Aubergine, Butter Bean and Feta Bake
by Sophie Missing & Caroline Craig from The Corner Shop Cookbook (Penguin/Square Peg) Photography: Charlotte Bland
This recipe has two stages so takes a little longer to cook, but the results are definitely worth the wait. Don’t have aubergines? Most other roastable veg will do: red onions, courgettes, parsnips – even mushrooms. Just adjust the initial roasting time as necessary.
Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 50 mins
Ingredients
2 large aubergines
200g cherry tomatoes
3 tbsp olive oil
100g couscous
1 x 400g tin butter beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp dried thyme
4 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
3 tbsp fresh or dried breadcrumbs (optional)
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4.
Cut the aubergines into 2cm chunks and add to a roasting tin, along with the cherry tomatoes. Drizzle over 2 tablespoons of the oil, sprinkle over some salt and pepper, and then bake for 35 minutes, or until the aubergine is golden and slightly caramelised in places and the cherry tomatoes have burst.
Meanwhile, boil a kettleful of water for your couscous. Measure the couscous into an ovenproof pie dish and pour over enough boiling water to cover (aim for 1-2mm above the top of the couscous). Cover with a tea towel for a few minutes, then once fluffy and cooked, for the couscous and add the remaining oil and some salt. Stir in the drained butter beans and the thyme, then crumble over most of the feta (saving the rest to sprinkle on top).
Once the roasted vegetables are ready, stir straight into the couscous mixture. Top with the breadcrumbs, if using, and crumble over the remaining feta. Bake for a further 15 minutes until the feta is melted and golden brown in places. Serve with a green salad.
Drinks tasted on air, alongside the dish:
This aubergine, butter bean, and feta bake sounds like such a comforting and flavorful dish! I love how these ingredients can come together to create something hearty and satisfying without needing an overly complicated recipe. The creamy butter beans paired with tender aubergine and salty feta seem like a perfect combination, especially for a relaxed weeknight dinner. I enjoy discovering recipes that balance simplicity with plenty of flavor, much like Geometry Dash keeps its gameplay simple while still offering a fun challenge. Definitely adding this dish to my list of recipes to try!
This recipe looks like a great way to turn simple ingredients into a flavorful and satisfying meal. The combination of aubergine, butter beans, and feta sounds perfect for a cozy dinner, especially for anyone who enjoys Mediterranean-inspired dishes.
the flexibility with vegetables is a great feature of this recipe. i appreciate the clear two-stage method, as it helps manage the timing. the combination of creamy feta and butter beans with the roasted aubergine and tomatoes sounds like a satisfying texture contrast. i might try adding a pinch of smoked paprika to the vegetables before roasting for a subtle depth. Math GPT
The tip about swapping in other roastable vegetables is really useful, but I'm curious how you'd adjust the couscous-to-vegetable ratio when using something like mushrooms, since they release so much water during roasting. Would you roast them longer to drive off that moisture first, or reduce the boiling water for the couscous so the bake doesn't turn soggy? I'd love to try this with courgettes but worry about ending up with a wet, mushy base.
Further reading: https://stealanegg.net/