This abundant selection of vegan eggplant recipes proves how beloved this vegetable is in cuisines around the world. Whether you call it eggplant or aubergine, you’ll find plant-based versions of favorite dishes — eggplant Parmesan, moussaka, delectable stews, curries, appetizers, grilled dishes, and lots more.
Eggplant may not be a powerhouse vegetable (like greens, for example) but it’s super versatile, soaking up all the flavors of the ingredients it’s prepared with. It adds wonderful texture and flavor to hot and cold dishes.
Thanks to the talented bloggers who participated in this roundup of vegan eggplant recipes from around the globe for permission to use their photos and links to recipes.
Eggplant Dips, appetizers, & such
Baba Ghanoush (aka Baba Ghanouj): An eggplant lover’s delight, baba ghanoush (alternately spelled baba ghanouj), a classic Middle Eastern dip, is delicious scooped up on wedges of pita or other flatbread.
Zaalouk (Middle Eastern Eggplant and Tomato Spread): A flavorful spread with made with roasted eggplant, the addition of tomatoes and spices sets zaalouk apart from its cousin, baba ghanoush. This recipe is inspired by the Moroccan variation.
Mutabbal (Middle Eastern Eggplant Dip): From The Food Blog, mutabbal is a smoky, creamy, and flavorful Middle Eastern eggplant dip variation that’s easy to make. It’s a delicious dip for pita or veggies.
Roasted Eggplant and Almond Butter Spread: Like baba ghanouj with a little something extra, this roasted eggplant and almond butter spread is richly flavored and has a generous dose of parsley.
Roasted Eggplant Caponata: Roasted eggplant caponata is a delightful take on the classic Italian appetizer, making it easy to enjoy year round. Scented with fresh basil, parsley, and oregano, it’s best made with summer’s flavorful tomatoes and enjoyed on bruschetta or fresh bread.
Roasted Eggplant Dip (Salate de Vinete): From Cooking with Mamma C, this roasted eggplant dip, or salate de vinete, has the best, smoky flavor! You have to try this vegan appetizer from Romania.
Baked Eggplant Fries with Basil Dipping Sauce: From Dizzy, Busy, and Hungry, here’s how to make easy eggplant fries in the oven for a fantastic family-friendly snack.
Miso Eggplant (Nasu Dengaku): Lisa’s Project Vegan contributed this recipe for Miso eggplant (nasu dengaku), a popular Japanese dish. It’s an appetizer on the menu at Japanese restaurants everywhere, and is easy to make at home. It makes a delicious first course.
Georgian Eggplant Rolls (Badrijani Nigzvit): From No Frills Kitchen, these eggplant rolls stuffed with a savory walnut paste are a staple on tables in the country of Georgia. Simple to make, they’re sure to quickly become a favorite appetizer.
Eggplant Bacon (Soy-Free and Vegan): From Vegan Blueberry, if you love all kinds of vegan bacon alternatives, then you have to try this eggplant bacon! It’s loaded with savory smoky bacon flavor and has just a few ingredients. A great plant-based, gluten-free, soy-free, and tofu-free bacon alternative.
Baked Eggplant dishes
Lighter Eggplant Parmesan: From My Pure Plants, this is a light vegan eggplant Parmesan recipe with a hearty pomodoro sauce and a rich and creamy white bean sauce in the role of melted vegan mozzarella. It is lighter and quicker to make since there are no breadcrumbs just delicious roasted eggplant slices.
Vegan Moussaka: From The Veg Space, this vegan moussaka is every bit as good as the “real” thing — a rich lentil and red wine ragu, layered with roasted eggplant and topped with sliced potato and a creamy vegan béchamel.
Vegan Eggplant Rollatini (potato and cashew ricotta): From Rachel Harltley Nutrition a vegan eggplant rollatini that’s a fun and delicious twist on the classic Italian involtini dish. Made by broiling strips of eggplant and filling it with a creamy potato and cashew ricotta, it’s topped off with spicy, caper-flecked tomato sauce.
