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Lebanese Vegetable Bake

Serves 4 to 6 Entree vegetarian

Lebanese Vegetable Bake

Lebanese Vegetable Bake, or "Tabeekh al-Khodra," is a beloved staple at home tables across Lebanon. This rendition captures the essence of familial comfort, often gracing weeknight dinners or weekend gatherings. It's a dish that epitomizes the heart of Lebanese home cooking, where the balance of flavors is instinctive, and generosity with ingredients reflects the warmth of its creators.

The bake is a medley of tender eggplant, zucchini, and ripe tomatoes, each slice absorbing the richness of olive oil and the fragrance of fresh herbs. The result is a harmonious blend of textures and tastes, with the vegetables becoming soft and luscious, seasoned with sea salt and black pepper for depth. Serve it warm, and let it speak for itself.

Ingredients

  • 1eggplant
  • 2zucchini
  • 2tomatoes
  • 80 mlolive oil
  • herbs — chopped
  • to tastefine sea salt and black pepper

Method

  1. Start by preparing the vegetables. Cut the eggplant into 1 cm thick slices, the zucchini into half-moon shapes of the same thickness, and the tomatoes into thin wedges. Place them all in a large bowl. Drizzle with 80 ml of olive oil, and season generously with fine sea salt and black pepper. Toss everything together so that each piece is well coated with the oil and seasoning.
  2. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add a little more olive oil if needed, and then add the sliced eggplant first, as it takes longer to cook. Cook the eggplant slices for about 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until they begin to soften and take on a golden color.
  3. Add the zucchini slices to the skillet with the eggplant. Stir gently to combine, ensuring the zucchini is also coated with the oil. Cook for another 5 minutes, until the zucchini starts to soften. The vegetables should be tender but not mushy, maintaining a slight bite.
  4. Add the tomato wedges to the skillet. Stir to mix them with the other vegetables. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to break down slightly and release their juices, creating a light sauce that coats the vegetables.
  5. Sprinkle a generous handful of your chosen herbs over the vegetables. Common choices include parsley or mint, but feel free to use what you have on hand. Stir the herbs through the dish, allowing their aroma to infuse the vegetables.
  6. Taste the vegetable mixture and adjust the seasoning with more fine sea salt and black pepper if needed. The flavors should be well balanced, with the herbs adding freshness and the salt enhancing the natural sweetness of the vegetables.
  7. Transfer the Lebanese Vegetable Bake to a serving dish. The vegetables should be tender, with the eggplant soft and creamy, the zucchini holding its shape, and the tomatoes slightly saucy. Serve warm, allowing everyone at the table to help themselves.
Cover of Authentic Lebanese Cuisine
From the cookbook

Authentic Lebanese Cuisine

This recipe is from Authentic Lebanese Cuisine by Yassine Sbiti — the Lebanese volume in the ComidaTime International Cuisines series.

Available soon on Amazon…

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