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    Oh My Veggies » Vegetarian Recipes » Vegetarian Appetizers

    Stuffed Miso Eggplant

    Published: Jul 2, 2014 · by Meg · Updated: Aug 2, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    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.

    Stuffed Miso Eggplant
    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.

    Stuffed Miso Eggplant
    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?

    Recipe

    Stuffed Miso Eggplant

    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.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Email Recipe
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Course: Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American, Asian
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Keyword: stuffed eggplant recipe, Stuffed Miso Eggplant
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 257kcal
    Author: Oh My Veggies

    Ingredients

    For the eggplant:

    • 2 large Japanese eggplants
    • ½ medium white onion diced (about 1 cup)
    • 1 large clove garlic minced
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • ½ cup finely chopped raw walnut halves
    • 1 tablespoon yellow miso
    • ½ tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
    • ½ teaspoon mirin

    For the miso dressing:

    • 3 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
    • 2 ½ tablespoons yellow miso
    • 1 ½ 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
    • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
    US Customary - Metric

    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 ¼ 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: 1eggplant halfCalories: 257kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 6gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 884mgPotassium: 519mgFiber: 6gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 407IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 52mgIron: 2mg
    Craving more veg-friendly recipes? Shop our collection of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, including our new Vegan Thanksgiving and Vegan Christmas cookbooks!
    « This Week's Meatless Meal Plan | 06.30.14
    Roasted Garlic Kale Hummus from Let Them Eat Kale! »

    Vegetarian Appetizers, Vegetarian Recipes, Vegetarian Side Dishes eggplant, main dishes, Make it Meatless Series, miso, summer, tomatoes

    Meg from Beard and Bonnett

    About Meg

    Meg van der Kruik is the blogger, photographer, and recipe developer behind This Mess is Ours, an omnivorous food blog with an incredible collection of gluten-free, vegetarian recipes.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jessica @ Jessiker Bakes says

      July 02, 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!!

      Reply
      • Meg van der Kruik says

        July 07, 2014 at 4:19 pm

        Haha! Thanks so much Jessica!

        Reply
    2. Renard Moreau says

      July 02, 2014 at 1:04 pm

      [ Smiles ] This is a very innovative way of cooking eggplant.

      Reply
    3. Polly @ Tasty Food Project says

      July 02, 2014 at 2:53 pm

      I 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!

      Reply
    4. Chrissy says

      July 02, 2014 at 5:32 pm

      I love the looks of these, especially the miso dressing!

      Reply
    5. Christine | No Gojis No Glory says

      July 02, 2014 at 6:04 pm

      What 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...

      Reply
    6. Katie (The Muffin Myth) says

      July 03, 2014 at 6:13 am

      Ooooh, 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!

      Reply
    7. Lisa says

      July 03, 2014 at 2:02 pm

      Tastes amazing!!!

      Reply
    8. jaswinder kaur says

      July 04, 2014 at 1:01 am

      Wow,its very innovative recipe of eggplant.I love this.Thanks.I wanted to know what is miso.I live in India.

      Reply
      • Meg van der Kruik says

        July 07, 2014 at 4:18 pm

        Hi 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.

        Reply
    9. Michelle says

      July 05, 2014 at 10:14 am

      You eat the outer eggplant right? Or is it just to be used as a bowl?

      Reply
      • Meg van der Kruik says

        July 07, 2014 at 4:08 pm

        Yes, you can eat the entire thing:)

        Reply
    10. Joanne says

      July 07, 2014 at 7:24 am

      Walnuts 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!

      Reply
      • Meg van der Kruik says

        July 07, 2014 at 4:18 pm

        You have to try subbing in walnuts Joanne! It's a total game changer.

        Reply
    11. Catherine says

      July 07, 2014 at 12:45 pm

      I 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!

      Reply
    12. Sheila Norman says

      June 13, 2015 at 8:18 am

      Wow! 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!

      Reply
    13. Renee D says

      July 31, 2017 at 7:24 pm

      Do 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?

      Reply
      • Alissa says

        July 31, 2017 at 7:35 pm

        I 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.

        Reply
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