Mediterranean Stuffed Eggplant

This post has been sponsored by ShopRite Supermarkets. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Baby eggplant halves are stuffed with a mix of spiced rice, artichoke hearts and juicy Kalamata olives, then served with spicy tomato sauce to make this flavor-packed Mediterranean-inspired meal.

Fall starts in just a couple of days, and I am so ready. In fact, September is my favorite time of year when it comes to food!

On the one hand, September is when all the best summer produce is available. I may not be a big fan of summer but I’m all about the corn, tomatoes, zucchini, and (of course) eggplant! And on the other hand, temperatures start to cool off and I go into comfort food mode and get all inspired to start cooking up some of that delicious late summer produce.

I had a sadly unsuccessful summer veggie garden this year, but I did manage to harvest just enough baby eggplants for this dish. This is a perfect early fall recipe that’s packed with fresh flavors but is also nice and hearty for those chillier days. The parsley also came from my own garden, but everything else I picked up at my local ShopRite supermarket. Their ShopRite Trading Company products are perfect additions to a dish with an international flair like this one.

To make this, your eggplants get halved, brushed with extra virgin olive oil and roasted in the oven. I chose the ShopRite Trading Company Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It has a mild and fruity flavor that’s perfect for this dish.

While the eggplants roast, make the filling. Sauté some onion in your olive oil for a few minutes, then add garlic and cumin. Tip: sautéing the cumin for a minute or two in olive oil brings out its flavor.

Finally, in with the rice and vegetable broth, cover, and cook until the rice is fluffy!

Once the rice is finished, stir in some ShopRite Trading Company Kalamata Olives from Greece and Quartered Marinated Artichoke Hearts from Italy.

A super simple spicy tomato sauce is perfect to offset the briny, pungent flavors of the olives and artichoke hearts.

The eggplant halves should be lightly browned and tender after about 20 minutes. Scoop out just a bit of the flesh from each, then stuff with the rice mixture.

Serve with spicy sauce and devour!

Tips for Making Amazing Mediterranean Stuffed Eggplant

• You probably won’t need to salt your eggplants if they’re small and fresh. But if they’re larger or have been hanging around for a while, just sprinkle the cut sides liberally with salt after cutting them open. Let them sit for about 30 minutes, then rinse well and pat dry. This will draw out any bitterness.
• To find out where you can get your hands on the ShopRite Trading Company products used in this recipe, use ShopRite Supermarket’s store locator.
• Want to use brown rice for this recipe? Totally fine! Just make sure to adjust the amount of broth and the cook time based on the package instructions.
• If you prepare this ahead of time (or think you’ll have leftovers), I recommend you store the sauce, rice, and eggplant separately. 

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4 from 1 vote

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Mediterranean Stuffed Eggplant

Baby eggplant halves are stuffed with a mix of spiced rice, artichoke hearts and juicy Kalamata olives, then served with spicy tomato sauce to make this flavor-packed Mediterranean-inspired meal.

Course Entree

Cuisine American, Mediterranean

Keyword artichokes, eggplant, olives, rice

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 4

Calories 521 kcal

Author Alissa Saenz

Ingredients

For the Roasted Eggplant

• 4 baby eggplants (about 2 pounds total weight)
• 2 tablespoons ShopRite Trading Company Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For the Filling

• 1 tablespoon ShopRite Trading Company Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup long grain white rice
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 3/4 cup ShopRite Trading Company Pitted Kalamata Olive Halves
• 3/4 cup ShopRite Trading Company Quartered Marinated Artichoke Hearts, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the Sauce

• 1 tablespoon ShopRite Trading Company Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon organic granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Begin by roasting the eggplants. Preheat the oven to 400°F. 

2. Cut the eggplants in half, lengthwise, then brush the entire outer surface of each half with olive oil.

3. Arrange the eggplant halves on a baking sheet or in an oven safe skillet, cut sides up, and bake until tender and lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

4. While the eggplants bake, begin making the filling. Coat the bottom of a medium pot with olive oil and place it over medium heat.

5. When the oil is hot, add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until soft and translucent.

6. Add the garlic and cumin. Continue to sauté until very fragrant, about 1 minute more.

7. Add the broth and stir in the rice. Raise the heat and bring the broth to a boil.

8. Lower the heat and cover the pot. Allow it to simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. 

9. While the eggplants roast and the rice simmers, make the sauce. Coat the bottom of a small pot with olive oil and place it over medium heat.

10. When the oil is hot, add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until soft and translucent.

11. Add the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute more, until very fragrant.

12. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, sugar and red pepper flakes. Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a boil.

13. Lower the heat and allow the mixture to simmer until thickened up a bit, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

14. When the eggplants have finished baking, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for a few minutes. 

15. When the eggplants are cool enough to handle, scoop out a bit of the flesh from the middle of each one.

16. Finish making the filling by stirring the lemon juice, zest, olives, artichoke hearts and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

17. Stuff each eggplant half with the filling.

18. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste, then ladle a bit onto each of 4 plates. Place 2 eggplant halves on each plate, then top with additional sauce.

19. Serve.

Nutrition Facts

Mediterranean Stuffed Eggplant

Amount Per Serving (1 eggplant (2 halves))

Calories 521 Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 20g 31%

Saturated Fat 2.8g 14%

Sodium 883mg 37%

Potassium 769mg 22%

Total Carbohydrates 76g 25%

Dietary Fiber 14.2g 57%

Sugars 19.7g

Protein 11.9g 24%

Calcium 7%

Iron 40%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.