Try this irresistible, simple recipe for stuffed eggplant: oven-roasted eggplant halves topped with Moroccan spiced lamb or beef. Low-cal, low-carb, low effort and utterly delicious!

Moroccan stuffed eggplant

You’ll often hear me declaring quite passionately that I think eggplant is one of the most underrated vegetables around. They’re cheap. They’re meaty. And they’re fabulously versatile, used in cuisines worldwide like Asian, Italian, Greek and Indian, prepared through various cooking methods including frying, steaming, roasting and simmering.

Today, we’re smearing, roasting and stuffing. Well, topping, not scooping-and-stuffing, in a manner that gives it a semi-stuffed vibe. Think of this as a mid-week take on traditional stuffed eggplant dishes you find in Arabic cuisine that involves hollowing out eggplants, stuffing with rice, meat, herbs and nuts, often baked in a tomato sauce. Sounds magnificent, doesn’t it? And it is. but there’s a lot more pots and pans involved! We’re going simple today. You can make this tonight, after work!!

Nice close up of said soft juicy eggplant!

Ingredients in Moroccan stuffed eggplant

The base flavouring for this Moroccan stuffed eggplant is a homemade Chermoula spice mix which does double duty as the spice paste for the eggplant as well as flavouring the meat filling.

Chermoula spice mix

Chermoula is a North African spice mix that traditionally is a marinade or sauce containing fresh coriander, garlic and spices. Sometimes you can also find it in a dry spice mix form. We’re using the dry blend today for our purposes.

The spices – The majority of the spices are pantry staples, but don’t make a special trip out if you’re missing one or two…or even three! There’s enough in the blend that you can substitute with something else – suggestions are in the recipe notes.

Olive oil and lemon juice – These are used to make the paste. I like to use lemon juice to add a bit of tang as well as cutting down on the oil required to make a smear-able paste.

The meat filling (lamb or beef)

Here’s what you need to make the meat filling. You can use lamb or beef, though if I had my pick I’d choose lamb as it’s a classic pairing with flavours from the Arab world.

3 teaspoons of the Chermoula spice blend is used to flavour the filling. In addition to this, we have garlic and onion for aromatics, and a little tomato paste to bind the filling together.

The eggplant

Choose eggplants around 250g/8oz and 17cm/7″ long. Don’t worry about exact size – adjust toppings accordingly. If you end up with larger eggplants, the topping layer might be slightly thinner, but the dish will still be packed with flavor.

Salt helps remove moisture from eggplants. More on this below!

Toppings

And lastly, the toppings! It really finishes this dish so I urge you to use them. The pine nuts are a great finishing touch, though other nuts will make an adequate substitute (almonds, macadamia, walnuts, or seeds).

If you’re anti-coriander/cilantro, switch with parsley!

How to make Moroccan Stuffed Eggplant

As mentioned above, I call it stuffed because describing it as a “topped” eggplant just doesn’t seem to capture the essence of this dish. 😂 But actually, it’s not properly stuffed – which means no scooping necessary, which means it’s easier to make. Win!

Sweating the eggplant (recommended)

Sweating the eggplant to remove excess water is a recommended but not essential step. It seasons the flesh as well as drawing out excess water that otherwise pools in the eggplant which dilutes flavour when you’re eating it.

But you can mostly get around this problem by simply cutting slits in the skin to let the water escape as it roasts. So don’t sweat it if you don’t have time to sweat it! *Sorry, I couldn’t resist!*

1. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise. Keep the cap/stem intact and cut through it, it helps hold the eggplant together once roasted and soft.

2. Diamonds – Using a small sharp knife, cut 2.5cm/1″ diamonds into the flesh, cutting down as far as you are comfortable without piercing the flesh.

3. The said diamonds!

4. Salt – Sprinkle the surface with salt and rub it in. It’s good to get it into the slits but even if you just rub the surface, the salt will make it’s way into the slits.

5. Sweat for 30 minutes. I put the eggplant upside down in a colander to allow the water to drip out.

6. Squeeze like sponge to remove the excess water then pat the surface dry.

Making the “stuffed” eggplant

1. Mix the Chermoula spice blend in a bowl. Measure out 3 teaspoons and set aside for the meat.

2. Paste – Add olive oil and lemon juice into the remaining chermoula and mix to form a paste.

3. Smear the paste onto the surface of the eggplant.

4. Roast for 45 minutes at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) or until the eggplant is softened. Sometimes it takes longer – don’t forget to check the edges.

5. Spiced meat – A quick cook! Sauté the garlic and onion, then cook the lamb with the reserved Chermoula spice blend. Finally, add the tomato paste and water to make the filling “juicy” (rather than dry and crumbly).

6. Assemble – Top the roasted eggplant with the lamb filling. Dollop on yogurt, sprinkle with pine nuts and coriander then dig in!

Matters of serving

Servings

This recipe is designed to serve:

• 2 people as a generous dinner with a small side salad;

• 4 as a meal with a starch (flatbread, couscous) and a substantial side (like Honey Cinnamon Pumpkin Lentil Salad, roast veg, chickpea salad); or

• 4 people as a generous starter.

Low carb, low calorie!

For the eggplant alone, it’s a mere 450 calories for a whole eggplant (ie 2 halves) with only 22 grams of carbs. To be honest, a serving of the eggplant alone makes for a satisfying meal – you have protein and vegetables covered! Though I do like to add something fresh on the side, even if it’s just some plain fresh cucumber and tomato.

