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.
More eggplant recipes:
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Easy Greek-Style Eggplant Recipe
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 teaspoon sweet paprika OR smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon organic ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon organic ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon 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.
Video
Notes
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- 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.
Nutrition
*This post first appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in 2018 and has recently been updated with new information and media for readers' benefit. Enjoy!
Hi, do you peel your eggplant first or leave the skin on?
Hi, Cheri. I typically leave the skin on for this one.
Leave the skin on, it is full of vitamins and minerals that are good for you. Just make sure to wash it first and to sprinkle with salt and let it sit for a few minutes (this will take away the bitterness).
This is delicious! I keep getting up to get more spoonfuls as I'm letting it cool. Great depth of flavor. Super healthy. I didn't have fresh herbs on hand so omitted, but will try it with them next time. Will absolutely be making this again!
Thanks so much, Amanda!
Recipe does not state amounts of onion, peppers, carrots, garlic, tomatoes. So pretty worthless.
Hello, Julie. All of the specific amounts are listed on the recipe card at the bottom of the post. You can find this quickly by clicking the "To Recipe" button at the very top of the post.
Hi! Maybe a silly question, but what type of dish are you using here to cook on the stove/oven? Is it the same one for both? Thanks!
Hi, Nicole. I typically use a large braiser/Dutch oven that that is oven safe, which allows me to use it both on the stove and then put it in the oven to finish.
Love this recipe - one of my go-to's. I usually leave the stew in the oven for way longer than the recipe suggests so that it thickens (2-3 hours at 400 F).
This recipe is delicious! I used one can of chick peas and one can of cannelloni beans, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Great flavor, perfect with a dollop of Greek yogurt. Definitely one to make again!
I would say the best recipe ever
Never thought of having aubergine like this. Comes out really nice . Thank you so much for sharing such a wonderful recipe x
Thank you, Nahid! So glad it was such a hit for you!
I made a substitutions of yellow bell pepper instead of green and put frozen cheese manicotti in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. It was phenomenal. Will definitely make again.
Thanks for sharing, Karen! So glad you enjoyed it!
The serving size, under Nutrition, was "a small bowl". Could you be more precise? Half cup, one cup, other?
Hi, Ann. The whole recipe can be divided by 6 to get the "serving size". The nutrition info here is our best effort and we use a program that calculates that for us based on the ingredient list. The exact serving size measurement is another layer that's harder for us to precisely calculate at this time.
Hi there I saw your question and I am a calorie counter so I needed to know that as well. I’m sure it varies based on evaporation of liquid, brands of ingredients etc., But my whole pot measured out just over 9 1/2 cups so that makes each serving roughly a cup and a half. I hope that helps some.
This was so hearty and warm, some additions I like is some cumin, chili flakes for spice, tomoto paste for a richer flavour, and some ginger. It reminds me of Indian chickpea curry.
Absolutely, delicious. It reminded me of a meal my mom would cook us as kids. The flavors were great and my kiddos ate it up! Thank you for a lovely recipe.
Hi Suzy, I have cooked a few recipes from your website and they have all been tasty, my husband greatly enjoys them. What would be a good substitute for the cinnamon in this dish? I have tried it with and without cinnamon but would appreciate your opinion on it. Thank you!
Thank you! If you don't like cinnamon, we only used 3/4 teaspoon here, so it would be simple enough to omit and maybe use a little bit more of the other spices in the dish--a hint more coriander, for example. You can maybe also use a dash of ground cloves or allspice, a different flavor profile, but it would work.
This is so good. I’ve made it twice now. Thank you for a great and easy recipe.
My pleasure, CeeCee! So glad you enjoyed it!
This was delish, initial concerned about spicing, but it was perfect. We served it with olive oil and tzatziki, Was wonderful. Thank you
Thanks, Jody!
Thank you so much. I loved this recipe. Your instructions are super easy to follow.
Thank you, Sally! So glad you enjoyed it!
hi! how would i incorporate sausage/meat into this?
Hi, Iris! I have not made this one with meat, but another reader has made it with pre-cooked, leftover beef with success. If you give it a try, please stop back and share any feedback.
You did not tell us what degrees to bake for 45 minutes in the oven?????
Hello! It's listed in step one on the recipe card: "Heat oven to 400 degrees F"