Vegan Eggplant Rollatini (grilled; tofu and vegan yogurt ricotta): From Vegan Huggs, another version of eggplant rollatini. It’s light, yet satisfying and it’s brimming with smoky flavor. Plus, it’s easy to make and requires simple, budget-friendly ingredients.
Moroccan Quinoa-Stuffed Eggplant: From Nutriciouly, easy quinoa-stuffed eggplant features a flavorful vegetable filling. They’re baked to perfection before being served with a 3-ingredient lemony vegan yogurt sauce. Great for meal prep or family dinner.
Roasted Eggplant: From The Forked Spoon, a flavorful roast highlighting eggplant that’s an all-time favorite low-carb side dish. So easy to make, roasting eggplant results in perfectly tender, caramelized bite-size pieces perfect for dipping or tossing into pastas and salads.
Roasted Asian Eggplant with Gochujang Glaze: From The Devil Wears Salad, roasted eggplant with an Asian twist. This is a luscious vegan side dish full of spicy-sweet flavor.
Eggplant Matzo Mina: Many variations of this type of matzo casserole, known as a mina, are specialties of Sephardic Jews of various cultures. This one will remind you of lasagna, and it can serve as a festive main dish for a vegan Passover seder.
Eggplant Pasta dishes
Vegan Pasta and Eggplant Casserole: A basic baked vegan pasta and eggplant casserole, this is the epitome of comfort food. You might think of it as a vegan baked ziti with something extra!
Casarecce Pasta Caponata: From The Pasta Project, caponata is a traditional vegetarian/vegan Sicilian dish made with Mediterranean veggies such as eggplant, tomatoes, olives and capers. It’s great on its own or served with pasta either warm or as a pasta salad, as shown here.
Eggplant and Mushroom Rigatoni: From Thyme and Love, even omnivores will enjoy this hearty pasta recipe. The sauce is flavorful and packed with veggies.
Pasta alla Norma: Pasta alla Norma is one of those great classic Italian dishes that’s simple to make and hugely satisfying to eat. Flavored with plenty of eggplant, onion, and garlic, it’s on the table pretty quickly, too.
Balsamic-Roasted Ratatouille: The vegetables that go into the classic French stew are transformed into a versatile balsamic roasted ratatouille that can be enjoyed in a number of ways, including tossed with pasta, warm or at room temperature.
Eggplant Stir-Fries
Spicy Eggplant and Tofu in Garlic Sauce is a tasty variation on a well-loved dish in western Chinese restaurants. This interpretation doesn’t aim to be authentic so much as easy and flavorful.
Asian-Style Spicy and Garlicky Eggplant Stir-Fry: This yummy stir-fry is inspired by a favorite Chinese restaurant dish, at least, the kind that’s on North American menus. Sometimes called eggplant with garlic sauce, it’s an easy recipe to re-create at home.
Spicy Stir-Fried Eggplant and Peppers: Another recipe inspired by the spicy and garlicky stir-fried eggplant dish you may have enjoyed at Chinese eateries. It’s so easy to make at home!
Korean-Inspired Spicy Eggplant: An easy Asian-style spicy eggplant dish, this uses prepared Korean BBQ sauce or Bulgogi sauce for major flavor impact. This easy and luscious eggplant recipe is an amalgam of inspiration from two Korean classics, gaji bokkeum and gochujang eggplant.
Flavorful Thai Vegetable Stir-Fry: From Nutriciously, this 20-minute stir-fry features crispy veggies like eggplant and broccoli, plus marinated tofu in a flavorful homemade stir-fry sauce. Try this customizable and quick weeknight dinner for the whole family.
Stir-Fry Veggies with Black Bean Sauce: From The Kitchen Girl, a stir-fry featuring eggplant and other veggies sautéed and simmered in Chinese black bean sauce. The sweet, spicy, and savory flavors will make you want to eat ALL your vegetables!
Dan Dan Eggplant “Noodles”: From Rachael Hartley Nutrition, eggplant “noodles” are a fun new way to enjoy eggplant! Made with strips of eggplant sautéed in a spicy peanut sauce with tempeh “meat.”
