Air fryer vegan Antipasto stuffed aubergine and feta
This vegan Antipasto stuffed aubergine and feta will quite simply…rock your world. This recipe takes the traditional Italian Antipasto, makes it vegan, and then stuffs it into an aubergine (eggplant) and it’s all air fried to perfection! Vegan Antipasto stuffed aubergine and feta is incredibly easy to make…thanks to the air fryer. This recipe is a crowd pleasing, fresh and savory dish that everyone will fall in love with!
Air fryer vegan Antipasto stuffed aubergine and feta consists of aubergine (eggplant) loaded with an Antipasto inspired medley made with vegan pepperoni, olives, red onion, garlic, pepperoncini peppers, tomatoes, walnuts, fresh herbs, breadcrumbs, and of course vegan feta…seasoned with lemon, olive oil, and salt…and cooked in the air fryer until it’s tender and juicy.
This Air fryer vegan Antipasto stuffed aubergine and feta is as mouthwatering as is sounds and it looks beautiful as well! Impress your guests at your next dinner party or treat yourself any night of the week with this easy, delicious vegan Antipasto stuffed aubergine and feta recipe.
Jump to RecipeHow to make Air fryer vegan Antipasto stuffed aubergine and feta
This easy Air fryer vegan Antipasto stuffed aubergine and feta recipe requires little time and effort, but is absolutely loaded with flavor and such a treat to eat! Here’s how to make it.
PREHEAT YOUR AIR FRYER
Begin by preheating your air fryer to 400 degrees F. If you don’t have a preheat button on your air fryer, simply turn it on with nothing in it for 5 minutes.
PREP YOUR EGGPLANT
Now it’s time to prep the eggplant! Cut the eggplant in half longways. Then slice the inside of the eggplant into a grid, but do not cut all of the way through the eggplant! You want to cut through most of the inside of the eggplant, but don’t go too far down, and don’t break through the skin. Your goal is to create nice deep cuts so you can easily stuff your eggplant.
Once you have your eggplant prepped, place on an air fryer tray, skin side up. Pop your eggplant in the preheated air fryer and cook for 5 minutes. While the eggplant is cooking, move ahead to prep the rest of your ingredients.
Prep the vegan Antipasto medley
The vegan antipasto medley has a lot going on, which gives it a TON of flavor, but it is actually super simple to make!
Simply chop up 2 tbsp vegan pepperoni, 2 tbsp tomatoes, 1 tbsp olive, 1 tbsp red onions, 1 clove of garlic, 1 tbsp jarred pepperoncini peppers, 1 tbsp of walnuts, 2 tbsp of fresh basil, and 2 tbsp of fresh parsley. Place in a mixing bowl and add 1 tbsp bread crumbs, 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tbsp olive oil, and 1/4 cup of vegan feta crumbles.
Mix until evenly combined.
Stuff the aubergine
Once your vegan Antipasto medley is prepped and your aubergine has cooked in the air fryer for 5 minutes, it’s time to stuff it!
Simply stuff the Antipasto medley into the cuts you made in the eggplant. You can be polite about it and use a spoon, but I found it much easier to just use my hands.
Any medley that won’t fit in the eggplant just place on top of the eggplant so it’s super loaded.
Once your aubergine halves has been stuffed and topped, place them back into the air fryer and cook for another 10 minutes at 400 degrees F. The vegan Antipasto stuffed aubergine and feta will be finished cooking when the eggplant is super tender and the vegan feta cheese has melted.
VEGAN FETA CHEESE
YES! There is vegan feta cheese! And there are now plenty of delicious options out there! For this recipe I went with Follow Your Heart vegan Feta crumbles. I love this company’s cheese. The texture and flavor are incredibly impressive and taste so much like traditional, non vegan feta! Seriously…it’s amazing how far vegan cheese has come.
