This roasted eggplant and kale wild rice is a great vegetarian dish that requires only a few minutes of active time. I love how easy it is to make and how much of the work is done by simmering and roasting. It makes for a perfect side or add additional protein for a well-balanced meal.
One of the things that I love most about this dish is that it makes a beautiful side or a perfect bed for roasted chicken, steak, or pork chop. It makes for a great vegetarian dinner or turn it into a base for any kind of buddha / rice bowl that you want to make. It uses a casserole pan, sheet pan, and a bowl making clean up a breeze and makes tons of leftovers. This is the prefect recipe for those that love to meal prep.
Table of Contents
In this recipe
Another thing about this recipe is that you will likely have most of the recipes already in your pantry / refrigerator and the rest are easily found at your local grocery store.
Eggplant: you want to choose an eggplant that is firm, heavy for its size and doesn’t have any bruising on its skin. It should also not be discolored or starting to turn brown. The calyx (the green part at the top) should be green and the skin should be shiny.
Wild rice: you want to get pure wild rice here and not the wild rice blends. They cook faster than the actual wild rice and they require different liquid amounts.
Bay leaves: If you can get fresh bay leaves use them. Dried will work in a pinch but they aren’t as strong so you will need 4-5 dried bay leaves.
Kale: You are going to use a whole bunch of kale, maybe two if the leaves are small. The important thing is to remove the stems before cooking.
Toasting the rice, and why it matters
Do not skip the toast. After the onions and the garlic are down, the dry rice goes into the pot with them for two to three minutes before any liquid touches it. It will start to smell nutty and a little like popcorn. This will add a richness of flavor much like the browning meat gets before braising or blooming spices. When you do this you get flavors which you cannot get by just simmering alone. Also, the oil coats the grains which can assist in preventing clumping later.
The other reason the order matters is the bay. The bay leaves go in with the onion and the oil, before the liquid, so they get a few minutes in fat. This is where the bay really gets to shine. When you add fresh bay to hot oil it will release all of the oils within the leaves and will become very fragrant. This is something that is greatly muted when you add bay leaves into boiling water. Then the broth goes in all at once.
How long does wild rice take to cook?
Wild rice takes 40 to 45 minutes at a low covered simmer with three cups of liquid to one cup of rice. In this recipe that is 30 minutes on its own, then the kale goes on top for the last 10 to 15.
The way you know it is done is not the clock, it is how it looks. Wild rice splits open along the seam when it is ready, and the pale inside of the grain curls out. When most of the grains in the pot have opened up, you are there. If you cook it well past that point the grains will get mushy much like normal rice. One thing to mention is that there might be leftover liquid and that is ok, wild rice might now absorb all of the liquid you are simmering it in.
Let it sit covered off the heat for 10 minutes before you serve it. Any liquid still at the bottom of the pot gets absorbed in that window and the grains firm up. If you skip the rest, you will think you added too much broth. If there is still some liquid at the bottom that is ok.
Can I make this a different way?
Yes, and I change it based on what I am making with it.
You can use all kinds of veggies here. Some of my favorites are cauliflower, butternut squash, mushrooms, beets, carrots, and sweet potatoes. Now those are just some of my favorites, you should feel free to add whatever makes your heart happy. Most of the time when I want this to be a meal, I add a combo like eggplant and sweet potato.
If you are going to swap out wild rice for another grain, I would use either brown or black rice. They will add their own earthy flavors. You can also go with farro or quinoa however you will greatly need to decrease the simmer time as both of those cook much faster than wild rice. However, with all of the grain substitutions you will want to make sure you still give them a toast before adding the stock.
Keeping it vegetarian, and when I do not
Now since there are quite a few other ingredients, the vegetable broth might take a back seat. One of the things I like to do to pump up the flavor is to add a tablespoon or two of soy sauce. That adds just a little bit more salt to the broth, but it also gives a nice umami flavor to the broth that might not otherwise have it. Also adding a little Better than Bullion roasted vegetable and roasted garlic also work wonders.
One note either way. All of the salt in this recipe goes on the eggplant and none goes in the pot, which works because most boxed broth is already salted. If you are using homemade or a no sodium broth, add a half teaspoon of salt with the liquid and taste it again at the end. However, it is important to taste before adding more salt and leaving it until the end to salt as desired.
Make it ahead and turn it into bowls
This is one of my meal prep go-to recipes. It makes a great base for anything else even if it is just chicken or when you want to make a Buddha / rice bowl.
Both the rice and the eggplant can be made ahead of time and individually, however their timing works that making them at the same time will save you a bunch of it. Now, if you are doing this for meal prep the kale you choose could make or break this dish. Curly kale and Tuscan / Lacinato kale, the one I used in the photos, are good selections since they both will last a few days in the refrigerator.
