In the summer months, eggplant becomes the go-to meat replacement for many vegetarians. We slice it into thick rounds and grill it up like a burger, we roast it and turn it into a batch of homemade eggplant meatballs, and we even make veggie bacon with it. So, recently when I saw Steamy Kitchen’s recipe for stuffed miso eggplant filled with a mixture of ground beef and chopped eggplant, it made me wonder what other ingredients I could use to replace the meat. Eggplant would have been my first choice for a meat substitute, but a double eggplant filling just wasn’t going to work.
Some might turn to tofu or maybe even mushrooms to replace the meat, but I have a secret weapon in the kitchen that I use in instances like this: raw walnuts! Just like when I made Asian lettuce wraps a while back, the walnuts in this dish really give that meaty texture to the stuffing. And because walnuts have a mild flavor, they just take on the taste of the seasonings in the dish.
These beautiful Japanese eggplant boats are stuffed with sauteed onion, eggplant, garlic, and walnuts that are seasoned with yellow miso, mirin, and tamari. I decided to add an extra layer of flavor and pile a fresh salad of tomatoes, green onions, and Thai basil on top, along with a drizzle of homemade miso dressing. The salad is totally optional, but it really takes this dish from delicious to spectacular; plus, who doesn’t love a little pop of color on their plate?
Stuffed Miso Eggplant
Chopped walnuts replace the ground meat in this recipe inspired by Steamy Kitchen’s Stuffed Miso Eggplant. A fresh tomato-basil salad and a drizzle of miso dressing take it over the top.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the eggplant:
- 2 large Japanese eggplants
- 1/2 medium white onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup finely chopped raw walnut halves
- 1 tablespoon yellow miso
- 1/2 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon mirin
For the miso dressing:
- 3 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
- 2 1/2 tablespoons yellow miso
- 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
For the tomato salad:
- 12-15 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 10-12 Thai or regular basil leaves, chiffonade
- 2 green onions, light green and bottom dark green parts only, thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Make the stuffed eggplant:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice each eggplant in half lengthwise, starting at the stem. Use a spoon to scoop out the inside of the eggplant, leaving a little less than 1/4 inch of the flesh around the edges. Coarsely chop the flesh you scooped out, then place it in a large bowl. Transfer the eggplant shells to the baking sheet.
- Preheat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. While the pan is heating, add the chopped onion and garlic to the mixing bowl and stir to combine with the eggplant. Swirl the oil into the preheated pan and add the eggplant mixture. Sauté for 3 minutes, then add the walnuts and cook for one minute more. Stir in the miso, tamari, and mirin and allow to cook for another minute.
- Fill the eggplant shells with the eggplant-walnut mixture, dividing evenly between the shells. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the eggplant shell is tender and cooked through.
Make the dressing:
- While the eggplant is in the oven, prepare the miso dressing and tomato salad. In a small bowl combine the honey, miso, rice vinegar, and mustard. Whisk until combined; set aside.
Make the salad:
- In a medium bowl, toss together the tomatoes, basil, green onions, and salt. Set aside.
To serve:
- Top each eggplant with a quarter of the salad mixture and drizzle the miso dressing over the top.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 eggplant half
18 Comments
Jessica @ Jessiker Bakes
July 2, 2014 at 12:53 pm“This eggplant looks amazing though!” is the first thing that slipped out of my mind as I came to the homepage. Yum Yum Yum!!
Meg van der Kruik
July 7, 2014 at 4:19 pmHaha! Thanks so much Jessica!
Renard Moreau
July 2, 2014 at 1:04 pm[ Smiles ] This is a very innovative way of cooking eggplant.
Polly @ Tasty Food Project
July 2, 2014 at 2:53 pmI love Japanese eggplants! I sometimes cook them in a stir-fry dish. Miso is also one of my favorite ingredients to use. This stuffed eggplants looks delicious!
Chrissy
July 2, 2014 at 5:32 pmI love the looks of these, especially the miso dressing!
Christine | No Gojis No Glory
July 2, 2014 at 6:04 pmWhat a beautiful dish! I’m trying to learn more about vegetarian cooking, and I’m so glad I found your blog 🙂 I had no idea eggplant was so versatile. The eggplant veggie bacon is a new one for me…
Katie (The Muffin Myth)
July 3, 2014 at 6:13 amOoooh, this looks so good! I’m not into mushrooms so I’m much happier to replace meat with eggplant than mushrooms anyways, but the walnut and miso in this recipe? Yum! I can’t wait to try this one!
Lisa
July 3, 2014 at 2:02 pmTastes amazing!!!
jaswinder kaur
July 4, 2014 at 1:01 amWow,its very innovative recipe of eggplant.I love this.Thanks.I wanted to know what is miso.I live in India.
Meg van der Kruik
July 7, 2014 at 4:18 pmHi Jaswinder,
Miso is a paste made from fermented soybeans and barley or rice malt, and it is used primarily in Japanese cooking. There are also miso products made from chickpeas on the market as well. Miso is typically salty, but its flavor and aroma depend on various factors from the ingredients to the fermentation process.
Michelle
July 5, 2014 at 10:14 amYou eat the outer eggplant right? Or is it just to be used as a bowl?
Meg van der Kruik
July 7, 2014 at 4:08 pmYes, you can eat the entire thing:)
Joanne
July 7, 2014 at 7:24 amWalnuts as a meat substitute…now that is one switch I’ve never tried!! However, eggplants are a staple in my summer (and my life in general)…so I’m sure I’ll be trying this as soon as I get some skinny eggplants in my CSA!
Meg van der Kruik
July 7, 2014 at 4:18 pmYou have to try subbing in walnuts Joanne! It’s a total game changer.
Catherine
July 7, 2014 at 12:45 pmI love eggplant–these look especially delicious! And a perfect use for some of my garden cherry tomatoes, excellent as I’ve got more than I quite know what to do with at the moment!
Sheila Norman
June 13, 2015 at 8:18 amWow! This was amazingly good….like, lick the plate good. Even my 9 year old daughter was begging for more. The walnuts were a fantastic addition and the flavors married together beautifully. Thank you for an awesome dinner!
Renee D
July 31, 2017 at 7:24 pmDo you have to salt or press the eggplant? I’m new to cooking, and both my mother and boyfriend are adamant about me preparing the eggplant with salt “for safety and so their tongues don’t get itchy.” Is that an old wive’s tale or something to do?
Alissa
July 31, 2017 at 7:35 pmI usually only feel like that’s necessary if the eggplant has been hanging around for a while – that’s when it starts to get bitter. You can usually tell if you see some browning when you cut it open.