We love coming up with healthier versions of dishes we adore and this recipe for Baked Eggplant Caprese is no different! We’ve been making a healthy take on baked eggplant Caprese for what seems like forever, it’s perfect for when you are really craving eggplant parm but don’t want a heading pile of fried, overly cheesed, mainly pasta version you often find at restaurants. So this recipe is a newer version with the substitution of mozzarella cheese for feta cheese. And not just any feta cheese, whipped feta! And this whipped feta is AMAZING.
Simple ingredients
It starts with these 3 simple ingredients, eggplant, heirloom tomatoes and feta cheese. Eggplants are a very versatile, low calorie, nutrient-dense food. They hold a lot of water so there are a few extra steps that we take when working with them to keep from getting soggy during baking. First, wash and trim the ends off of the eggplant and then slice it into ½ inch rounds. Lay a kitchen towel on a flat surface like a cutting board or baking sheet. Then place the eggplant slices on the towel in a single layer. Sprinkle the slices liberally with salt and then place another towel on top. Next place something heavy like another baking sheet, cutting board or heavy pan on top. This will help to draw out the moisture. Let that sit for at least ten minutes. The towels will become wet and there will be beads of water on the eggplant. Lastly, take another towel and gently wipe away the moisture and salt. Then they are ready to bake!
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer. Lightly spray the eggplants with cooking oil (we used avocado oil) this is an important step because if you try drizzling olive oil it will soak into the eggplant which you don’t want! Sprinkle each side of the slices with oregano, salt and pepper. Add to a preheated 375-degree oven and bake for 15 minutes. Then Flip the slices and bake for another 15 minutes or until the slices have started to brown.
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Colorful heirloom tomatoes
As you probably already know, we eat a lot of tomatoes around here, especially during the summer garden months! So we love incorporating heirloom tomatoes into our dishes as a beautiful treat of taste and color. Bonus, they are full of vitamins and minerals! Be sure to choose heirloom tomatoes that are slightly firm (not mushy) to the touch and don’t have any visible cracks or wrinkles. For this recipe, simply wash and cut the tomatoes into slices. If you don’t have access to heirloom tomatoes that’s fine! Any will do and still make this dish just as tasty but there’s something about those colors of the heirlooms that make us swoon!
Whip it real good
Many whipped feta recipes out there add cream cheese and a bunch of ingredients but this version is simple without sacrificing the flavor. All you need is 4 ingredients. We prefer to use block feta cheese in the brine but you could use crumbled if that’s what you have. Getting the feta in the brine helps to keep the cheese moist and creamy. And of course, extra virgin olive oil is next, we buy it in bulk large cans. You can find these imported from Greece at your local Greek or Mediterranean food store. The cheese is naturally salty so we chose to just use fresh dill as our flavoring ingredient. Simply place all of the ingredients in a food processor starting with 1 tablespoon of water. Depending on the consistency of your cheese you may only need one. Blend on high until smooth stopping to scrape down the sides.
Putting it all together
Once the eggplant slices have cooked remove the pan from the oven and top each slice with a slice of tomato and spread one tablespoon of whipped feta on top. Bake for five minutes. Then set the oven to broil and broil for a few minutes until the cheese starts to bubble and brown slightly. Remove from the oven, top with fresh dill and enjoy!
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Baked Eggplant Caprese
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 small eggplants
- 3 large heirloom tomatoes
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- salt & pepper to taste
Whipped Feta
- 10-15 ounce block of feta cheese
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp fresh dill
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Wash the eggplants and trim off the stems and slice into ½ inch thick rounds.
- Line a baking sheet with a kitchen towel & lay the eggplant slices in a single layer on the towel and sprinkle liberally with salt.
- Place another towel on top of the eggplant and another baking sheet or cutting board on top. You want something heavy enough to put weight on the eggplant to help draw out the moisture.
- Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes. Then gently wipe the excess water off of the eggplants using a towel.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer.
- Lightly spray with cooking oil and sprinkle half of the oregano on one side and salt and pepper to taste, flip the eggplant over and add the remaining spices.
- Bake for 15 minutes and flip the slices and bake for another 15 minutes or until the slices have started to brown.
- Meanwhile, place all of the feta, olive oil, 1 tbsp dill and water (1 tbsp of water at a time) into a food processor.
- Blend on high until smooth stopping to scrape down the sides if needed.
- Wash the heirloom tomatoes and cut into ¼ inch slices and set aside.
- Once the eggplant slices have cooked remove the oven and top each slice with a slice of tomato and spread one tablespoon of the whipped feta on top.
- Bake for another 5 minutes, then set the oven to broil and broil for a few minutes until the cheese starts to bubble and brown slightly.
- Remove from the oven and top with fresh dill and serve.
