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This eggplant stew features melty and juicy chunks of eggplant cooked in a sweet and salty sauce. It is infused with garlic, shallots, green onions, and soy sauce for plenty of umami goodness! This hearty meal is ideal for cold evenings and pairs perfectly with a serving of fluffy white rice.
This recipe is inspired by our braised Chinese eggplant but made easier! First, there is no need to use a specific kind of eggplant. Second, no deep-frying is needed. It’s one of our favorite eggplant dishes!
⭐️ Why You Should Try It
- A hearty and comforting dish. This dish consists of slightly charred eggplants that become tender and melty as they soak up the wonderful flavors of the broth. It’s warming, filling, and so comforting!
- One pot and simple ingredients. You will need 8 simple and affordable ingredients and one pot (or a clay pot) to make this stew. It is perfect for a weeknight dinner as it can be prepared in just under an hour.
- A balance of sweet and salty flavors. The star of this recipe is undoubtedly the broth, that packs sweet, salty, garlicky flavors that will surely make you crave more. Plus, because this dish is on the sweet side, kids love it!
🍆 Ingredient Notes
Here is what you will need to make this stew:
- Eggplants – Any variety of eggplant will work. It’s best to choose ones with thin and tender skin, as some eggplants with thicker skin will be hard to chew and bitter.
- Garlic and shallots – For a pungent aroma. Use fresh garlic and shallots.
- Green onions – Optional. Omit if you don’t have it on hand.
- Soy sauce – For saltiness and umami. Feel free to use coconut aminos to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Sugar – Granulated white sugar, coconut sugar, or even maple syrup. All work great.
- Black pepper – For spiciness and earthiness.
🥣 How to Make It
Prepare the eggplants
- Slice the eggplants. Start by washing the eggplants and patting them dry. Next, cut the eggplants into 3 pieces crosswise. Cut each piece lengthwise into 6 matchsticks.
- Coat with oil. Transfer the sliced eggplant to a mixing bowl and toss with oil and a pinch of salt.
Cook the eggplants
The next step consists of roasting the sliced eggplants. This step will allow the eggplants to soften and get a subtle charred flavor. To do so, you have two options:
- In the oven: Arrange the sliced eggplants on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 25 minutes in a 350°F (175°C) oven, stirring once halfway through baking.
- In the air fryer: Transfer the sliced eggplants to the air fryer basket and air-fry for 8-10 minutes in a 365°F (185°C) preheated air fryer. Shake the air fryer basket once halfway through air frying.
Make the stew
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a clay pot or regular pot. Once hot, add the minced shallots, garlic, and green onions. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Add the eggplants. Next, add the roasted eggplants to the pot.
- Pour in the remaining ingredients. Pour in the water and the soy sauce. Add the sugar and ground black pepper.
- Cover and let simmer. Cover the pot with a lid and let it simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking. The eggplants will soak up the sauce and become super melty!
📔 Tips
- Use a different variety of eggplants. This recipe works well with Chinese and Japanese eggplants as well!
- Prepare it one day ahead. While this stew tastes delicious on day one, it tastes even better the next day as the eggplants soak up the flavors of the sauce. We usually prepare this dish one day before serving.
- Double the recipe. This recipe yields about two servings. I highly recommend doubling it so you can have leftovers.
🍄 Variations
Looking for ways to customize this stew? Here are a few ideas:
- Make it spicy: Thinly slice half of a Bird’s eye chili and stir-fry it with the shallots and garlic.
- Add mushrooms: Feel free to add 4-5 mushrooms to this stew. Whether sliced or quartered, add them into the mix simultaneously with the eggplants.
- Infuse it with five-spice: Add 1/4 teaspoon of five-spice powder for a Chinese-inspired dish!
🍚 What to Serve It With
We love to serve this eggplant stew with white rice, but you can also serve it with pasta, quinoa, brown rice, or even baguette. For extra protein, feel free to serve it with sautéed tofu, vegan chicken, or tempeh!
