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Savor the best of summer with this Vegan Eggplant Stew—a cozy one-pot meal chock-full of fresh late-summer vegetables, like eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, and more! Vegan and Gluten-Free.
Say hello to the goodness of late summer produce in this Hearty Eggplant Stew! Pan-fried eggplant, summer squash, zucchini, tomatoes, and protein-rich chickpeas are simmered in a flavorful Italian-seasoned broth until everything has melded together. Serve each bowl with crusty bread on the side to soak up every last drop!
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The Ultimate Summer Stew
If you think stew is strictly a cold-weather meal, think again! Just one bowl of this hearty and wholesome Vegan Eggplant Stew will transition you from late summer into the cooler months of fall. Personally, I can’t resist curling up with a bowl the second the days start to feel shorter.
What makes this summer stew so special is not just the medley of fresh produce; it’s how they’re prepared that takes it from an ordinary stovetop stew to a restaurant-quality meal. By pan-frying the eggplant until it’s golden and taking lots of time to sauté the other veggies, the stew develops deep layers of savory flavor with an Italian-inspired twist. It’s unreal!
Ingredients for Eggplant Stew
Just like my other vegan stew recipes, you’ll need a variety of fresh vegetables and simple seasonings to make this late-summer version:
- Eggplant: while there are a ton of later summer veggies in this stew, the eggplant truly shines in every bite. It’s pan-fried with oil and salt before being stirred into the stew, which removes its natural bitter taste and takes it over the top. Use a medium-sized globe eggplant for this recipe; its meaty texture and mild flavor are perfect for stew, while other varieties, like Italian eggplant or fairy tale eggplant, are too sweet.
- Summer Vegetables: onion, zucchini, yellow squash, and cherry tomatoes make this a true vegetable stew. All of these veggies are plentiful towards the end of summer
- Chickpeas: AKA garbanzo beans. Canned chickpeas keep this stew quick and easy! Or, instead of chickpeas, use cannellini beans, butter beans, navy beans, Great Northern beans, kidney beans, or black beans instead.
- Aromatics & Seasonings: you need fresh garlic cloves, paprika, and Italian seasoning to flavor the stew.
- Vegetable Broth: use a good-quality, low-sodium store-bought vegetable broth or make the broth yourself using veggie scraps. If all you have is a full-sodium broth, simply reduce or omit the kosher salt as needed.
How to Make Vegan Eggplant Stew
- Add the diced eggplant and salt to an oiled heavy-bottomed pot and pan-fry over medium-high heat until translucent and browned. Transfer the pieces to a plate.
- Sauté the onion in the now-empty pot and scrape the bottom to loosen any browned bits. Add the tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, and a generous pinch of salt to the pot and stir to combine.
- Season the stewed vegetables with the garlic cloves, Italian seasoning, and paprika. Stir well and sauté until the garlic is fragrant.
- Pour the chickpeas and vegetable broth into the pot. Heat to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Afterward, stir in the eggplant.
- Serve the vegetable stew in bowls and top with the torn basil leaves. Enjoy!
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- How to shop for eggplant: When you’re grocery shopping, look for a small to medium-sized globe eggplant (smaller eggplants are typically more flavorful) with smooth and glossy skin and no brown blemishes. The stem should also look fresh and green, and the eggplant should feel heavy for its size. Avoid soft, mushy, or wrinkled eggplants at all costs!
- Don’t rush the sauté cook times: Taking the time to sauté the eggplant and vegetables in the hot oiled pan is essential to building a flavorful foundation. Do NOT rush this step; wait for the veggies to soften and turn golden or else the overall flavor profile will fall flat.
- Is the stew looking a little too thick? That’s okay! Just thin the consistency with a splash of vegetable broth or water while the vegetables are simmering.
Serving Suggestions
A bowl of eggplant stew is hearty enough to fill you up all on its own. I personally love fresh basil for a garnish on top, but you could replace it with fresh parsley or a dollop of this Vegan Pesto instead.
