This simple vegan eggplant recipe with chickpeas and tomatoes is all the comfort! And you'll love the Greek flavors thanks to a little extra virgin olive oil and a combination of warm spices including oregano, paprika, and a pinch of cinnamon.
Eggplant is one versatile ingredient you can use in many delicious and satisfying ways.
Roasted. Fried. Stuffed. In hearty dinners like eggplant rollatini, eggplant parmesan or moussaka. You can even make eggplant fries. Yes, I said fries!
You can also turn an eggplant into one wholesome stew like in today's vegan eggplant recipe with chickpeas and tomatoes.
I've been making a lot of simple vegan recipes from pantry staples lately, and this eggplant recipe totally fits the bill--easy, comforting, and it takes one pot.
Why this recipe works? The quick braising process cooks the eggplant to tender perfection, it seriously melts in your mouth. Plus, you'll love the Greek vibes thanks to a little extra virgin olive oil and earthy, warm flavors including oregano, paprika, and pinch of cinnamon.
A few important eggplant tips before we get to this tasty recipe.
Tips for buying and preparing eggplant
Some are intimidated by eggplant's spongy texture. And many worry about the likelihood that their eggplant dish will taste bitter. Regardless of what eggplant recipes you try, a few tips are helpful to follow before you start:
- Choose eggplants with smooth, shiny skin that are uniform in color. If the eggplant skin looks shriveled or somewhat discolored, do not buy it.
- Choose eggplants that are smaller and feel heavy for their size. Smaller eggplants tend to be less bitter and they have thinner skin and less seeds.
- Test your eggplant for ripeness before buying. Lightly press a finger against the skin and if it leaves an imprint, the eggplant is ripe.
- Salt your eggplant before cooking. I've talked about this before. Salt the cut eggplant and let it "sweat" for a few minutes (or an hour, if you have the time) before cooking. Some don't think this step is necessary, but it can help in a couple of different ways: salting will draw out moister and help break down the spongy texture of eggplant. It can also rid the eggplant of some of it's bitterness.
Ingredients for this Eggplant Stew
This recipe takes three humble ingredients--eggplant, chickpeas, and canned tomatoes--paired with a few spices and some extra virgin olive oil. Here's what you'll need:
- Eggplant- about 1 ½ pounds of globe eggplant (that's 1 large eggplant or 2 smaller ones)
- Yellow onion, green pepper, carrot, and garlic- these chopped veggies are sauteed with the spices in extra virgin olive oil to form the flavorful base for this recipe
- Spices and such- dry bay leaf, dry oregano, sweet paprika (or smoked paprika if you prefer), coriander, cinnamon, hint of turmeric, and black pepper. This combination of earthy and warm spices is really what makes this dish so comforting. If you don't have all the spices, don't let that deter you from making this easy dish. You can omit some of the spices and do more of the ones you have. (You can find all-natural and organic spices at our online shop).
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil- I used Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil to cook this vegan stew. And if you want the full Greek effect, drizzle some of this tasty EVOO to finish this comforting dish. (You can learn about this olive oil at our online shop here).
- Chopped Canned Tomatoes- one large can of chopped or diced tomatoes with their juices brings this stew together and provides sweetness and beautiful umami
- Chickpeas- canned chickpeas are a great option here. They're ready to use, no need to soak overnight.
- Fresh Parsley (optional)- If you have it, a little fresh parsley or mint is a great garnish to add to this dish. Totally optional.
Greek-style eggplant recipe: step-by-step
Step 1: Salt eggplant
Cut up the eggplant into cubes or large bite-size pieces. Sprinkle with some kosher salt and leave in a large colander in your sink or over a bowl. Let it sweat for 20 to 30 minutes or up to 1 hour, then rinse and pat dry.
Step 2: Sautee chopped onions, veggies, and spices
Warm up some extra virgin olive oil and add onions, peppers and carrots. Toss around for a few minutes, then stir in garlic, bay leaf and spices (paprika, coriander, paprika, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, and black pepper). Cook just briefly till fragrant.
This is this is where all the flavor in this recipe comes from.
Step 3: Add chopped tomatoes, eggplant, and chickpeas and bring to a boil
Now, pour in the chopped tomatoes, chickpeas (and chickpea liquid or water), and eggplant. Bring this party to a boil for a good 10 minutes (this is the start of the braising process).
Step 4: Transfer to oven
Now to finish cooking, cover the eggplant stew and transfer it to a 400 degree heated oven. Let it cook to tender perfection for another 45 minutes or so. Tip: be sure to check on the eggplant stew part-way through cooking, adding a little liquid if you feel it needs it.
Step 4: Serve
When ready, fish the eggplant stew with a generous drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil (I used Private Reserve Greek EVOO). Add a garnish of fresh parsley, if you like.
Transfer to serving bowl over my 15-minute couscous or just a side of warm pita bread. A dollop of Greek yogurt or even Tzatziki sauce and some olives make a great addition here. And, to keep with the Greek theme, you can start with a traditional Greek salad.
