Fanci-fy your dinner with this Bulgur Stuffed Eggplant. It’s both savory and sweet, made with bulgur, raisins, and creamy Greek yogurt.
Eggplant + bulgur + raisins + Greek yogurt = absolute magic. It’s the flavor combo you didn’t know you needed, but you’ll be so glad you tried!
Today we’re cooking up Bulgur Stuffed Eggplant, one of my favorite dishes that is basically guaranteed to become a regular on your dinner table. Made with loads of seasonings, lemon juice, and even sliced almonds, this dish presents all of the flavors in one savory dish. You can even top it with Greek yogurt for extra flavor and oomph.
I love that this dish is so filling and satisfying. Plus, the bulgur has a good amount of fiber and protein. Let’s cook!
Here’s what you’ll need
The ingredients for this bulgur recipe are divided into two parts: the eggplant ingredients, and the stuffing ingredients.
Eggplant
For the eggplant portion, we’ll be cooking it by coating it with olive oil and then adding minced garlic, smoked paprika, ground coriander seed, cumin, salt, and pepper for flavor.
Stuffing
Though not what you may be picturing when you hear “stuffing,” the filling for this recipe is definitely delicious enough to be served on Thanksgiving! We’ll use vegetable broth to cook our bulgur, and then we’ll mix that with raisins, cilantro, mint, lemon juice, and even sliced almonds. Then, we’ll top that with salt, pepper, and Greek yogurt.
How to make stuffed eggplant
Making this stuffed eggplant recipe is actually pretty easy. We’ll begin by prepping and cooking the eggplant, and then we’ll cook the bulgur before assembling everything together. In total, you’ll need 15 minutes of prep time and 40 minutes of cooking time.
Step 1: Prep the eggplant
Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Score each eggplant, cutting slits into the flesh (not the skin), making about 5 cuts diagonally across the eggplant. Make another set of cuts diagonally the other way to create a cross hatch pattern.
Step 2: Cook the eggplant
In a small bowl, stir together all of the remaining “eggplant” ingredients. Brush a mixture onto the cut side of each eggplant. Place the cut side up on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes, or until tender.
Step 3: Cook the bulgur
Bring the broth to a boil and add the bulgur. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender. Drain the excess liquid.
Step 4: Scoop the eggplant
When the eggplant is finished cooking, scoop out the tender flesh, being careful not to pierce through the skin.
Step 5: Assemble the dish
In a large bowl, toss together the scooped eggplant, cooked bulgur, raisins, herbs, lemon juice, and almonds. Spoon the mixture back into the eggplant skins. Taste and add sat and pepper as needed.
Step 6: Serve and enjoy
Serve warm, optionally topped with yogurt.
What to serve with stuffed eggplant
Though it is pretty filling on its own, you may want a side dish to make this stuffed eggplant feel like a meal! Because this is filling and could be considered a “heavy” meal (as grain dishes often are), I recommend pairing this with light sides like Easy Baba Ganoush, Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad, Spring Radish Salad, or Greek Baked Feta!
More recipes featuring eggplant
Eggplant is so much more versatile than people give it credit for! Here are some of my favorite eggplant recipes, all made using delicious, easy ingredients.
- Eggplant Bacon
- Eggplant Parmesan Poppers
- Stuffed Eggplant Parmesan
- Korean Eggplant Tacos
- Roasted Eggplant with Mint Sauce and Feta
Ingredients
Eggplant
- 2 medium eggplants
- 2 Tbsp olive oil 30 mL
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground coriander seed
- ½ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp each salt and pepper
Stuffing
- 2 cups vegetable broth 472 mL
- 1 cup uncooked bulgur 180 g
- ¼ cup raisins 40 g
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro 20 g
- ¼ cup finely chopped mint 20 g
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice 15 mL
- ¼ cup sliced almonds 28 g
- To serve: salt pepper, plain Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Prep Eggplant: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Cut eggplants in half, lengthwise. Score each eggplant, cutting slits into just the flesh (not the skin), making about 5 cuts diagonally across the eggplant. Make another set of cuts diagonally the other way to create a cross hatch pattern.
- Cook Eggplant: In a small bowl, stir together all remaining "Eggplant" ingredients. Brush mixture onto the cut side of each eggplant. Place cut side up on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes, or until tender.
- Bulgur: Bring broth to a boil and add bulgur, then cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender. Drain excess liquid.
- Scoop: When eggplant is finished, scoop the tender flesh out of the skins, being careful not to pierce through the skin.
- Assemble: In a large bowl, toss together scooped out eggplant, cooked bulgur, raisins, herbs, lemon juice, and almonds. Spoon mixture back into eggplant skins. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed.
- Serve: Serve warm, optionally topped with yogurt.
Caryn says
I love this dish and use quinoa instead of burgher. Also, we like to add a bit of tahini and lemon juice to the yogurt topping.
Sarah says
Tahini sounds like such a tasty addition! 😀