So, it’s low calorie, low carb, simple to make and a something different to make with beef mince rather than the usual Spag Bol. What do you think?? Feel like giving this a go? I HOPE SO! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Easy Moroccan Stuffed Eggplant (beef or lamb)

Recipe video above. A delicious, unique, EASY way to serve up eggplant and minced / ground beef or lamb! Think of this as a midweek take on traditional Arabic stuffed eggplant that's usually hollowed out.

Don't worry if you don't have every single spice. There's so many in this spice mix, it will still be tasty even if you're missing one…or two, even three!

Serves 2 as a main with a small side salad, or 4 as a meal with a starch (flatbread, couscous) and a substantial side (like this Pumpkin Salad, roast veg, chickpea salad), or 4 as a generous starter.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Keyword Ground beef recipe, lamb mince recipe, roasted eggplant, stuffed eggplant

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Eggplant sweating 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings 2 – 4

Calories 450cal

Author Nagi | RecipeTin Eats

Ingredients

Eggplant

• 2 x 250g/8oz eggplants (aubergines), ~17cm/7" long (Note 1)
• 3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (or more oil)

Chermoula spice mix (Note 2)

• 1 1/2 tsp EACH coriander, paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 3/4 tsp all spice powder
• 1/2 tsp EACH garlic powder, ginger, turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Spiced beef or Lamb topping

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove , finely minced
• 1/2 onion , finely chopped
• 250g / 8oz beef or lamb mince , lean if you can (chicken, turkey, pork also ok)
• 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 2 tsp tomato paste (Note 3)
• 1/4 cup water

To Serve

• Yoghurt , plain
• 2 tbsp coriander/cilantro leaves , roughly chopped (sub parsley)
• 2 tbsp pinenuts , toasted (Note 4)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan).
• Sweat eggplants (recommended, see Note 5 to skip) – Cut eggplants in half then score with 2.5cm / 1" diamonds. Rub surface with salt, getting some into the slits. Place face down in a colander and set aside for 30 minutes. Gently squeeze like a sponge to remove excess water, pat surface dry.
• Mix Chermoula spice mix ingredients in a bowl. Remove 3 teaspoons for the meat and set aside. Add olive oil and lemon juice into the remaining spice mix and mix into a paste.
• Roast eggplant – Place eggplant on baking tray. Slather spice mix onto the surface. Roast for 45 minutes until softened.
• Spiced topping – Heat oil in a non stick skillet over medium high heat. Cook onion and garlic for 1 minute. Turn heat up to high, add lamb/beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until you no longer see red. Add reserved spices and salt, then cook for a further 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in water, cook for 1 minute until it's juicy but not watery.
• Assemble – Top eggplant with beef/lamb. Sprinkle over coriander, dollop with yogurt and pine nuts. Finish with an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, if desired!

Notes

1. Eggplant/aubergine – Don’t get too hung up on eggplant size. I always provide weight and measurement because they vary so much in size – what is a “medium eggplant”??! If you have giant ones, you’ll just have a thinner layer of topping (there’s enough flavour in this dish you won’t feel robbed). If you have tiny ones, pile it on higher or reserve leftover meat for another purpose. 

2. Spice subs – With so many in this spice mix, it’s fine if you’re missing one…or even three! Just dial up some of the others to make up for flavour. Specific subs:

• All spice – mixed spice
• Garlic powder – onion powder, or fresh garlic
• Ginger – more garlic
• Turmeric powder – saffron
• Cinnamon – more all spice

3. Tomato paste – or sub water + paste with 1/4 cup crushed tomato or passata. I offer this as a suggestion as I always seem to have a partial bottle of passata in the fridge!

4. Toasting pinenuts – Small skillet, no oil, medium heat, toss until golden and smells toasty. Remove from pan straight away.

5. Eggplant sweating – Draws out excess water so you don’t end up with water in the eggplant halves that dilutes eating flavour. Removing bitterness from eggplant – generally speaking, this has been bred out of eggplants sold these days. I’ve never had a problem.

Don’t have time to sweat? Just cut 2 x 3cm/1″ slits in the skin so the water escapes while roasting. Also, expect to add 5 to 10 min to roasting time.

6. Yogurt tip – To make the yoghurt even tastier, mix 1/4 cup of yoghurt with 1/2 garlic clove, minced, a small squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper. Set aside for 30 minutes to let the flavours develop. I do this for company.

Make ahead – Roast the eggplant and meat filling. Fully cool both, uncovered, then put into containers in the fridge. Re-warm both using method of choice (juice up the meat with a splash of water if needed) then assemble!

Leftovers will keep for 3 days in the fridge. Not convinced cooked eggplant will freeze well but the meat will be fine for 3 months!

Nutrition per serving, using lean beef – 2 eggplant halves (i.e. one whole eggplant) per serving. This is a satisfying meal even by itself!

Nutrition

Serving: 536g | Calories: 450cal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 1594mg | Potassium: 1206mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 297IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 5mg

Originally published in March 2016. Majority spruced up in 2023 with a better, more streamlined recipe with better flavour, sparkling new photos and a brand new recipe video!

