Packed full of vegetables, this meat-free dish is a great way to boost your 5-a-day intake and can be served as a main dish or as a side.
Nutritional highlights
This recipes uses aubergines which are an excellent source of fibre. They're also a good source of vitamins B1 and B6:
Vitamin B1 - helps the body break down and release energy from food, as well as helps keep the nervous system healthy.1
Vitamin B6 - helps the body to use and store energy from protein and carbohydrates in food. It also helps the body form haemoglobin, the substance in red blood cells that carries oxygen around.1
The other main ingredient in this recipe that is full of nutrients, is courgette. Courgettes contain very few calories and have a high-water content, they can also help boost the body's immune system, as they are high in vitamin C.
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Ingredients
Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
- 2 red onions
- 4 garlic gloves
- 2 aubergines
- 3 courgettes
- 3 red peppers
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 6 ripe tomatoes
- 2 tbsp basil
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme
- 400g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Method
Peel and cut the onions into wedges and chop the aubergines, courgettes and peppers into roughly 2.5cm chunks.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan and place over a medium heat. Add garlic, onion and thyme and to the pan and sauté for around 10 minutes until softened.
Add the aubergines, courgettes and peppers to the pan and fry for 5 minutes then add the balsamic vinegar and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes and basil and add salt and pepper to taste.
Cover and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes.
Serve with fresh bread or steamed rice.
Top tips/healthy swaps
Stir though some rinsed puy lentils before it goes in the oven (or add drained tinned green lentils ten minutes before the end of cooking time) for added protein.
Use it to top a jacket potato, with or without some grated cheese, or try with pan fried halloumi, fresh rocket with a simple olive oil and lemon juice dressing and a sprinkle of toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
References
- B vitamins and folic acid - NHS