It would also be delicious paired with this Tomato Cucumber Basil Salad or this Quinoa & Arugula Salad for a garden-fresh summer meal. Whatever you do, just don’t skip the crusty bread on the side. You need it to soak up the flavorful Italian broth!
If you’re looking for more wholesome vegan soups and stews, you’ll also love this Cozy White Bean Stew, this Hearty Sweet Potato & Lentil Soup, and this Vegan Stew with Mushrooms!
Or, if you’re looking to use up the last of your summer produce, you’ll also have to try this Vegan Eggplant Lasagna, this Vegan Zucchini Bread, and this Sheet Pan Gnocchi and Tomatoes.
How to Store Vegetable Stew
The leftover stew will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge. Wait for the leftovers to cool to room temperature before transferring them to an airtight container.
I haven’t tried freezing this stew (it goes fast in our house!), but I’m sure it would freeze well for at least 2 to 3 months. Keep in mind that the eggplant and vegetables will continue to soften over time and may become soggy after thawing and reheating.
Quickly reheat any leftovers in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove until warmed through.
Substitutions and Variations
- Vegetable Add-Ins: Any good stew recipe is going to have lots of veggies and this recipe is no different. If you have more vegetables to use up, like carrots, corn, or bell peppers, go ahead and toss ‘em in.
- Italian Seasoning Substitute: No pre-made Italian seasoning at home? Make your own homemade Italian seasoning using a simple blend of dried basil, oregano, rosemary, parsley, and thyme.
- Make it Spicy: Add up to 1 teaspoon of chili powder, harissa paste, or red pepper flakes for a kick of heat.
Recipe FAQs
Eggplant is somewhat sweet and bitter-tasting. When cooked in an oiled pan with salt, that bitterness goes away so you’re left with meaty pieces of golden eggplant that melt in the stew – and your mouth!
Soaking the eggplant pieces for 30 minutes in non-dairy milk before cooking will take the bitter flavor away; however, I don’t find this step to be necessary with the pan-frying method.
The key to avoiding soggy eggplant is to dice it into 1/2″ pieces and pan-fry it for the full 5 to 6 minutes so it can develop a crust. Larger pieces won’t cook properly and will become soggy and unpleasantly chewy.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Eggplant Stew with Summer Vegetables
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
- 4 cups eggplant ½” dice about 1 medium
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 yellow onion diced
- 1 zucchini quartered and sliced thin
- 1 yellow squash quartered and sliced thin
- 16 ounces cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 15 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 3-5 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning salt-free
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons torn fresh basil for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Pan-Fry the Eggplant: Warm 3 tablespoons of oil in a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant and 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir immediately. Pan-fry for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is translucent and browned. Remove the eggplant from the pot and set aside on a plate.
- Veggies: Add the onion to the pot and sauté for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pot to remove any browned bits. Add the tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, and an additional generous pinch of salt. Mix well and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Aromatics: Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and paprika to the pot and stir well. Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.
- Simmer: Add the chickpeas and vegetable broth to the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the stew gets too thick for your liking you can thin it out with additional vegetable broth or water.
- Serve: Turn the heat to low and add the eggplant, stirring well. Once the eggplant has warmed, divide the stew between serving bowls and top with torn basil. Serve warm; leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
I just made this and it is so tasty! With some crusty bread on the side I am full and content. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!
So happy you enjoyed, Sri!
So yummy. Served with some sourdough and avocado and it was bliss ✨
I love ratatouille and this really hit the spot. It was delicious! I appreciate the Italian seasoning substitutions – I couldn’t find it at the store and it helped me figure out which spices would go well with the dish.
Glad you loved it, Sarah!
Second time I am making this everybody loves it we are going to add a small amount of noodles or rice this time and I didn’t have fresh tomatoes didn’t want to go to the store so I drained the juices off of diced tomatoes and added it. Thanks for the great recipe
Glad everyone enjoyed it, Debbie!