Proof of eggplant fondness

Oven Roasted Eggplant (aubergine)

Lentil and Roasted Eggplant Salad

Eggplant Curry – South Indian Brinjal Curry

Pasta alla norma (Eggplant pasta)

Crispy Chinese Eggplant

Moussaka (Greek Beef and Eggplant Lasagna)

Miso-Glazed Eggplant

Life of Dozer

Can’t even whiteboard recipe ideas without Mr D hovering around.

The post Easy Moroccan Stuffed Eggplant (beef or lamb) appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Healthy muffins that are actually delicious! A copy-cat of the raspberry bran muffins from Sydney’s beloved Bowan Island Bakery, these breakfast muffins are a nutritious, convenient breakfast option that’s far better for you than take-away on the way to school or work.

Up-and-go Breakfast Muffins

Being a savoury gal, I’ve always been partial to savoury muffins for breakfast (proof here, here and here). But a breakfast muffin with a sweet slant has been on my list for a while. I’m talking about the type that doesn’t make you feel like you’re eating cake for breakfast, a muffin that is just sweet enough but still good for you and good to eat.

So here it is!

Why these muffins are better for you

• Low fat – just 1 1/4 tsp coconut oil per muffin

• Refined-sugar free

• Lightly sweetened – Just 2 teaspoons honey per muffin

• Extra dietary fibre – keeps your insides….err….moving, shall we say ☺️ as well as keeping you full for longer and stabilising your blood sugars.

• Convenient – Grab and go! No need to reheat, eat on the move.

• Long shelf life – These last for 4 to 5 days, and are freezable.

• Easy to make – One-bowl batter mixed with just a wooden spoon

• Add-ins of choice – dried fruit and nuts, oats, fruit, choc chips!

Ingredients in breakfast muffins

Here’s what you need to make these breakfast muffins. Add-ins are flexible – see below for suggestions.

The key ingredient in this for goodness and flavour is wheat germ. Good-for-you extra fibre that gives these muffins a fabulous nutty flavour and lovely warm brown colour!

Dry ingredients

• Wheat germ (sub wheat bran) – The good-for-you extra fibre boost! Found in either the cereal aisle, health food section or flour aisle or grocery stores. While both wheat germ and wheat bran work, I think wheat germ is nicer. It has lovely nutty flavour because it’s the seed inside wheat kernels. Whereas wheat germ is the exterior of wheat kernels so it gives the muffins a slightly earthier flavour. Both have similar nutrition characteristics – high in dietary fibre as well as other nutrients. Better for you than plain flour!

• Wholewheat / wholemeal flour – In keeping with the better-for-you spirit of these muffins, I’ve opted for wholemeal rather than plain white flour. It has more nutrients because it’s less processed, plus it enhances the nutty flavour of these muffins.

• Baking powder AND baking soda (bi-carbonate) – These both make things rise but baking soda is 3x as strong and they each have different rising characteristics. For this recipe, using a combination of both delivers the muffin top shape and crumb texture I want.

  The baking soda can be substituted with more baking powder but the crumb is not quite as soft. See recipe card notes for quantity.

• Cinnamon – For flavour!

• Salt – Brings out the other flavours in the muffins, doesn’t make it salty!

Wet ingredients

• Honey or maple syrup – For sweetening! We only use 1/2 cup across 12 muffins which equates to 2 teaspoons per muffin. See commentary below on why honey is better for you than sugar.

• Coconut oil – This is the fat in the muffins. I like to use unrefined / virgin coconut oil which adds a lovely very subtle coconut flavour into the muffins. By no means would anyone call these “coconut muffins”! Use the type that is firm like butter and needs to be melted to mix into batters, rather than the pourable type.

  Note: There is also refined coconut oil which is stripped of all coconut oil and aroma. This and other oils will work in this recipe but will not add flavour. If you opt for another oil, I’d suggest doubling the vanilla and adding extra cinnamon.

• Yogurt and milk – This is the wet in the batter. Using yogurt serves two purposes. Firstly, it has acid in it which gives the baking soda a rising kick start. Sometimes I use a teaspoon of vinegar in recipes to serve the same purpose, like in my Magic Stay-Moist Apple Muffins.

  Secondly, yogurt is not as watery as milk. So it adds wetness to batters without making it as loose which means less flour needed = muffin more moist!

• Egg – Just one, to hold the muffins together. Using only 1 egg makes a massive difference to the moistness of the crumb of muffins as the more egg you use, the sturdier but drier the crumb gets.

• Vanilla – For flavour.

Why is honey better than sugar?

Because honey is:

• sweeter than sugar so you can use less in recipes;

• lower GI so your blood sugar levels won’t spike as quickly – which keeps you feeling full for longer; and

• more nutritious than sugar which is “empty calories”. That is, sugar literally just contains sugar and nothing else! Honey contains nutrients such as amino acids, enzymes, vitamins and minerals.

Add-ins of choice!

I’ve used raspberries in these because they were on special. However, you really can add any add-ins you want. See suggestions below.

Add-in options:

• Raspberries or blueberries, other berries – 250g/8oz, 2 heaped cups

• Chopped fruit like apple, pears, cherries, grapes. (Not overly juicy fruit like oranges, peaches etc as they will leech too much liquid into the batter)

• Dried fruit – sultanas, apricots, cranberries, apple, mango – anything goes!

• Nuts and seeds

• Chocolate chips – I mean, the rest of the muffin is healthy. So this tips the scales back to neutral? 😈

How to make breakfast muffins

It’s as easy as 1-2-3:

1. Mix wet ingredients

2. Mix in dry ingredients

3. Fill muffin holes and bake!

I like to reserve some raspberries to decorate the top, but this entirely optional – for visual purposes only. I know some people prefer more INSIDE the muffins!