❄️ Storing and Reheating
- To store: You can keep this eggplant stew in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To freeze: Let the stew cool completely and transfer to a freezer-safe container. It will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- To reheat: Reheat over medium heat on the stove for 5-8 minutes or until it simmers.
💬 FAQ
Absolutely not! You can cook this stew in a small pot or Dutch oven.
Yes, it’s not a problem. Ensure your clay pot is completely cool before transferring it to the refrigerator. Remove the clay pot at least 1 hour before reheating gently on the stove.
You should cook the stew over medium heat for 10-15 minutes or over low heat for 25-30 minutes. Gently simmering will allow the flavors to merge and the eggplant to absorb the broth.
I hope you will love this irresistibly delicious eggplant stew! It’s a fantastic side dish that packs bold flavors and a balance of sweetness and saltiness. It’s our favorite eggplant dish!
⭐️ Did you like this recipe? Let us know in the comments below, and tag us on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Eggplant Stew
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 1 shallot minced
- 3 tbsp chopped green onions
- 2/3 cup water
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
Cook the eggplants
- Slice the eggplants. Start by washing the eggplants and patting them dry. Next, cut the eggplants into 3 pieces crosswise. Cut each piece lengthwise into 6 matchsticks.
- Coat with oil. Transfer the sliced eggplant to a mixing bowl and toss with oil and a pinch of salt.
- The next step consists of roasting the sliced eggplants. This step will allow the eggplants to soften and get a subtle charred flavor. To do so, you have two options:In the oven: Arrange the sliced eggplants on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 25 minutes in a
350 °F (175°C) oven, stirring once halfway through baking.In the air fryer: Transfer the sliced eggplants to the air fryer basket and air-fry for 8-10 minutes in a 365 °F (185°C) preheated air fryer. Shake the air fryer basket once halfway through air frying.
Make the stew
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a clay pot or regular pot. Once hot, add the minced shallots, garlic, and green onions. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Add the eggplants. Next, add the roasted eggplants to the pot.
- Pour in the remaining ingredients. Pour in the water and the soy sauce. Add the sugar and ground black pepper.
- Cover and let simmer. Cover the pot with a lid and let it simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking. The eggplants will soak up the sauce and become super melty!
- Serve with white rice, quinoa, or pasta. You can keep this eggplant stew in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Use a different variety of eggplants. This recipe works well with Chinese and Japanese eggplants as well!
- Prepare it one day ahead. While this stew tastes delicious on day one, it tastes even better the next day as the eggplants soak up the flavors of the sauce. We usually prepare this dish one day before serving.
- Double the recipe. This recipe yields about two servings. I highly recommend doubling it so you can have leftovers.
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
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This looks very yummy. Do you think you could use stevia or a sugar substitute for the sugar?
Although I guess it will work, I’m afraid any sugar substitute will alter the flavor.
Looks amazing. I’ll try it for my family. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Emy!
Thomas, this recipe was so easy and delicious – all the good umami flavours that my family love.
Busy person bonus: I baked the eggplant in the morning, then finished the recipe on getting home from work. The best ever 15-minute dinner.Thank you
I’m glad you liked this dish Sarah! Thanks for your rating 🙂
Do you think the addition of some fresh grated ginger would be good!?? Although I haven’t tried this yet, I gave you 5 stars because I can already tell this is a 5 star recipe!
That would definitely work! Ginger is a great addition to this dish.
Delicious, but far too sweet. I used 2 tbsps of Splenda instead of 3 of sugar and then had to add another 1/4 cup of soy sauce. I would add sugar to taste.
I am not familiar with Splenda so I do not know how it tastes compared to sugar.
One thing I know though, with 2 tbsp of sugar, this dish will not be too sweet (and I don’t have a sweet tooth). I’m afraid adding more soy sauce would make it way too salty though.