Introducing this comforting Awesome Aubergine Bake! This recipe is incredibly simple to make, full of flavour and it’s both gluten free and vegan! It is the perfect recipe for a quick and easy healthy dinner with minimal ingredients and prep. The best part about it is that it is so versatile – it can be a dinner main, side dish or even used the next day in your lunch sandwiches/wraps!
Recipe Difficulty – Easy!
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Why this recipe works
This Awesome Aubergine Bake is comforting, warming and healthy, plus it is a recipe that all the family will enjoy! Using simple ingredients that can easily be found at all supermarkets, I can guarantee this is a recipe you will love!
I was inspired to create this recipe as my Aubergine Miso (Nasu Dengaku) were such a hit! Aubergine is a great vegetable to cook with, it is so versatile and is also packed full of fibre! Plus, it is relatively cheap to purchase! Paired with my Herb Salted Hasselback Potatoes this is a recipe you’ll be making time and time again!
If you fancy a pasta bake instead then try my Tuna Pasta Bake recipe.
Ingredients to make Awesome Aubergine Bake
- Aubergine – the obvious hero ingredient in this delicious recipe! These have a similar taste to courgette – mild, tender and sweet.
- Cooked Lentils – Lentils are highly nutritious and are rich is minerals, plant-based protein and fibre. Plus they give a really great texture in contrast to the baked aubergines.
- Chopped Tomatoes – These provide the base for the Aubergine Bake and provide the perfect level of liquid and acidity.
- Garlic – adding garlic offers a gentle spice and adds more flavour.
- Cheese (optional) – I’ve used vegan cheese in this recipe for extra taste and texture!
- Onion – I’ve used a red onion in this recipe but a white onion would also work.
- Ground Coriander – Ground coriander is a floral and citrusy herb that pairs really well with the other ingredients in this recipe.
- Paprika – this adds further flavour and gives the Aubergine Bake a subtle smokey flavour.
- Chilli Flakes – adds a gentle and subtle heat!
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
Substitutions
- Lentils – if you aren’t vegetarian or vegan you could substitute the lentils for mince.
- Onion – I’ve used a red onion in this recipe, however a white onion would also work.
- Aubergine – Due to their similarities, you could substitute the aubergine for another vegetable such as courgette.
- Cheese – I have used vegan cheese as I am dairy free, however you could use standard cheddar cheese if you aren’t.
Variations
- Kid-friendly – this is a great recipe to make for children. It’s packed full of hidden veggies and nutrients! Plus it’s simple to make, so a great recipe to get the children involved in. If you have a child that isn’t aubergines biggest fan, then check out my Plant-Based Sausage Tray Bake. This is another great recipe to get some vegetables on their plate!
- Deluxe – This is a delicious recipe to make if you have dinner guests over. It is quick and simple to make and can also be made ahead of time. To make it look really impressive, I would serve this with grated cheese and top with chopped fresh parsley, alongside either a crisp green salad, my Homemade Air Fryer Chips or Air Fryer Roast Potatoes or even my Gluten Free Focaccia!
- Spicy – I wanted this recipe to be mild, so that everyone can enjoy it. If you are sensitive to spice then reduce or remove the quantity of chilli flakes. However, if spice is your vice then you can increase this quantity! You could even top with some freshly chopped chilli flakes!
How to make Awesome Aubergine Bake
Step 1: Firstly, preheat your oven to 200C / 390F. To a large pot on medium heat add oil, diced red onion, garlic cloves, coriander, paprika, chilli flakes and fry for a couple minutes. Then add the drained lentil and tinned tomatoes along with a pinch of salt and pepper and stir.
Step 2: Meanwhile slice the aubergine into circles and add to a pot of hot water and boil for 5 minutes. This helps to soften them in the bake.
Step 3: Now to a large baking dish add some of the aubergine circles topped with lentil mix and build this up.
Step 4: Finally, I topped mine with vegan cheese (optional) and placed in the oven at 200C / 390F for 20 minutes.
Leftovers
The thing I love most about this recipe, aside from the insane flavour, is how versatile it is. You can save leftovers and use them as a side dish the following day, as a work lunch idea or even served cold in your sandwiches or wraps. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze this recipe. To freeze, simple allow to cool and freeze in an airtight container. Allow to fully defrost before gently re-heating in the over until piping hot.