1. Whisk wet – Melt the coconut oil in a microwavable bowl. Then whisk in all the wet ingredients: egg, yogurt, milk, honey and vanilla.

2. Mix in dry ingredients – Scatter across the surface (incorporates easier) then whisk in. Once you can no longer see flour, stop! Don’t get too enthusiastic with mixing as it will make the muffins tough.

3. Add-ins – Fold through the raspberries or whatever add-ins you’re using.

4. Divide between 12 holes. I used liners but it’s not essential, you could just spray with oil.

5. Top with reserved raspberries, if using.

6. Bake for 25 minutes at 190°C / 375°F (170°C fan) or until golden brown on the surface. Cool then devour!

Other matters of Up-and-Go Breakfast Muffins

Breakfast on the run – I’ve named these breakfast muffins as such because they are a great grab-and-go breakfast that doesn’t need heating and can be literally eaten on the run. More filling and less sweet than than muesli bars which I personally consider to be more suitable for a snack rather than breakfast.

Storage – These will keep for 4 to 5 days without going stale because they are more moist than typical muffins thanks to the coconut oil and yogurt. If it’s hot where you are, best to keep them in the fridge, otherwise just keep them in the pantry in an airtight container. They will also freeze for 3 months.

And with that, I think I’ve said all I need to on the matter of these breakfast muffins! Just to reiterate, these are less sweet than your usual muffins. To me, they are the perfect sweetness to have as breakfast without feeling like you’re being naughty and eating cake. And they are just sweet enough to have as a morning tea treat. In fact, people who often find Western cakes and cookies too sweet will probably find these the perfect level of sweetness.

Hope you give them a go! Love to know what add-ins you use if you do. – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Up-and-go breakfast muffins!

Recipe video above. No more dry, bland healthy muffins. These are healthy – but delicious!! Just 1 1/4 tsp of oil and 2 tsp honey per muffin, lower fat than usual sweet-treat muffins, refined sugar free and contain extra dietary fibre.

Great for breakfast because it's not sweet like cake. But also morning tea – they are just sweet enough for me. Stays fresh for days.

Course Breakfast, Snacks

Cuisine Baking

Keyword bran muffins, Breakfast Muffins, healthy muffins

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Cooling 15 minutes

Servings 12

Calories 217cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Wet:

• 1/3 cup coconut oil , virgin or unrefined (normal oil also works but not as tasty, Note 1)
• 1 large egg , at room temperature (~55g/2oz)
• 2/3 cup milk , at room temperature – full fat best (low fat and non-dairy ok too)
• 1/3 cup yogurt , plain/unsweetened
• 1/2 cup honey (or maple syrup)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Dry:

• 1 1/4 cups wheat germ (best) OR 1 1/4 cups (80g) wheat bran (Note 2)
• 1 1/2 cups wholemeal flour (sub ordinary flour – Note 3)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp baking powder (Note 4)
• 1 tsp baking soda , sifted if lumpy (or 3 tsp extra baking powder) – Note 4

Add ins – CHOOSE ONE:

• 250g / 8 oz raspberries , 18 set aside and cut in half to decorate top if desired
• 2 cups diced fresh fruit (not watery) – like apples, pears
• 1 1/4 cups dried fruit, nuts, choc chips etc

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 190°C / 375°F (170°C fan). Line a 12 hole standard muffin tin with muffin cases OR spray generously with oil.
• Whisk wet – Place coconut oil in a microwave proof bowl. Microwave for 45 seconds on high or until melted. Add remaining Wet ingredients, whisk until smooth.
• Mix in Dry – Sprinkle the Dry ingredients across the surface in the order listed. Mix just until combined.
• Raspberries – Gently stir in the whole raspberries or other add-ins of choice.
• Fill muffin tin – Divide batter between the 12 holes using an ice cream scoop. Decorate top with halved raspberries.
• Bake 25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

Notes

1. Coconut oil – Better for you than butter and ordinary oil, with the added benefit of subtle tasty coconut flavour! Virgin & unrefined coconut oil has coconut flavour (because they are not processed, so better for you) and has a texture like firm butter so needs to be melted to mix in. Makes these muffins tastier!

Refined coconut oil does not have coconut flavour and is pourable like ordinary oil – can be used in this recipe too.

Ordinary oil can be substituted but will reduce flavour in the muffins. Butter can also be substituted and will give them lovely flavour but muffin will not be quite as moist inside.

2. Wheat germ is the seed inside wheat kernels and has a lovely nutty flavour. Find it in the cereal or health food aisle of grocery stores. Wheat bran can also be used but the flavour is a bit earthier and less nutty. I’d use something sweeter than raspberries to balance this out – like dried fruit. 

Both wheat germ and wheat bran have similar good-for-your dietary characteristics (see in post for more info!).

3. Wholemeal flour (aka wholewheat flour) makes the muffins softer and has more flavour than plain/all-purpose flour (but you can use plain flour, maybe double the vanilla and add extra cinnamon!)

4. Baking powder and baking soda (bi-carbonate) – These have different rising qualities and this combination gives these muffins the best shape, in my opinion. However, you can use just baking powder if you want – use 4 teaspoons in total.

