My Bestselling Mozzarella Stuffed Aubergines Healthy Vegetarian Recipe
by Chef Jen
A simple vegetarian recipe, that is light, delicious and tastes a little like pizza! It's a great recipe to try if you're looking to eat less meat, and it also makes a lovely starter or hors d'oeuvre on it's own.
I usually pair this healthy recipe with a fresh parsley + lemon bulgur tabbouleh, but it goes great with so many different sides. From a simple leafy green side salad, couscous, wild rice or even a light potato salad, this is such a flavoursome dish that doesn't need much work to shine!
This recipe takes a little prep, but presents beautifully with minimal effort as it uses the entire aubergine to serve.
You won't need anything complicated to make this dish - just a sharp knife, a spoon and a baking tray!
You could also substitute the mozzarella for your favourite vegan cheese to make this recipe totally vegan.
Author:
Chef Jen
Ingredients
1 aubergine
1/2 brown onion
2 garlic cloves
1 stick of celery
250g chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp fresh basil leaves
1 tbsp olive oil
1 bay leaf
Pinch of salt and pepper
Directions
Begin by slicing your aubergine in half, lengthways. Use a spoon to scoop out the inside of each half, and reserve the inside of the aubergine.
Place the empty half shells into a preheated oven at 180C, for 10-12 minutes until they are a little browned but still firm. Remove from the oven.
At the same time, chop up the aubergine 'insides' and season with a little salt. Roast in the oven on a separate baking tray - for 15 minutes until soft.
In the meantime, finely dice the celery and onion and gently sweat it down in a saucepan with the olive oil. Cook for 10 minutes until the onions are translucent.
Add the minced garlic, paprika + oregano and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Add the roasted aubergine 'insides' to the saucepan and pour over the chopped tomatoes. Stir well and place a lid on top, leaving to simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove the lid, and stir well, simmering for another 10 minutes until the mixture is thick (and delicious!)
Add sliced basil and remove from the heat.
Load your aubergine halves with the filling, and add 2 slices of mozzarella to each aubergine.
Bake for 10 minutes at 180C until the cheese melts and browns a little.
Best served immediately, but can be cooled and reheated within 3 days!