Storage and freezer instructions
This eggplant stew is even better the next day, once the flavors had a chance to meld! So by all means, make it ahead and save it in the fridge. It will keep for 3 to 4 days.
You can also transfer leftovers to freezer-safe containers and freeze for later. Be sure the eggplant stew is fully cooled before you store it away.
Watch the video for how to make eggplant recipe
Check out our collections of Greek Recipes and Mediterranean diet recipes. You may also like 17 chickpea recipes that aren't hummus.
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Easy Greek-Style Eggplant Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 55 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: Serves up to 6 people
- Diet: Vegan
Description
All-star eggplant recipe, prepared Greek style! Eggplants cooked to velvety tender perfection with chickpeas and tomato. A perfectly satisfying meatless dinner or side dish. Low-Fat. Vegan. Gluten Free.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb eggplant, cut into cubes
- Kosher salt
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I used Private Reserve Greek EVOO)
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, stem and innards removed, diced
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 6 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 dry bay leaves
- 1 to 1 ½ tsp sweet paprika OR smoked paprika
- 1 tsp organic ground coriander
- 1 tsp dry oregano
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp organic ground turmeric
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 28-oz can chopped tomato
- 2 15-oz cans chickpeas, reserve the canning liquid
- Fresh herbs such as parsley and mint for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place eggplant cubes in a colander over a large bowl or directly over your sink, and sprinkle with salt. Set aside for 20 minutes or so to allow eggplant to "sweat out" any bitterness. Rinse with water and pat dry.
- In a large braiser, heat ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil over medium-high until shimmering but not smoking. Add onions, peppers, and chopped carrot. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly, then add garlic, bay leaf, spices, and a dash of salt. Cook another minute, stirring until fragrant.
- Now add eggplant, chopped tomato, chickpeas, and reserved chickpea liquid. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a rolling boil for 10 minutes or so. Stir often. Remove from stove top, cover and transfer to oven.
- Cook in oven for 45 minutes until eggplant is fully cooked through to very tender. (While eggplant is braising, be sure to check once or twice to see if more liquid is needed. If so, remove from oven briefly and stir in about ½ cup of water at a time.)
- When eggplant is ready, remove from oven and add a generous drizzle of Private Reserve EVOO, garnish with fresh herbs (parsley or mint). Serve hot or at room temperature with a side of Greek yogurt or even Tzatziki sauce and pita bread.
Notes
-
- Slow-cooker instructions: you can prepare the recipe up to step #3 as written. Then transfer ingredients to your slow cooker. Add 1 cup water and the remaining ingredients from step 4. Cook on low for 4 hours or until eggplant is very tender.
- Visit our Online Shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including extra virgin olive oils and all-natural and organic spices used in this recipe.
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stewed
- Cuisine: Greek
Keywords: Eggplant Recipe, Vegan Eggplant Recipe, Eggplant Stew, Braised Eggplant
*This post first appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in 2018 and has recently been updated with new information and media for readers' benefit. Enjoy!
Really good!!! Would highly recommend it. Wish I added a little curry powder
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Just tried this recipe last night. It was excellent!! Followed the recipe exactly except used 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes instead of chopped. I also only had to bake 25 minutes instead of 45 in the oven. The flavor was so good and the consistency was perfect. It was very thick due to using the crushed tomatoes which I really liked. I also only had to use liquid from one can of chick peas instead of both cans. I am so excited to make this again. Didn’t serve with anything it was perfect on its own!!
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Thanks for sharing, Kathleen!
I tried this recipe this morning. Turned out to be amazing. It even gets better as it sits. Thank you so much for sharing ❤.
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My pleasure, Marianne! So glad you enjoyed it!
Has anyone tried to make this only on the stove top (as in without putting it in the oven)? I don't have a large enough oven proof dish at the moment and I was hoping to make it work without?
Hi, Annita! If you prefer to cook the stew on the stovetop the entire time, that will be fine. Still watch the liquid amount adding more if needed until the eggplant is fully cooked to tender.
What about using fresh basil leaves in it/on it?
I've never added basil to this one, so it's hard for me to say. If you do, please stop by and let us know what you think!!
Hey delicious recipe. How much evoo to add while cooking and later for drizzling please? How much evoo does the nutrition panel consider?
Hello! The recipe calls for 1/4 cup olive oil in step 3. This is the amount included in the nutrition panel. The drizzle is optional and to taste. Hope you enjoyed it!
Mine turned out flavorless and mushy! 🙁
I followed all the directions.
It seemed almost over cooked after the 10 minutes of boiling. Maybe the extra 45 minutes wasn’t necessary? Could it have destroyed the flavor of the spices?
I ended up adding 1 total cup of water. Maybe I shouldn’t have done that!
Same here re flavour but I think it is just a preference. The amount of spices compared to the amount of vegetables called for is very very small. The basic combination here is good, but if you enjoy stronger flavours this one is not for you. I ended up tripling the spices and adding a considerable amount of other things after the initial tasting and cooking because I simply found the flavours too mild for my preference.