Storage – 4 to 5 days in an airtight container. Fridge is best though pantry also fine if it’s not too warm where you are. Freezer 3 months.

Nutrition per muffin.

Nutrition

Calories: 217cal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 156mg | Potassium: 237mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 57IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 2mg

Life of Dozer

While I’m in Melbourne for the Good Food & Wine Show, Dozer is with the golden retriever boarder and apparently not showing any signs of separation anxiety. Hmmph!

The post Up-and-go breakfast muffins! appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

*** BIG THANK YOU for all your lovely messages in response to the news that Dinner made the New York Times best sellers list! Who ever thought a cookbook with a dog on the cover would become a NYT best seller. 😂***

As for today’s recipe – a healthy dose of cumin plus a good amount of onion and leek keeps things interesting with this Sweet Potato Soup! If leeks are a bit pricey, use more onion instead. Serve with a shower of something crunchy – croutons, nuts, crispy shallots. I used flatbread ribbons and pistachios.

Sweet potato soup

A basic sweet potato soup is made with garlic, onion and sweet potato boiled in stock that is then blitzed. It’s fine, but it’s kind of boring (sorry!).

A carton of cream and giant hunk of cheesy garlic bread will go a long way to make it more interesting. But as a general rule, I like my soups to be able to stand on their own two feet without relying on too many extras to prop it up.

Today’s flavour dial ups come in the form of lots of onion and leek, plus a whole tablespoon of cumin. Gosh, it’s amazing what a difference it makes to turn “fine” into “OMG THIS IS SO DELICIOUS!!”

All you need for The Sweet Potato Soup

Here’s all you need. The recipe only calls for 1/3 cup cream (80 ml!) for a touch of creamy mouthfeel. We don’t need much because the generous amount of leek & onion plus the cumin adds great flavour. Without these, I’d be using a lot more cream!

• Leeks and onions – These add a flavour boost without having to resort to loads of cream or tons of spices to make this soup really tasty. If leeks are a bit pricey (as they can be during some months of the year) just use an extra onion instead. Just one onion to replace two leeks. Why? Because leeks have a more subtle, mild taste than onion. Two extra onions would make this soup too oniony, I think.

  Bonus – Leeks don’t make your eyes water when you cut them! 👏🏻

• Sweet potato – 2 medium ones totalling 1 kg / 2 lb (unpeeled weight), or one gigantic one.

• Cumin powder – A spice that really compliments the sweet flavour of sweet potato. Gives this a flavour reminiscent of Moroccan food which you know is a good thing!

• Garlic – This soup was never going to happen without garlic!

• Butter and oil – Because of the sheer volume of onion and leek that is sautéed, we need 4 tablespoons of fat to cook them. I felt like using just butter makes the soup a little too buttery, but using just oil isn’t as fun. So I took the best of both worlds by using equal amounts of each.😎 You can double up on either of them, if you prefer.

• Chicken stock (or vegetable stock) – I know it’s counterintuitive to use chicken stock for an otherwise vegetarian soup. But it really does give the soup deeper flavour than vegetable stock. However, I freely substitute vegetable stock.

• Cream – Any dairy cream will work here. Thickened or heavy cream, pure cream, single cream, double cream etc.

  Alternatives – I haven’t tried coconut milk or cream but I think they’d work nicely here. Sour cream and yogurt can also be used but they won’t add that touch of creamy mouthfeel that cream gives this soup. I’d rather use an extra knob of butter, personally.

How to make sweet potato soup

I’m a stick blender girl, when it comes to soups. So much less mess than using a blender.

1. Sauté leek, onion and garlic for 5 minutes until sweet and softened.

2. Stir sweet potato and cumin for 3 minutes so it’s nicely coated in the flavoured oil and the cumin gets toasted, which brings out the flavour.

3. Simmer 20 minutes – Add the stock and simmer for 20 minutes with the lid off.

4. Blitz with a stick blender until smooth.

5. Stir in cream.

6. Serve – Ladle into bowls and shower with something crispy! More chat on this below.

Soup toppers

I know I said at the beginning that this is a soup that stands on its own two feet. And it does. I drink it by the mugful, plain.

That said, I am a soup toppings gal and I will always encourage you to make soups more interesting with toppers. And wow, yes, we can do something different to the usual croutons and a swirl of cream!!! Today – crispy flatbread ribbons, a sprinkle of pistachio and swish of olive oil. Chosen as a nod to the Moroccan vibes in this soup.

I fried the crispy ribbons – for shooting speed purposes – but they are just as easily baked. Directions in the recipe. – Nagi x

PS And yes, you can absolutely do croutons instead if you prefer. Don’t let me deter you!

Watch how to make it

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The Sweet Potato Soup

Recipe video above. A healthy dose of cumin plus a good amount of onion and leek keeps things interesting with this Sweet Potato Soup! If leeks are a bit pricey, use more onion instead.

Serve with a shower of something crunchy – croutons, nuts, crispy shallots. I used pistachios and flatbread ribbons, fried for speed, but they can be baked – Note 3.

