What’s not to love about a tray bake recipe? They’re really simple to rustle together and require basically zero babysitting, which means you can get on with other tasks whilst your dinner cooks!
Our hoisin aubergine tray bake recipe is inspired by some of our favourite Chinese flavours, making this tray bake one easy vegan Chinese inspired meal. The sweet and salty hoisin sauce perfectly coats all the veggies. One of my favourite things about this recipe is how beautiful and soft aubergines go when baked and how crisp the green beans stay. It’s one of those rare hassle-free dinners that satisfies on both texture and taste!
Many easy vegan dinners can be light on flavour. By using a few little hacks, you can make sure this nourishing tray bake recipe absolutely packs a punch.
One of the main ways we’ve done this is by building the recipe around one powerful ingredient, hoisin sauce, as the base of the tray bake marinade. Using the flavoursome hoisin as a base means we only need to add a few extra ingredients, saving tonnes of time in prep. All the lovely flavours and textures of the veggies and tofu are elevated by the sweet and salty hoisin. We’ve also kept it simple with what goes into the tray bake; sticking to aubergine (one of our favourite vegetables), tofu, green beans, and spring onions. We designed this meal so that nothing on that list requires fiddly peeling or picky preparation. Admittedly, we did take a few moments to top and tail our own green beans but if you want to make life even easier, simply buy pre-cut or sliced green beans.
This easy vegan tray bake recipe is full of nutritious protein thanks to tofu and lovely green veggies.
After a long and tiring day, when you least feel like cooking, it’s key to make sure your food is nourishing. Although something like a takeaway vegan pizza is always deliciously satisfying, it often makes me feel slower and more stodgy. Our tray bake recipe is brimming with fresh vegan protein-rich veggies. As an extra bonus, this meal is also 100% oil-free!
This recipe is also perfect for meal prep.
If that’s your style, you can cut up all the veggies and tofu and cover them in the hoisin flavouring, seal it away in a container and cook it up later in the week when it suits you best. During its time in the fridge, all the lovely flavours from the hoisin marinade will permeate into the tofu and aubergine. If you decide to prep this a few days in advance, when you cook it, add a splash more water into the tray to replace what’s been soaked up to ensure nothing sticks. It’s also equally delicious eaten cold as it is hot. Once you’ve cooked it, you could keep the leftovers safe in the fridge to eat as a cold salad or as a BBQ side dish.
We’re definitely not experts on Chinese cuisine; we simply love many of the classic Chinese flavours which have inspired this easy vegan recipe. If you’re looking for someone with more authentic knowledge of Chinese cooking and veganism, take a look at Mary’s Test Kitchen. She’s a Chinese Canadian vegan recipe developer with tonnes of incredible looking recipes on her website.
Our Hoisin Aubergine Tray bake recipe is:
- Simple and delicious
- Packed full of vegan protein
- 100% oil-free, vegan & dairy-free
- Salty and sweet
- Ready in only 35 minutes
If you liked this recipe, why not check out:
- Sweet & Sticky Fried Cauliflower Rice Bowl – Easy Vegan Recipe
- Healthy Vegan Chopped Asian Salad With Gochujang Tofu
- Sticky Pulled Oyster Mushroom Vegan Bao Recipe
Aubergine & Tofu Hoisin Tray Bake
Ingredients
For the tray bake
- 1 aubergine cut into large cubes
- 100 g green beans trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 4 spring onions cut into 3-inch pieces
- 1 280 g block of firm tofu cut into bite-sized cubes
For the hoisin sauce
- 4 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp agave syrup
- 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- season to taste
For serving
- Rice
- Pink pickled ginger
- Spring onion
- Sesame seeds
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
- Add the chopped aubergine, green beans, spring onion and tofu to a large mixing bowl.
- In a small bowl, stir together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, white wine vinegar, water and pepper.
- Add the veggies and tofu to a large roasting tray, then drizzle the hoisin sauce all over. Toss, then place in the oven to cook for 30 minutes,
- Serve with rice, and top with sesame seeds, fresh spring onion and pink pickled ginger.