Eggplant Curries
Roasted Eggplant Curry with Mustard Greens or Spinach: This smoky, mildly spiced roasted eggplant curry is somewhat inspired by a classic Indian dish called Baingan Bharata. And while it’s delicious and easy, I’m not going to claim that this is an authentic recipe. The twist here is the addition of mustard greens or spinach, both well-loved greens in Indian cuisine.
Chickpea and Eggplant Curry: An easy and warming chickpea and eggplant curry, this stew is a great choice for weeknight meals, most any time of year. This delectable stew is a Westernized mash-up of two Indian favorites, chana masala, a dish that highlights chickpeas, and baingan bharata, which features eggplant.
Grandma’s Gujarati Style Eggplant and Potato Curry: From Indiaphile, who says, “My grandma’s eggplant and potato curry (or ringan batata nu shaak, as we call it in Gujarati) was a staple in my home as I was grew up. I especially love it because it’s super easy and has a lot of flavor.”
Eggplant Brinjal Bhaji: From The Veg Space, a quick and easy brinjal bhaji (eggplant bhaji), perfect served as a main dish or vegetable side alongside curries, rice, and breads.
One-Pot Eggplant Tikka Masala: From The Fiery Vegetarian, garbanzo beans (chickpeas) and eggplant come together in this simple vegan recipe that’s ready in under half an hour.
Eggplant Soups and Stews
Turkish Eggplant Stew with Fresh Tomatoes: Here’s an eggplant stew for a late summer/early fall featuring the season’s ripe, juicy tomatoes. It starts with oven-roasting the eggplants, which deepens their flavor.
Groundnut Stew: From Dianne’s Vegan Kitchen, this hearty stew is packed with eggplant, sweet potato, and okra, and finished with creamy peanut butter. It will keep you warm and cozy on cold winter days.
Armenian Lentil Stew with Eggplant & Golden Raisins: From The Good Hearted Woman, a thick, rich medley of eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, onions, golden raisins, and lentils, all flavored with a savory-sweet blend of traditional herbs and spices. It’s wonderful served alone or over rice or bulgur.
Eggplant in Tomato Sauce: From Where is My Spoon, a dish of incredibly aromatic eggplant in tomato sauce. A vegan stew that you’ll make over and over again, melt-in-your-mouth eggplant slices are stewed in a full-flavored tomato sauce.
Eggplant & Chickpea Stew (Weight Watchers): From Pointed Kitchen, a tasty vegan stew made with eggplant and chickpeas, drizzled with a flavorsome tahini sauce. Suitable for anyone following the Weight Watchers plan.
Lebanese Moussaka: From The Salt and Sweet comes another type of simple eggplant and chickpea stew, infused with Middle Eastern flavors. This flavorful Lebanese Moussaka is vegan, easy to make, gluten free, and perfect for the whole family!
Indonesian-Inspired Sambal Eggplant (Sambal Terong Balado): From My Plentiful Cooking, this Indonesian inspired sambal eggplant is spicy, savory, and incredibly flavorful. A simple vegetable side dish that is easy to prepare!
Eggplant on the grill
Grilled Eggplant Sandwiches: From Dianne’s Vegan Kitchen, grilled eggplant sandwiches are sure to be a summertime favorite. They’re super easy to make, and perfect for lunch or dinner.
Grilled Mushroom Eggplant Sandwiches: From Plant Based Cooking, these sandwiches, roasted on the grill or in the oven are a breeze to pull together with whole grain bread, a little mayo, a slice of avocado, and topped with fresh basil.
Sweet and Tangy Grilled Eggplant: From Two Cooks in the Kitchen, eggplant lovers will rave about this grilled recipe with a sweet and tangy glaze. The beautiful bold colors make this an impressive side dish for any BBQ or picnic.
Escalivada (Spanish-style grilled vegetables): From In the Kitch, Escalivada is a traditional Spanish dish of grilled vegetables, including eggplant. It’s served drizzled with a delicious, zesty balsamic dressing.
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