Course Soup

Cuisine Western

Keyword sweet potato soup

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 337cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 30g / 2 tbsp unsalted butter – or more oil
• 2 onions , diced
• 2 leeks , white and pale green part only, quartered, cut into 1cm / 1/2″ slices (Note 1)
• 2 garlic cloves , chopped
• 1 kg/ 2 lb sweet potato , peeled, quartered lengthwise, cut into 2cm / 0.8″ chunks
• 1 tbsp cumin powder
• 1.25 litre / 1.25 quarts chicken or vegetable stock , low sodium (Note 2)
• 1.5 tsp cooking / kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/3 cup cream (any type) or an extra knob of butter

Garnishes (Note 3)

• Something to drizzle / dollop – extra virgin olive oil, cream, yogurt, sour cream
• Something crunchy – flatbread strips (pictured, Note 3), croutons, pistachios, pepitas, crispy fried shallots

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Sauté aromatics – Heat the oil and melt the butter in a large heavy based pot over medium heat. Cook the onion, leek and garlic for 5 minutes until softened.
• Add the sweet potato and cumin, cook for another 3 minutes, stirring regularly.
• Simmer 20 minutes – Add the stock, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then cook for 20 minutes at a gentle simmer until the sweet potato is very tender (no lid).
• Blitz – Remove the pot from the stove. Blitz with a hand-held stick until smooth. (Note 4 for blender) Stir in cream.
• Garnish – Ladle into bowls. Drizzle with yogurt, cream or olive oil with a sprinkle of something crunchy – pictured with pistachios and crispy flatbread strips (Note 3).

Notes

1. Leeks washing ( video 0.09 sec) – Chop the reedy dark green part off, only use the soft white & pale green part. Cut in quarters lengthwise but keep the root intact (for gripping). The cut part of the leek will splay out like tassles / cheerleader pom poms! Hold the root part and wash the cut part of the leek under a running tap. Shake excess water off well, then chop.

2. Stock – I really do prefer this made with chicken rather than veg stock because it gives it a deeper flavour. But veg stock is a close 2nd I freely use to keep this vegetarian.

3. Garnishes – Something drizzled and something crunchy is my standard soup baseline. I used crispy flatbread strips in a nod to the vaguely reminiscent Moroccan flavours in this (I say that only because of the cumin!).

CRISPY FLATBREAD STRIPS – Cut 1cm / 0.4″ strips. Scrunch in hand (to curl) then fry in 3cm / 1″ 180°C/350°F oil for 20 seconds until light golden. Sprinkle immediately with salt while hot (so it sticks). 

BAKED OPTION – Coat strips generously with olive oil spray, sprinkle with salt, bake at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) for 10 to 13 minutes or until golden and crisp, tossing once or twice. Exact time will depend on thickness of flatbread.

Croutons – Cut any bread (crustless) into 0.75 cm / ⅓” cubes. Toss in a little olive oil to coat, sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Bake at 180°C/350°F for 10 min, tossing halfway, until golden and crunchy. Cool fully on tray before using.

4. Blender option – Allow soup to cool for 10 minutes then transfer half into a blender. Remove the lid of the feeder tube (it might blow-off due to the heat inside!), then put the lid on. Use a folded tea towel to cover the hole then blitz until smooth. Transfer to a separate pot. Repeat with remaining soup. (Stick blender really is easier!)

Silky smooth soup – You’ll need a high powered blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec. Note: soups as is might look a bit lumpy but it tastes smooth. 

5. Leftovers will keep for 4 days in the fridge. Great for freezing too! 

Nutrition per serving, soup only (because I can’t be held responsible for how crazy you go with toppings – and I fully endorse excessive toppings!).

Nutrition

Calories: 337cal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 749mg | Potassium: 888mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 24474IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 3mg

More cosy bowls of soup

Pumpkin Soup

Broccoli and Potato Soup

Creamy Carrot Soup

Chicken and Rice Soup

Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Soup

Chinese Corn Soup with Chicken

Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup

Soups

Life of Dozer

Crashed out in his kennel at the end of a big Easter long weekend. (By “big”, I am obviously referring to extreme amounts of food scavenging and play time.)

The post Sweet Potato Soup – simple but great! appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

The meat-free version of Chinese san choy bow. You never knew vegetarian lettuce wraps could be so delicious! Crumbled tofu makes the filling meaty while vegetables add lovely texture, smothered in a glossy, savoury sauce. Healthy food was never so delicious. And interesting. And easy. {Just 245 cal for a generous serving}

Vegetarian lettuce wraps (san choy bow)

Today’s recipe is a meat-free version of the Chinese restaurant favourite san choy bow which is a lettuce wrap with a pork filling.

I hate that I used the word “awesome” for a recipe name (in caps! 😅) but I couldn’t think of another way to capture your attention for these lettuce wraps. A vegetarian one, no less, made with lots of vegetable and tofu.

So if you’re reading this, perhaps the somewhat childish name I’ve bestowed upon these lettuce wraps worked! Because they are Awesome – with a capital A. Not just “ok”, not just “good”. That doesn’t make the cut to be shared on my website. They. Are. AWESOME!

(I need a new word. My high school English teacher would be horrified if she read this post).

Right, let me go straight to an up-close-and-personal of this tofu and vegetable filling that is the star of today’s show. Try telling me this doesn’t look delicious!

And before it was that, it was this:

1. Tofu crumbled up like mince (that’s ground meat, to you folks in the States). Much more effective for flavour absorption than dicing (plus, easier); then

2. Sauced with san choy bow sauce that stains the tofu an enticing mahogany colour and coats everything in a glossy savoury sauce.

Ready to see how to make these vegetarian lettuce wraps?? Let’s do this!