Vegan Pepperoni
Antipasto is often loaded with Italian meats. So to keep things plant-based, but retain that meaty flavor, you will add vegan pepperoni. For this recipe, I went with Field Roast’s plant based sliced pepperoni.
Can’t find this brand? Substitute any vegan meat of your choice!
Don’t want to use a vegan meat substitute? Just skip it or add some crumble tempeh or chickpeas to add more protein!
What to serve with air fryer vegan antipasto stuffed aubergine and feta
This air fryer vegan antipasto stuffed aubergine and feta makes an excellent entree or side dish! Serve this recipe as an entree with pasta, orzo, or a salad. You can also substitute 2-3 mini eggplants or cut this dish into 4 or 6 pieces and serve as a vegan side dish or appetizer for your next Italian meal!
Want some more Italian inspired vegan dishes to serve along side this recipe? Check out these 10 Easy Vegan Italian Starters and Appetizers!
Meal prep vegan antipasto stuffed aubergine and feta
Yes! This is a perfect air fryer recipe to make ahead of time! To do so, simply complete the recipe up to the step where you stuff the aubergine. But don’t put your stuffed aubergine in the air fryer for the last 10 minutes! Instead, store the stuffed eggplant in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
When you are ready to serve simply place your vegan antipasto stuffed aubergine and feta in the air fryer and cook at 400 degrees F for the remaining 10-12 minutes. This will allow your air fryer stuffed aubergine and feta to reheat and finish cooking. Serve and enjoy!
Air Fryer Vegan Antipasto Stuffed Aubergine and Feta
Equipment
- air fryer
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant can substitute 2-3 mini eggplants
For Antipasto Recipe
- 2 tbsp vegan pepperoni, chopped small I used Field Roast Brand
- 2 tbsp tomatoes, chopped small
- 1 tbsp olives, chopped small
- 1 tbsp red onion, chopped small
- 1 clove of garlic, chopped small
- 1 tbsp pepperoncini peppers, chopped small I used jarred
- 1 tbsp walnuts, chopped small
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped small
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped small
- 1 tbsp bread crumbs
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup vegan feta cheese crumbles I used Follow Your Heart brand
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400℉**If your air fryer does not have a preheat button, simply turn your empty air fryer on for 5 minutes before use
Prep your eggplant
- Cut the eggplant in half longways. Then slice the inside of the eggplant into a grid, but do not cut all of the way through the eggplant. Repeat on other half of the eggplant.**You want to cut through most of the inside of the eggplant, but don't go too far down, and don't break through the skin.
- Once you have your eggplant prepped, place on an air fryer tray, skin side up
- Place the eggplant in the preheated air fryer and cook at 400℉ for 5 minutes
- While the eggplant is cooking, move ahead to prep the rest of your ingredients
Prep the vegan Antipasto medley
- Chop up the following into small pieces: 2 tbsp vegan pepperoni, 2 tbsp tomatoes, 1 tbsp olive, 1 tbsp red onions, 1 clove of garlic, 1 tbsp pepperoncini peppers, 1 tbsp of walnuts, 2 tbsp of fresh basil, and 2 tbsp of fresh parsley.
- Place in a mixing bowl and add 1 tbsp bread crumbs, 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tbsp olive oil, and 1/4 cup of vegan feta crumbles
- Mix until evenly combined. Set aside
"Stuff" your eggplant
- Once your eggplant has cooked for 5 minutes, remove it from the air fryer
- Using a spoon or your hands (which I found easier), stuff your eggplant with the Antipasto medley. There will be some Antipasto mix that won't fit in the slices of eggplant. Just top off the eggplant with the remaining mix
- Place you stuffed aubergine back in the air fryer tray, but place them skin side down this time so all of the stuffing and topping remain intact
- Cook your stuffed eggplant at 400℉ for 10 more minutes
- Your vegan Antipasto stuffed aubergine will be ready when the eggplant is tender and juicy and the vegan feta has melted
- Remove from air fryer. Serve and enjoy!