tablespoon of rice vinegar, and cover. Cook for 15-20 more minutes.
2. In a saute pan, heat olive oil and add onions and cook until just golden. Add spinach, a little bit of salt and pepper, and the sugar, and cook until wilted but still bright green, tossing to combine.
3. Drain the rice and chard once those are ready, reserving a quarter of a cup of the stock to keep the filling moist. Taste for seasoning. Combine with the spinach and onion.
4. Preheat oven to 375F and scoop out the eggplants – I used an ice cream scoop but a melon baller would work too. Leave enough of the ‘meat’ of the eggplant on the sides so that it is still a sturdy vessel for plenty of filling. Season the eggplant on the inside with salt and pepper and score lightly on the outside with a pairing knife.
5. Fill eggplant with the rice, chard, spinach, and onion mixture, plus a bit of the scooped out eggplant, packing pretty tightly. Season with a tablespoon of vinegar on top as well as a pinch of salt. Top and seal off with two tablespoons of greek yogurt each.
6. Roast for about 1 hour wrapped in foil. Uncover, remove top (if you have a round eggplant and you put the top back on – this is mostly just for presentation), and roast uncovered for another 20 minutes.
I like to cut the eggplant into ‘rings’ for serving. You can add a little bit extra yogurt and finely chopped parsley on the side.
The title for this post is so adequate 😀
This looks delicious!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Thank you, Uru!
Fantastic! I love eggplant and I’m always looking for new ways to prepare them. I’ve got a client coming up that will completely love this. And I think I will make them for the family too. Yum!
Lovely! I hope they all enjoy it!
Looks incredible!
Thank you!
divine, i have the eggplants and the vege stock and the onions . oh and the yoghurt.. this is a recipe designed by you.,, just for me… wonderful.. c
So glad that you like it, C! I think you’ll real enjoy it, it’s a wonderful hearty but healthy meal.
we had such a great crop of eggplants this year that i really need some new ways of cooking them, they do not last off the plant for very long! c
Eggplant caviar for canning?
What a health conscious recipe, and I’m really glad to have a new eggplant recipe. I tend to be a little awkward with them! 🙂 Debra
It’s pretty healthy, I agree! Everything inside the eggplant is both good and good for you:)
So vibrant & colourful as always! I love the look of that beautiful chard against the smokey eggplant. A definite winner regardless of the season I’d say. No doubt sure to make an appearance on many healthful & bountiful tables 🙂
Thank you, Alice! 🙂 You could definitely ‘summer’ it up with some lighter greens and tomatoes too.
Perfectomundo!
Thanks!
Sounds delicious 🙂
What a great way to make eggplant!
thanks, yummy!
This loaded eggplant really looks like a gift. You know, those type of food gifts you get after a long day :). I love this
That’s such a nice way to put it! Thank you:)