These vegan eggplant recipes make the most of this versatile vegetable. In these side and main dish recipes, we make eggplant on the grill, in the oven and on the stove. Eggplant absorbs other flavors easily, so any flavor combination you try will be delicious. Recipes like Grilled Eggplant Salad and Easy Eggplant Stir-Fry are healthy, filling and a great way to eat your vegetables.
Yatimcheh (Iranian Eggplant, Tomato & Potato Stew)
Yatimcheh is a comforting, economical and easy-to-prepare Iranian vegetarian stew of eggplant, tomatoes and potatoes. This dish can be prepared year-round but is particularly flavorful with sweet late-summer tomatoes and eggplant. Serve yatimcheh with flatbread, like lavash or sangak, or rice, with a side of fresh herbs such as parsley, mint, basil or green onions, and plain yogurt. Read more about the author’s connection to the recipe in Even Though We’re Miles Apart, My Mother Still Guides Me at My Stove.
Easy Eggplant Stir-Fry
This eggplant stir-fry is easy to make. We call for long and tender Japanese eggplant, but regular eggplant will work well too, cut into 1-inch pieces. Jalapeño peppers can vary from mild to very spicy. If you need to cut the heat, opt for small sweet peppers in their place. Source: EatingWell.com, May 2020
Grilled Eggplant Salad
This easy grilled eggplant salad is the healthy side dish you’ll want to serve all summer long. It comes together in just 25 minutes and can be served warm or at room temperature, so it’s equally suited to casual parties and weeknight dinners. The combination of eggplant, cherry tomatoes, red peppers, red onions and fresh herbs makes for a salad that’s full of bright flavors and colors. Serve it with grilled chicken or fish or as part of a vegetarian mezze platter with dips like hummus and pita bread. Source: EatingWell.com, May 2019
Vegan Eggplant Parmesan
Classic eggplant Parm is filled with cheese, but this vegan eggplant Parmesan combines nondairy mozzarella cheese with nutritional yeast for a dairy-free cheesy substitute that gives you the comfort food factor without animal products. For the breading, use egg replacer, which you can find in natural-foods stores and the special-diet section of large supermarkets. Source: EatingWell.com, July 2018
Baigan Chokha (Roasted Spiced Eggplant)
The term “chokha” in Hindi means “tempering” and largely refers to a collection of dishes that feature roasted vegetables that are mashed or pureed. In Trinidad, “chokha” has come to mean “mashed” and applies to a variety of recipes for vegetables that are roasted or scorched in hot oil or even braised, then mashed and eaten with roti or bake, the local fry bread.
Hearty Vegetable Stew
This rich and hearty vegan stew is packed with veggies. Earthy flavors come from eggplant and mushrooms, while bell pepper and green beans provide snap and sweetness.
Roasted Eggplant & Tomato Salad with Caramelized Lemon Dressing
When tomatoes and eggplant come into season, the team at Stone Acres Farm in Stonington, Connecticut, combines them in as many ways as possible. This salad is a celebration of these two vegetables. Caramelizing the lemon halves and squeezing their juice into the vinaigrette adds a level of depth you just wouldn’t get from straight-up lemon juice. Serve with grilled bread so you can enjoy every bit of the delicious dressing. Read more about Stone Acres Farm here.
Summer Grilled Vegetables
Colorful grilled summer vegetables are served with a light and refreshing sauce in this easy side dish that pairs perfectly with just about everything.
Eggplant with Sweet-Sour Onions & Pickled Cherries (Visneli Patlican Bayildi)
This layered dish features super-tender roasted eggplant and sweet sautéed onions spiked with tart and fruity pomegranate molasses. Serve with pita as part of a mezze course or as a side with a larger meal.
French Ratatouille
Ratatouille, a classic French dish with tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper and onion, is frequently cooked low and slow until it turns silky and luscious. We kept the classic flavor but gave it a makeover by thinly slicing the vegetables and layering them in a cast-iron pan. We brighten up the flavor at the end with a splash of red-wine vinegar.
Ratatouille with White Beans & Polenta
Tons of lightly cooked vegetables combine with white beans in this hearty vegetarian dinner recipe. It can also be served over bread, like bruschetta. Source: EatingWell Magazine, November/December 2016
