The Best Mediterranean Eggplant Recipe: Aubergines au Gratin

A superb Mediterranean eggplant recipe that is a simple, easy, healthy, vegetarian eggplant recipe, full of flavor and natural goodness. It's a great dish to serve as a starter and can be served either hot or cold, or with your favorite roasted meat.

Try these tasty dishes too: Eggplant Caponata Recipe and Ratatouille. Eggplants are a vegetable like artichokes, often overlooked. Learn How To Cook Artichokes, and try this delicious Artichoke Salad.

🔍 Quick Look: Mediterranean Eggplant Recipe

• ⏱️ Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes
• 🕒 Total Time: 55 minutes
• 👥 Servings: 4
• 📊 Calories: ~206 kcal per serving (based on nutrition panel)
• 🔥 Cook Method: Stove Top, Oven
• 👩‍🍳 Flavor Profile: Aubergines au Gratin is a rich, comforting, and savory dish characterized by a harmonious blend of creamy textures and savory, earthy flavors.
• ⭐ Difficulty: Very easy to easy.

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❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe

• It's a classic French Mediterranean dish that's naturally vegetarian and full of flavor.
• Uses simple, fresh ingredients you likely already have.
• Works as a starter, side dish, or light main.
• Delicious hot or cold, a rare and wonderful trait in French vegetable dishes.
• A great way to showcase eggplant without complicated prep.
• It tastes like it came from a charming French countryside kitchen (because it did 😉).

🗝️ Key Ingredients

• aubergines (eggplants) I like to use smaller sizes for roasted eggplant recipes like this one, as they are not as watery.
• tomatoes, slicing tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes, most pair well with eggplant.
  PRO TIP: If your tomatoes aren't very sweet, add a tiny pinch of sugar to balance acidity.
• onion and garlic, the aromatic foundation.
• parsley, thyme, and basil - Fresh herbs bring the unmistakable Mediterranean aroma; dried herbs work, but fresh is magic.
• Grated cheese, such as Parmesan, or any hard cheese like cheddar, which adds the golden, bubbly finish that makes a gratin irresistible .

🔄 Substitutions & Variations

• Swap Parmesan for Gruyère or Comté for a more French bistro feel.
• Add a pinch of chili flakes to the tomato mixture for gentle heat.
• Use mixed Mediterranean herbs if you're out of fresh ones.
• For a richer gratin, add a thin layer of béchamel under the cheese.
• Make it vegan by using a plant-based hard cheese alternative.

🔢How To Make Mediterranean Eggplant Recipe

Prep your vegetables:

• If your eggplant is large, you may need to salt it before baking to draw out excess water. Slice eggplant lengthwise, remove seeds and fibers inside. Lay eggplant in a colander or on a baking sheet lined with paper towel. Sprinkle generously with salt to release excess water from the plant before baking. (Placing a heavy plate or bowl on the top should help squeeze more water out.)

PRO TIP: Slice vegetables evenly so everything cooks at the same rate.

Step 1

Heat a skillet to medium heat, add the oil, onion, and garlic. (do not brown, simply soften.)

Step 2

Add the tomatoes and mix well while cooking.

PRO TIP: Don't rush the tomato mixture as a slow simmer builds flavor.

Step 3

Add the herbs and mix well. (Remove the sprig of thyme before placing the pan contents into the baker.)

Step 4

Place the eggplant at the bottom of the baker.
PRO TIP: Individual gratin dishes make this feel extra special (and bake faster).

Step 5

Spread the tomato and onion mixture from the pan on top of the eggplant.

Step 6

Sprinkle grated cheese on top, place in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until bubbly and golden.

Step 7

Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving. Dig in!

🥂How To Serve An Aubergine Recipe

1. It can be served hot as a first course or as a side dish with your favorite roast meat or chicken dishes.
2. It is also good served cold.
3. Of course, you can simply serve it on its own with fresh, crusty bread.

It's so delicious!

👐What To Serve With Mediterranean Eggplant Recipe?

