The Easiest Eggplant Stew Recipe (One Pot)

This one pot stew eggplant recipe is a delicious and easy vegetarian side dish. Made with simple ingredients and packed with flavor, this dish is inspired by an Italian eggplant recipe straight from Rome.

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Total Time50

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: eggplant stew, Italian stewed eggplant, stewed eggplant

Servings: servings

Calories: 152kcal

Author: Barbara

Ingredients

2 medium Eggplants Fresh
Salt
5-6 Tablespoons Olive Oil divided
1/4 cup Green Onions up to 1/2 cup
3 cloves Minced Garlic
28 ounces Diced San Marzano Tomatoes
1 teaspoon Paprika
1/8 teaspoon Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
1 Tablespoon Sugar
Black Pepper, to taste
2 slices Stale Bread

Instructions

Cut washed eggplant into 1-inch cubes. Leave the peel on.
Layer the cubed eggplant in a colander, sprinkle heavily with salt. Let sit for 15 - 30 minutes or until the moisture starts to come out of the eggplant, and the eggplant "sweats."
Take paper towels to pat the eggplant to absorb the extra moisture.
In a large skillet, heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the eggplant, and brown on all sides. If the skillet is too full, brown the eggplant in two batches. Add more oil before refilling the skillet. Remove eggplant.
In the same skillet, add additional 1 - 2 Tablespoons olive oil and allow it to warm up. Add diced onions, and heat until softened. Add minced garlic, and heat for 30 seconds or until it becomes fragrant. Do not burn the garlic.
Pour in the diced tomatoes, salt and pepper, dried oregano, paprika, chili powder, sugar and browned eggplant. Stir well.
Heat over medium heat, covered, stirring occasionally for approximately 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, place dried bread slices into a food processor and pulse (or put into a zip-lock bag, and crush with a rolling pin) until you get bread crumbs. Leave some of the crumbs in larger pieces for more texture.
Heat 1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the breadcrumbs, and stir until coated. Heat until golden brown but not burnt.
Before serving, stir in the browned bread crumbs. If desired, drizzle with good olive oil.

Notes

- I typically use an American eggplant (globe eggplant), but feel free to use whatever variety you have on hand.
- This is the perfect way to use old bread. If your bread isn't quite stale or dry yet, put it in a warm oven for a few minutes to dry it out.
- For an easy route, I drop the stale bread into my food processor to give a few pulses. If you don't have a food processor, place the bread into the zip lock bag, and crunch up with something heavy such as a rolling pin.
- Try these stewed tomatoes!
- The nutritional information is auto-calculated and can vary depending on the products used.

Nutrition