Recipe FAQs
No this isn’t necessary in this recipe. There is a step to boil the sliced aubergines before placing them in the baking dish. This helps to soften them and speeds up the baking time.
No the skin of an aubergine is entirely edible. Give them a quick rinse under the tap to wash them before slicing them.
Certainly, this is the perfect recipe to make if you have other vegetables that need using in your fridge. Adding vegetables like mushrooms would definitely enhance this recipe!
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Tried this Awesome Aubergine Bake recipe? Please leave a star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below and let me know how you get on. Hearing positive feedback is one of the best parts of creating recipes so please review it below and leave a comment!
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Recipe
Awesome Aubergine Bake
Equipment
- Chopping Board
- Knife
- saucepan
- large baking dish
Ingredients
- 2 aubergines sliced
- 1 large red onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- large pinch chilli flakes (or 1/2 fresh chilli)
- 2 400g tins of cooked lentils drained and rinsed
- 2 400g tinned tomatoes
- 100 g vegan cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Firstly pre-heat your oven to 200C / 390F
- To a large pot on medium heat add oil, 1 diced red onion, 3 garlic cloves crushed, 2 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon paprika, large pinch of chilli flakes and fry for a couple minutes
- Now add the drained lentil and tinned tomatoes along with a pinch of salt and pepper and stir
- Meanwhile slice the aubergine into circles (shown in the pics above) and add to a pot of hot water and boil for 5 minutes. This helps to soften them in the bake.
- Now to a large baking dish add some of the aubergine circles topped with lentil mix and build this up.
- Finally I topped mine with vegan cheese (optional) and placed in the oven at 200C / 390F for 20 minutes
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that Nutrition information is a rough estimate
November 2023.
I made this dish and found like some of the other comments the aubergine was tuff and tastless .. we also found out we don’t particularly like aubergine.
But the lentils sauce was lovely…full of flavour and nice texture and so quick to make.
We will definitely make the sauce again without the aubergine as a accompliment with a main dish.
I’ve still gave this recipe five stars because its not fair giving the recipe
four stars just because we found out we don’t particularly like aubergine .
Sauce is lovely.
Delicious we both really enjoyed this dish … so quick to make thank you
Thanks Samantha 🙂
Love the flavours. Very flexible recipe. Decided that roasted or pan-fried aubergine/eggplant resulted in best flavour, although obviously took a bit longer in total. Had some roasted cherry tomatoes in the freezer, and these added extra kick. Our aubergines have thick skins, so I did need to peel them. Sprinkled some panko crumbs on top for crunch as not GF..
Thanks for this creative recipe! Have made several times now.
Absolutely loved this, so easy to make, great fun preparing doing a little dance while I cooking, I am a vegan and love to try new recipes and I would definitely recommend this one. I will be making this again. Thank you so much.
Thank you Sharon 🙂
Followed the recipie and the sauce was delicious. Aubergines were like rubber tho despite soaking and cooking way over the alloted time. They made the sauce very watery as well. Maybe best to roast them?
Do you think roasted aubergines would work well in this recipe. I have a load in the freezer from the allotment…
Definitely 🙂 enjoy!
Delicious! & quick/convenient. I added some cumin along with the other spices, which worked really well. I also steamed rather than boiled the aubergine to retain flavour. I might oil & lightly roast or fry the aubergine rounds next time for a fuller flavour, rather than boil or steam.
Easy to make. However, aubergine lacked favour. Think would have been more tasty if I would have fried them and also needed more chilli shd paprika fir my taste. Will try it again.
Can I freeze this dish?
Such a tasty dish made this when visiting family in Spain and it was a hit
Thank you 🙂 glad the family enjoyed it!
Another tasty recipe from James.Easy to source ingredients and simple to make.Would definitely recommend.
I made this Aubergine dish for two friends who are very good cooks (I’m not) and we all loved it, definitely going to be a regular dish from now on. Thank you.
Hi this recipe seems great. However, you dont specify which lentil? Red, green, yellow, black?
Hey Ali, sorry I use tinned green lentils for this type 🙂
Never very fan of aubergines bit this recipe is such a good way to eat them!
I did not put cheese as i could not find yet a brand that i like so far and i believe it would put the dish even better but it was lovely
Looks great! But there’s no aubergine listed in the ingredients list 🙁
Great spot Stacy!! My bad haha added it now 🙂