Vegetarian stuffed aubergines with bulgur wheat & pesto

Vegetarian stuffed aubergines with a rich, pesto-infused bulgur wheat filling topped with golden melty cheese. A favourite family dinner.

Kipper: “Yummy. This is yummy.”
Pause.
“I’d call this… DELICIOUS!”

Favourite foods…

I might well have predicted that a dish which includes two of my daughter Kipper’s most favourite foods ever – aubergines (eggplants) and pesto – was going to be a big hit.

She was all over these vegetarian stuffed aubergines. From the golden, melty cheese on the top, through the rich, pesto-infused filling with its tasty bulgur wheat and tender chunks of aubergine, right down to the softly chewy ‘shells’ of hollowed-out aubergine skin.

Recipe creation

I should probably give her some credit for the creation of this utterly delicious recipe.

A few weeks ago, DH was away for work, and I gave Kipper the opportunity to come up with a dinner recipe herself. Naturally, she chose aubergine and pesto as her two main ingredients. And to be honest, I think she would have left it at that!

However, I persuaded her to add one or two more things, just to make these delicious vegetarian stuffed aubergines a bit more substantial. Melty cheese on top was a no-brainer, and that time she agreed to add some breadcrumbs to the filling, to add some carbohydrate.

Breadcrumb-free

Unfortunately, DH can’t eat bread. So when I decided to recreate Kipper’s recipe for the whole family, I needed to make a few changes. Out went the breadcrumbs, and in came the bulgur wheat. It’s an ingredient I don’t use nearly enough, and I love it’s distinctive texture and lovely subtle, nutty flavour.

I also added some onions, and plenty of black pepper to season. While these vegetarian stuffed aubergines don’t call for a long list of ingredients, Kipper’s original recipe was perhaps just a little bit too minimalist! 

The end result was fabulous! These gorgeous stuffed aubergines are so easy to make, they’ll definitely be reappearing regularly on our table.

Ingredients for vegetarian stuffed aubergines

As I said, the ingredients list for these fabulous stuffed aubergines is pretty short. All you will need for dinner deliciousness is:

• Aubergines – of course! Also called eggplants.
• Onions
• Olive oil
• Bulgur wheat – for the yummy, nutty filling.
• Pesto – for that delicious basil flavour
• Vegetable bouillon powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Grated cheese for the bubbly golden top – I used mozzarella, but any grated hard cheese is fine.

Vegetarian stuffed aubergines

Since these aubergines are packed with bulgur wheat, vegetables and cheese, they already provide almost a complete meal of carbs, veg, protein and fat. However we ate them with a green salad which was a perfect, simple accompaniment.

DH ate a whole aubergine (2 halves), Kipper ate a half, and I ate one and a half halves (¾ of an aubergine). I would say the recipe (3 aubergines) serves 3-4 people.

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📖 Recipe

Pesto and bulgur wheat stuffed aubergines (vegetarian)

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Vegetarian stuffed aubergines with a rich, pesto-infused bulgur wheat filling topped with golden melty cheese. A favourite family dinner.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine European, Vegetarian

Servings 4

Calories 678 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 160 g bulgur wheat
• 800 ml hot water
• 2 teaspoon vegetable bouillon powder
• 3 medium aubergines
• 2 medium onions
• 3-4 tablespoon olive oil
• 6-8 tablespoon pesto (be generous!)
• 1-2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Pinch salt to taste
• 250 g grated cheese (I used mozzarella)

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
• Place the bulgur wheat, water and bouillon powder in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until just cooked. Drain.
• Meanwhile, cut the aubergines in half lengthwise. Use a melon baller or small spoon to scoop out the flesh, leaving a hollow 'shell'. Place the aubergine 'shells' in a glass or ceramic baking dish, add 2-3 tablespoon water and microwave on high for 10 minutes until soft.
• Chop the scooped out aubergine flesh into small pieces and set aside. Peel and finely chop the onions.
• Heat the olive oil over a medium heat in a large pan. Cook the onions for a few minutes until starting to soften, then add the chopped aubergine flesh and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes, until everything is softened and beginning to brown.
• Stir the pesto and the drained bulgur wheat into the aubergine mixture. Add pepper and salt and adjust the seasonings to taste.
• Divide the bulgur wheat mixture between the aubergine 'shells' and top with the grated cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 45-60 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 15-20 minutes to allow the cheese to brown.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Pesto and bulgur wheat stuffed aubergines (vegetarian)

Amount per Serving

Calories

678

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

41

g

63

%

Saturated Fat

 

16

g

100

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

2

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

14

g

Cholesterol

 

67

mg

22

%

Sodium

 

615

mg

27

%

Potassium

 

1099

mg

31

%

Carbohydrates

 

59

g

20

%

Fiber

 

19

g

79

%

Sugar

 

16

g

18

%

Protein

 

26

g

52

%

Vitamin A

 

1166

IU

23

%

Vitamin C

 

12

mg

15

%

Calcium

 

547

mg

55

%

Iron

 

3

mg

17

%

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

Keyword aubergine, cheese, pesto

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More delicious stuffed vegetable recipes

If you like stuffed vegetables, check out this recipe for vegan stuffed courgettes with pine nuts, these delicious tomato and mozzarella stuffed mushrooms, and this list of mouthwatering stuffed vegetables to celebrate the harvest season.