What you need for Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps

Here’s what you need:

The filling

• Firm or extra-firm tofu – Use a firm or extra firm tofu, not silken tofu. It needs to be firm enough so you can crumble it like mince / ground meat. Tub label will give you clues – it will be labelled as such. 😂 Also, give it a squeeze. It should feel like soft rubber, rather than a very fragile jelly (silken tofu).

• Vegetables – Green beans, carrot and mushrooms are the mix I’m using today. Love the texture the green beans and carrots give to the filling, and the savouriness the mushrooms bring.

  Having said that, feel free to use what you’ve got! Any sauté-able vegetables will work fine.

• Garlic and onion – Aromatics. Don’t skip these – they become more important in vegetarian dishes!

San choy bow sauce for filling

The sauce used for these vegetarian lettuce wraps is the same as the one I use for my classic pork san choy bow. It’s glossy and savoury, and each ingredient contributes to the flavour so please don’t skip any. This sauce, it can make anything taste amazing – even tofu! (There, I said it, go ahead and call me immature 😂).

• Cornflour / cornstarch – This makes the sauce shiny and thickens it so it coats the filling ingredients beautifully.

• Oyster sauce – A whole lot of flavour, jammed into one bottle! As the name suggests, the sauce is made with oysters – not that you would ever pick it. It just tastes savoury and sweet.

  Alternatives – Vegetarian options available these days, even at large grocery stores in Australia. Else, Hoisin works great (though you get a five spice flavour which is lovely, just different!)

• Light soy sauce provides salt but doesn’t stain things a brown colour and has a mild soy flavour. Can be substituted with all purpose soy sauce but not dark soy sauce (too intense). More on different soy sauces here.

• Dark soy has intense colour (this is what makes the sauce and stains the tofu a brown colour) and much more intense soy flavour. It can be substituted with more light or all-purpose soy sauce but the sauce flavour will be more mild, and the tofu won’t go brown.

• Chinese cooking wine (“Shaoxing wine”) is an essential ingredient for making truly “restaurant standard” Chinese dishes. It adds depth of flavour and complexity into sauces. More info on Chinese cooking wine here.

  Substitute with Mirin, cooking sake or dry sherry. Non alcoholic sub – use 1/2 cup (125 ml) low sodium chicken broth/stock instead of water + Chinese cooking wine.

• Sesame oil (toasted) – For lovely sesame flavour in the dish. Use toasted (brown oil) not un-toasted (yellow oil) as it has stronger sesame flavour. For fellow Aussies, toasted is the standard sesame oil sold in grocery stores. Un-toasted is harder to find (generally in health food stores).

The lettuce wraps & toppings

Filling sorted, now here’s what you need to make the wrap. The peanuts and sriracha or other chilli paste/sauce is highly, highly recommended for a great lettuce wrap!

• Lettuce leaves – Chinese san choy bow lettuce wraps served at restaurants here in Australia use iceberg lettuce. At fancy places, they cut into neat rounds!

  But honestly, any lettuce leaves where filling can be bundled inside, or have a natural cup shape works fine. Crispy (cos / romaine lettuce) or soft, pliable leaves (like butter lettuce).

• Sriracha or other chilli sauce – Highly recommended. It just works so well to add a hit of spiciness to the freshness of the vegetable filling!

• Peanuts – For an authentic san choy bow experience, chopped peanuts is also highly recommended!

• Green onion – Sprinkle of fresh. Not as highly recommended, but it can be skipped if you don’t have it.

How to make vegetarian lettuce wraps

1. Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl in this order: cornflour/cornstarch and water first until lump free, then mix in everything else. Why? Because it’s easier to dissolve cornflour in less liquid than too much liquid.

2. Crumble tofu – Drain tofu. Cut into 5mm/0.2″ slices then use your fingers to crumble into a mince. It will crumble with little effort. Don’t make the crumbs too fine, you can always break the tofu up more when cooking – just like cooking mince/ground meat!

   No need to press the tofu – There’s no need to press water out of the tofu using weights. The water contained in the tofu prevents it from being too dry.

3. Filling – Using a large non stick pan, heat the oil over high heat then cook the onion, garlic and carrot for just 1 minute. Add green beans and mushrooms then cook for 2 minutes. The green beans should still be firm. This is good! The texture the green beans add to the filling is really nice.

4. Add tofu and just toss through. Tofu doesn’t need to be cooked to eat it so for this recipe we just need to warm it through.

5. Sauce it! Pour in the sauce then let it come to a simmer. As it heats up, the cornflour in the sauce will make it thicken. Stir for 1 minute or until it becomes thick and glossy so it coats the mixture nicely. See the photo in step 6 for what the filling looks like once the sauce thickens. Look at all that flavour on the tofu and vegetables!

   If the sauce reduces and thickens too quickly (which might happen if you’re using an extra large pan or an extra strong stove <– I’d love this problem), then just add a splash of water.

6. Serving – Transfer the filling into a bowl. Put it out on the table with the lettuce leaves, green onion, peanuts and bottle of sriracha. Then let everyone make their own wraps!

7. DIY lettuce wraps – Spoon filling into lettuce leaf.

8. Toppings – Drizzle with sriracha, sprinkle with peanuts and green onion. Bundle / wrap (for soft lettuce leaves) or fold like tacos (for crisper lettuce leaves) then devour!