What I would suggest though that if you are going to make this for meal prep add the kale in but do not simmer. Add it at the same time that you would add the eggplant and the residual heat will do the rest of the work so it will keep better in the refrigerator.
For the bowl version, use this as a base and then add your other ingredients. Things like cucumbers, bell peppers, radishes, chickpeas, edamame, sprouts, roasted butternut or sweet potatoes, eggs, salmon, chicken, steak or tofu are perfect additions that will go well with the rice and use your favorite dressings. I am quite fond of my Champagne Vinaigrette for this.
What to drink with it
Roasted eggplant, cumin, and wild rice all pull in the same earthy direction, so I want a drink that goes the other way and brings some sharpness to the table.
For a cocktail, the Last Word is my pick. Equal parts gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino, and lime, and it is the Chartreuse that really makes this shine.
For wine, a dry Riesling or a Grüner Veltliner has the acid this needs. However, if you want red, keep it light and low tannin, because tannin plus eggplant becomes quite aggressive and unpleasant quickly. A Gamay or a chilled Pinot Noir are good choices. A saison or a farmhouse ale is the beer answer, and it is a good one.
For the alcohol-free option, go with a Switchel. Apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, fresh ginger, and cold water, and it is a genuinely old drink rather than a modern substitute. Make it the night before and let it sit, because the ginger mellows and the whole thing comes together. The Maple-Ginger Highball is the other one I make with this, and it is better if you want something with bubbles in it.
Round out the plate
When I am serving it as a side, it goes with almost anything roasted. Whole Roasted Blackened Chicken is the one I pair with most, because the spices on the chicken and the cumin on the eggplant are in the same family. Garlic and Rosemary Pork Chops work for the same reason. Balsamic Glazed Baked Salmon is the lighter option and the sweetness in the glaze is a good counterweight to all that earthiness.
For a second vegetable, Roasted Balsamic Brussels Sprouts can share the oven with the eggplant on a second rack. Sauteed Green Beans with Garlic is the faster one and it does not need the oven at all.
To start, Eggplant Crostini with Balsamic Vinegar doubles down if you bought two eggplants, and Prosciutto and Brie Crostini is what I put out when I want something rich before a fairly lean dinner.
More recipes you might like
- Wild Rice with Mushrooms is the same pot and the same technique but with mushrooms instead of roasted eggplant.
- Baked Kale and Mushroom Gnocchi is where the kale goes when I want comfort food instead of a grain bowl.
- Quinoa Kale Salad with Currants uses raw massaged kale for a quick and easy salad that is even better on the second day.
- Sauteed Kale with Bacon and Lemon is the fast side when you just want the greens.
- The Best Lentil Soup is the other meatless dinner in the rotation that makes a week of lunches.
Eggplant and Kale Wild Rice
Equipment
- Sheet pan foil lined
- Casserole pan or large skillet
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant cut into three quarter inch cubes
- 4 cups kale stemmed and chopped
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup wild rice
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced, about 3 cloves
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- ½ tablespoon salt
- ½ tablespoon black pepper
- ½ tablespoon garlic powder
- ½ tablespoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 3 bay leaves fresh
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425°F, 220°C, or gas mark 7. In a mixing bowl, toss the cubed eggplant with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin until every piece is coated.1 large eggplant, 3 tablespoons olive oil, ½ tablespoon salt, ½ tablespoon black pepper, ½ tablespoon garlic powder, ½ tablespoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Spread the eggplant in a single layer on a foil lined sheet pan and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once at the halfway point, until the cubes are browned and collapsed. Set aside.
- While the eggplant roasts, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a casserole pan or a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and the bay leaves and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent.1 cup onion, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 3 bay leaves
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more, until fragrant. Add the wild rice and toast for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until the grains smell nutty.1 cup wild rice, 1 tablespoon garlic
- Pour in the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.3 cups vegetable broth
- Lay the chopped kale on top of the rice, cover again, and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the rice is tender and most of the grains have split open.4 cups kale
- Take the pot off the heat, pull out the bay leaves, and stir the kale through the rice. Fold in the roasted eggplant. Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
• Wild rice is done when the grains split open along the seam and curl back. Watch for that rather than the clock.
• Chicken stock in place of the vegetable broth makes this richer, and it makes it a side dish rather than a vegetarian main.
• All of the salt goes on the eggplant. If you are using unsalted or low sodium broth, add a half teaspoon of salt with the liquid.
• Fresh bay is stronger than dried. If you are using dried, go with four leaves.
Nutrition
