These Herby Couscous Stuffed Eggplant Rolls are so flavourful! They are wonderful served as a light lunch, appetizer or for dinner with salad on the side. The combination of grilled eggplant, creamy tahini sauce and cauliflower couscous which is packed with fresh herbs is so tasty! These rolls are Whole30, Paleo, Grain Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Keto and Specific Carbohydrate Diet Legal.
This recipe combines two of my favourite things, cauliflower rice and grilled eggplant.
The cauliflower rice is quickly sautéed until tender and then mixed with a delicious blend of parsley, mint, pine nuts, shallots and garlic. The result is a flavourful and refreshing salad very similar to a middle eastern couscous. To keep this recipe paleo and vegan I avoided using dairy, but crumbled feta would be a wonderful salty addition to the salad if cheese is a part of your diet.
Grilled slices of eggplant are the perfect encasing for the couscous, wrapping everything together into pretty serving sized portions. I am a bit of a grilled eggplant addict and absolutely love its tender texture and the way it absorbs other flavours, which in this dish is the garlic and herbs from the salad.
The tahini and lemon sauce is a wonderful combination of zesty citrus and creamy texture and is perfect for drizzling over the top of the rolls. You can also serve any extra sauce alongside the dish to spoon over because its so good, people always end up wanting more.
These Vegan Eggplant Rolls are incredibly versatile. You can serve them as an appetizer, as part of an antipasti platter, in place of salad, as a side dish or a healthy lunch.
I find that the texture and quality of the rolls doesn’t change once made, so you could prepare the Vegan Eggplant Rolls up to a day in advance, but would recommend only topping with the tahini sauce right before serving.
Here are a few other vegan recipes you will love:
- Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Vegan Beet & “Goat Cheese” Bites
- Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
- Roasted Pumpkin with Honey, Thyme & Pecans
- Cauliflower Tabbouleh Salad
- Roasted Cauliflower & Butternut Squash Tacos
If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Herby Couscous Stuffed Eggplant Rolls
Ingredients
Eggplant Slices
- 2 eggplants
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
Couscous filling*
- 2 cups cauliflower rice approximately half a head of cauliflower
- 1/2 tsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 red onion or 1 shallot finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic
Tahini & Lemon Sauce
- 2 tbsp tahini
- juice from 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp honey or other sweetener
- 1 clove garlic
- water
Instructions
- Heat a grill to medium high heat or alternatively preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit)
- Slice the eggplants length wise into 1cm thick slices. Brush each slice with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Grill the slices for approximately 3 minutes per side until golden in colour and tender. Alternatively lay the slices on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 5 minutes per side.
- While the eggplant is cooking, heat 1/2 tsp of olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add in the cauliflower rice and sauté for 5 minutes until softened. Transfer the cauliflower couscous to a bowl and put in the fridge to cool.
- Once the cauliflower couscous is cool, stir in the parsley, mint, pine nuts and chopped onion. In a small bowl whisk together the 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar and garlic and then pour over the couscous and stir.
- In a bowl whisk together the tahini, lemon juice and crushed garlic. Add approximately 1 tbsp of water and continue to whisk until a a smooth sauce forms.
- To assemble the rolls place 1 to 2 spoonfuls of the couscous at the wider end of the eggplant slice and roll up. Repeat with the remaining slices.
- To serve drizzle the rolls with the tahini & lemon sauce and sprinkle with any additional parsley or pine nuts.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried This Recipe?
Leave a comment below and let us know how it was!
Do you serve hot or cold?
I serve them at room temperature but they are truthfully good hot or cold too!
My husband and I made this with 1 cup riced cauliflower and 1 cup of couscous. We also mixed in some goat cheese! It really added to the dish.
I love the sounds of the cauliflower rice and couscous combination! So happy to hear that you enjoyed the dish!
Did you just omit the sweetener from the tahini sauce?
Yes exactly, skip the sweetener and it is Whole30
Cauliflower couscous, cauliflower rice?? I’m guessing the cauliflower is riced after it is steamed?
Made it but with couscous instead of the cauliflower. VERY delicious. Looks amazing. Thx for sharing
Awesome! So happy to hear it was delicious with couscous! 🙂
I’ll put this on next week’s menu. What do you serve this with? This is always my problem when I am menu planning. I don’t know what to serve with what. I don’t care if it’s paleo or not or whatever. Is this the main or the side? Lambchops or salad? or both?
Great question! I would serve these as a side dish with some sort of protein, lamb would be amazing, or grilled salmon or chicken would also work well. I would say that they aren’t substantial enough to be served on their own as a main.
Hello, I made this recipe exactly and did not find it very tasty. I think the mint is way too over powering.
Hi! I was salivating just reading the recipe! I will make asap and let you know. But I know it will be delish. Thanks
I’m looking forward to hearing what you think!
Did you ever make it?
My husband and I loved these. I didn’t have mint so omitted it. I added feta to the cauliflower mix. I didn’t have a lemon so used half an orange’s juice. Really nice recipe. Will def make it again.
I am so happy to hear that you and your husband enjoyed the recipe! I bet that orange gave it wonderful flavour.
Great recipe – thanks Carmen!
Thank you Maria!