I have to confess, this recipe took me by surprise. I made it during one of those patches when I was trying to “be healthier”. (But then mango pancakes and chili dogs happened which derailed my good intentions, followed by pizza bread and carbonara which didn’t help.)

Even though I knew the san choy bow sauce had flavour-power, the thought of a tofu-vegetable medley wrapped in yet more vegetable (lettuce) wasn’t exactly making me excited.

How very, very wrong I was. It’s not just “good”. It’s extremely tasty. As in – I WANT to have it for dinner tonight.

The fact that it’s just 245 calories for a generous dinner-size serving is a bonus.

And with that, I’m done in my efforts to convince you to try this. Perhaps I didn’t even need to do all this writing and the excellent name I christened this dish was enough?? Awesome Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps. Full points for creative writing! 😂 – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

San choy bow = san choy bau = san choi bow = lettuce wraps!

Print

AMAZING vegetarian lettuce wraps

Recipe video. The meat-free version of Chinese san choy bow. You never knew vegetarian lettuce wraps could be so delicious. I never knew either, until I made these!

Crumbled tofu lends the filling a meaty texture while vegetables add lovely texture, all smothered in a glossy, savoury sauce. Vegetarian food (and healthy, no less!) was never so delicious. And interesting. And easy. It's AMAZING!

Feel free to substitute the veg with other sauté-able vegetables of choice.

Course Light mains, Main, Starter

Cuisine Asian, Chinese

Keyword Lettuce wraps, San Choy Bow, vegetarian food

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Servings 2 – 4 people

Calories 245cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

San choy bow sauce:

• 1 1/4 tsp cornflour / cornstarch
• 3 tbsp water
• 1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce (Note 1)
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce (Note 1)
• 1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce (Note 2)
• 1 tsp sesame oil , toasted
• 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (or sub Mirin or dry sherry, Note 3)
• 1 tsp white sugar
• 1 tsp finely grated ginger (sub garlic)

Filling:

• 250g/8oz extra firm tofu (Note 4)
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 garlic , finely minced
• 1/2 onion , finely diced
• 1/2 cup carrot , chopped into 5mm/ 0.2″ pieces
• 1/2 cup green beans , sliced into 5mm/0.2″ rounds
• 1/2 cup mushroom , chopped into 5mm/ 0.2″ pieces

Wraps:

• 12 lettuce leaves (+/- depending on lettuce size, Note 5)
• Peanuts , finely chopped (I like salted, but unsalted fine)
• Green onion , finely sliced
• Sriracha , for drizzling (highly recommended)

Instructions

• Sauce – Mix cornflour/cornstarch with water until lump free. Add everything else, then mix.
• Crumble tofu – Drain tofu, then cut into 5mm/0.2" slices. Use your fingers to crumble into a mince. Not too fine crumbs, can always break up more when cooking (just like cooking mince/ground meat!).
• Filling – Heat oil over high heat in a large non stick pan. Cook onion, garlic and carrot for 1 minute. Add green beans and mushrooms. Cook 2 minutes – green beans should still be firm.
• Sauce it – Add tofu and toss through. Pour in the sauce. Stir for 1 minute or until the sauce thickens and is coating the mixture nicely. (If it evaporates too quickly, add a splash of water)
• Serving – Transfer filling into a bowl. Lay out on the table with lettuce leaves, green onion, peanuts and bottle of sriracha.
• DIY lettuce wraps – Spoon filling into lettuce leaf. Drizzle with sriracha, sprinkle with peanuts and green onion. Bundle / fold, eat!

Notes

Serves 2 as a meal (or 3 with small appetites), or 4 if you add a side like fried rice (try the miracle emergency baked fried rice, if you don’t have day-old rice).

1. Oyster sauce – vegetarian options available these days, even at large grocery stores in Australia. Else, Hoisin works great (though you get a five spice flavour which is lovely, just different!)

2. Soy sauces:
* Light soy sauce can be substituted with all purpose soy sauce but not dark soy sauce (too intense). More on different soy sauces here.
* Dark soy can be substituted with more light or all-purpose soy sauce

3. Chinese cooking wine (“Shaoxing wine”) is an essential ingredient for making truly “restaurant standard” Chinese dishes. Substitute with Mirin, cooking sake or dry sherry. More info on Chinese cooking wine here.

Non alcoholic sub – use 1/2 cup (125 ml) low sodium chicken broth/stock instead of water + Chinese cooking wine, expect to simmer filling for an extra 1 minute as it will take slightly longer to thicken.

4. Tofu – Use a firm or extra firm tofu, not silken tofu. It needs to be firm enough so you can crumble it like mince / ground meat. Tub label will specify it is firm tofu (also, give it a squeeze!).

5. Lettuce leaves – Chinese san choy bow lettuce wraps served at restaurants here in Australia use iceberg lettuce. At fancy places, they cut into neat rounds! But honestly, any lettuce leaves where filling can be bundled inside, or have a natural cup shape works fine. Crispy (cos / romaine lettuce) or soft, pliable leaves (like butter lettuce).

6. Leftover filling will keep for 3 days in the fridge. Not suitable for freezing.

Nutrition per serving, assuming 2 servings. Excludes toppings.

Nutrition

Calories: 245cal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 1437mg | Potassium: 802mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 16198IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 130mg | Iron: 4mg

Life of Dozer

Before / during / after:

Before he realised it was plain baby spinach.

During the realisation.

After the realisation.

The post AWESOME vegetarian lettuce wraps appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.