• Roast chicken: A golden, herb-scented bird roasted until the meat is tender and the skin irresistibly crisp.
• Grilled lamb chops: Juicy lamb chops seared over high heat for a smoky crust and succulent, rosy interior.
• Simple pan-fried fish: Fresh fish lightly seasoned and quickly pan-fried for a delicate, flaky finish.
• Crusty French bread: A rustic loaf with a crackling crust and soft, airy crumb perfect for eggplant recipes.
• A light green salad with vinaigrette: Crisp greens tossed in a bright, tangy vinaigrette.
• Socca bread: A warm, rustic chickpea flour flatbread from Nice, crisp at the edges and tender within.

🍷What Wine To Pair With Aubergine Dishes

1. Dry White Wines
   Pinot Grigio Crisp: A light and refreshing wine that will not overpower the flavors of the vegetables.
   Vermentino: A nice Italian white wine with a little acidity and citrus.
2. Light Reds
   Pinot Noir: A light-bodied red that won't clash with the eggplant.
   Gamay (Beaujolais): Light, fruity, and refreshing.
3. Rosé
   A dry, crisp rosé is also a good match. Fruitiness of the red wine and lightness of the white wine.

❔FAQ About Aubergines Au Gratin

✨More Great Recipes

But, this eggplant meal is not the only one to enjoy with just vegetables; try Vegetable Bake, known in France as Tian Provencal, with zucchini, tomatoes, onions, garlic, parmesan cheese, and French herbs. Delightful! Or Vegetable Tian (sound familiar) with eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, and fragrant thyme to mingle with all the veggies.

If you tried this Mediterranean Eggplant recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Très Bien!!!

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📖 Recipe

Mediterranean Eggplant Recipe - Aubergines Au Gratin

Judith Coates

This is a famous eggplant dish, layered with tender aubergine, fresh tomatoes, herbs, and a golden crown of cheese. It's a great dish to serve as a starter and can be served either hot or cold or with your favorite roast poultry and meat dishes.

Print Recipe Pin

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course dinner recipe, Side Dish

Cuisine French

Servings 4

Equipment

• Sharp knife
• Colander
• heavy-bottomed pan
• Casserole dish or individual gratin dishes
• Serving spoon
• Optional: vegetable slicer for even cuts

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 eggplants medium aubergines
• ▢ 6 tomatoes medium
• ▢ 1 onion finely chopped
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 2 sprigs parsley
• ▢ 1 sprig thyme
• ▢ 1 sprig basil
• ▢ Salt and black pepper
• ▢ 1 cup Parmesan grated - or any hard cheese

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Instructions

 

• Turn on the oven to 375°F/191°C/Gas 5 Moderate/Moderately Hot
• Wash aubergines and slice them length-ways.
• Sprinkle with salt and place in a colander (place a plate on the top of them with a weight on this. This will allow the excess water to run out)
• Plunge the tomatoes into boiling water for a few minutes and then peel and chop them.
• Pour the oil into a heavy-bottomed pan and sweat the onions and tomatoes with the herbs for about 15 minutes.
• You can now either rub the tomatoes through a sieve or blend them in a processor.
• Season your tomato puree (now called tomato coulis) with salt and pepper to taste.
• Rinse the aubergine slices and dry them with paper towel or a clean tea towel.
• Saute the aubergine slices in olive oil until golden brown.
• Place them in individual dishes and pour the tomato coulis over the top.
• Sprinkle with grated cheese and place in the oven until golden brown, approximately 10-15 minutes.
• Let your dish sit for 5 minutes, now it is ready to serve.
• It can be served hot as a first course or as an accompaniment with your favorite roast meat or chicken dishes.
• It is also good served cold.

Notes

• Use a slicing tool if you have one to cut all the vegetables for this recipe the same thickness, which will help the dish to bake evenly throughout.

 

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Nutrition

Calories: 206kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 13gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 478mgPotassium: 1031mgFiber: 10gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 1860IUVitamin C: 33mgCalcium: 345mgIron: 1mg

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