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Can we use fresh tomatoes instead of canned? And home cooked chickpeas instead of canned?
Sure! Both would work here!
I did both! I made it with two containers of organic grape tomatoes which I roasted first. I've done that as a substitute for canned tomatoes before and it works out great! It's not quite as liquid but I deglaze the roasting pan with a little bit of water or wine or beer or whatever I have on hand. Not too much, just think about how much liquid there would be in a can of tomatoes and make it about equivalent. Worked out great!
I also used chickpeas I cooked from dried because I think the canned ones are icky
and the dried ones have a lot more flavor. It doesn't take that long if you don't like them mushy and you don't need to soak them overnight. If you insist on doing something like that, you can put them in a pan of water, bring them to a boil, and let them boil for 2 minutes, then take them off the heat and let them stand covered for an hour before cooking them. That shortens the cooking time as much as cooking soaking them overnight does, if not more. But it really only takes a little longer to cook them straight from the bag, especially given the extra 45 minutes they have in the oven with this recipe. I don't like beans mushy, I prefer them kind of al dente if you will, so you may need to cook them longer. I I roasted the grape tomatoes and cooked the chickpeas while I was prepping the other ingredients and starting to cook them.
I missed the step about boiling it for 10 minutes until I already had it in the oven, and it worked out fine. I don't think I'd want to cook it that much longer.
Toward the end of cooking, I added about a teaspoon of dried cilantro and about half the contents of a packet of peppermint tea (probably also about a teaspoon) because I didn't have any fresh mint or cilantro. I also substituted whole coriander for ground because I didn't have any ground and I didn't feel like taking the time to grind it. I put that in the pan first, even before the olive oil, as is often done in Indian cooking, and cooked it until I started to smell the spice.
I garnished it with some celery leaves that I tore up and some crumbled Mexican cotija cheese which is not that far from feta. It's delicious! I might bump up the spices a little next time, but otherwise it was great.
★★★★★
Thanks for sharing, Beth!!
This was amazing! Making it again this weekend. Hubby and mom loved it too!
★★★★★
Yay! I'm so glad to hear that!
Made this for the first time the other day and filled soft tortilla boats with it topped with a little cheese and some tzatziki sauce ......amazing, thank you so much for sharing this recipe, trying to get the teenagers to eat a little less meat and a little more healthy, my daughter told me this was the best meal we had had in a while, it's tough to please a 17 yr old so that really is a compliment!!
★★★★★
That's a fun idea!!! Thanks for sharing!!
Gorgeous - even better the next day 😉 we had with couscous and a naughty side of halloumi...
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed it, Amanda!
A nice simple dish with good ‘bones’ - a nice mix of herbs and spices.
It’s in the oven and I know we are going to love it just from how the house smells 😋
I have developed a bit of an obsession with eggplant, after many years of seeing it as a ‘difficult’ vegetable for some reason. Recipes like this just make me love it even more!
★★★★★
I want to make this soon! Is it OK to use fresh bay leaves? I have a plant!
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Sure!
Can I substitute crushed tomatoes for chopped tomatoes?
Sure, Emily. That would work in a pinch. The consistency will be a little different, but still yummy!
Making this for the 3rd time in a few months today, it is so yummy and freezes well, even my meat lover hubby loves it!
★★★★★
Awesome! Thanks, Brigitte!
I just made this for the first time and it's amazing. And something I can share with my vegan friends. Or anyone, really. It suits my gluten-free diet, too.
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Thanks, Maria!
Loved it kids loved it first time making it! This is something i can see myself making it again.
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That's great to hear! Thanks, Sasha!
Hi, my husband picked this recipe to try out. We have enjoyed many of your chicken dishes and so I picked up an eggplant to do another fun food night.
It was easy to prepare and is in the crock pot now. It doesn't smell like much but I am sure it will be good as the other three recipes of yours we tried were very tasty.
Thanks for the recipes and also for making videos to watch along with them. A nice touch.
Thank you! I hope you guys enjoyed the Eggplant!!
We love egg plant, love Greek food and with Covid pandemic, we were looking to try some new recipes to cook at home. Yesterday, I cooked this "Easy Greek Style Eggplant Recipe" for my family. I was missing the bay leaves and the tumeric, so I did what Suzy said - if you are missing a few spices, continue by adding some additional of the other spices. I added a bit more oregano, paprika and cinnamon. The dish came out delicious!!!! My family of all men (husband and two teenage boys) loved it and gobbled it up. It was easy to make, delicious and most all very healthy. My husband and I are on Weight Watchers and this is a great dish with minimal points. Thanks, Suzy for a great recipe.
★★★★★
Thank you so much for sharing, Paula! I'm glad to hear this was a hit with the whole family!!
Just put this in crockpot 2 hrs so far! Smells delicious! Added from the start 1 lb ground lamb ground and crumbled feta ... very good so far! Lol
Thanks for sharing your additions, Christine! Sounds delish!