These easy vegan stewed eggplant tomato lentils are saucy, savory, and super versatile. You can dip warm wedges of pita into them, serve them over pasta or a grain, or use them as a bruschetta topping. This is a great starter recipe for those who enjoy eggplant, but aren’t accustomed to cooking it.

There’s a whole category of recipes that belong in multiple categories.

For example, I’ve made dips, like my creamy vegan tzatziki, that could also be served as sauces or dressings.

I have some basic vegan proteins, like my lemon marinated baked tofu slices, that could be a sandwich filling, a snack, a side dish, or a salad topper.

And then there’s a category I like to think of as “saucy bean and lentil dishes.” This category includes my brothy white beans, slow cooker black beans, red wine braised lentils, and slow cooker chipotle lentils. Basically, it comprises soupy or brothy cooked legumes that have tons of useful meal prep potential.

Saucy beans or lentils can be used for dunking bread, or in the case of today’s eggplant tomato lentils, pita wedges.

You can serve them over pasta or a cooked whole grain, like rice or farro. Or you might turn them into bruschetta that has a little plant-protein boost.

The stewed eggplant tomato lentils that I’m sharing in this post are reminiscent of Sicilian caponata and even bear some resemblance to ratatouille. However, I think they have a simplicity of their own.

If you’re looking for an easy, adaptable vegan eggplant recipe that can be served in many different ways, then this one is for you!

Stovetop stewing 101

What does it mean to “stew” something?

Technically speaking, means “to boil slowly or with simmering heat.” We most often associate this kind of preparation with traditional soups and stews, but it can apply to anything slow cooked and saucy.

For example, my mom makes stewed tomatoes often. Her saucy, sweet, tart tomatoes were actually an inspiration for this dish.

For these stewed eggplant tomato lentils, the boiling/simmering time actually isn’t so slow. Stewed meat recipes might easily take hours; this one takes about 45 minutes.

Even so, the stovetop time is enough to impart plenty of flavor. The leftovers of the stewed eggplant tomato lentils will also become even more flavorful as you store them.

Fresh or canned tomatoes: it’s up to you

When I originally made this recipe, I always used fresh summer tomatoes.

However, the season for really good, fresh tomatoes is short. And there have been times when I’ve craved the stewed eggplant tomato lentils in colder months, when ripe tomatoes are hard to come by.

As a result, I’ve adapted the recipe to include an option for canned, whole, peeled tomatoes or diced tomatoes. This gives you some flexibility in terms of the ingredients that you use.

Both versions are delicious and saucy. It’s up to you!

Ingredients

These stewed eggplant tomato lentils are simple and unfussy. I think this is how it should be with recipes that show off the beauty of late summer produce. You’ll need the following for it:

Tomatoes

If using fresh tomatoes, you’ll need four small or three large vine or beefsteak tomatoes. You could also use five plum tomatoes in their place. It’s about a pound (450g) total.

If you don’t have fresh tomatoes, you can use either two 14.5-ounce or a 28-ounce can of whole, peeled tomatoes instead.

Eggplant

I generally use one medium/large globe eggplant for the stewed eggplant tomato lentils (more on eggplant varieties here, if you’re curious).

This comes to about about one and a half pounds, and just over a pound of eggplant after trimming and cubing.

You could use Italian, Indian, or Japanese eggplant as well. Just be sure that the total amount of eggplant you use is equivalent to 1 – 1.5 pounds.

Lentils

My go-to lentils these days are pardina lentils. These are sometimes called “Spanish brown” lentils, too. They’re a bit rounder and hold their shape better than regular brown lentils in recipes.

If you don’t have them, it’s no problem. Brown, green, black and even red lentils will work nicely in the recipe.

Fun note here: the lentils for this recipe are cooked separately from the eggplant and tomatoes. What this means is that

• a) you can meal prep the cooked lentils ahead of time and
• b) you have the option to use canned, cooked lentils if that’s easier for you.

Balsamic vinegar

Balsamic vinegar gives the recipe both a little acidity and some sweetness. I tend to save the pricier, more syrupy balsamic vinegar for drizzling. It always ends up on top of my red wine braised lentils. And I use less expensive balsamic for salad dressings, pasta salad, or as a marinade for burgers or tempeh.

If you’d like a different variation that’s still bright and sweet/sour, I’ve seen recipes that call for eggplant and lentils with pomegranate molasses.

How to prepare stewed eggplant tomato lentils

The stewed eggplant tomato lentils are both a good intro to stewing and a good starter recipe for the eggplant uninitiated! Here are the steps in making them.

Step 1: Boil the lentils

For this recipe, you’ll cook your lentils before adding them to the stewed eggplant and tomatoes.

Generally, brown, green, black, and French lentils require about 25-40 minutes of boiling time. I recommend following any package instructions that you have and also tasting several lentils before draining. This will ensure that your lentils are tender before you move on with the recipe.

Step 2: Salt your eggplant

As the lentils are cooking, salt your eggplant.

Salting eggplant prior to cooking reduces its natural bitterness and makes it more tender. It also draws some water out of the eggplant, and I think that this makes the vegetable absorb flavor better later on.

Salting eggplant is a somewhat contested step in recipes. Many argue that it’s not necessary.

Unless you’re using perfect, farm-fresh eggplant, I disagree that salting is unnecessary. I think it makes for much better texture and flavor, and I recommend doing it if you have the patience for it.

To do so, you’ll place cubed eggplant into a colander. Sprinkle it generously with kosher salt and allow it to sit for 15 minutes.

Then, rinse the eggplant and pat it dry firmly with paper towels or a clean dish towel.

Apart from the salting, the eggplant for this recipe is quite simply prepared on the stovetop. Many eggplant recipes involve breading or frying or other messy techniques, but that’s not the case here.

I think this is a good intro recipe for those who love eggplant, but are a little intimidated by cooking it!

Step 3: Sauté onion and garlic

Onion and garlic, members of the allium family, give the stewed eggplant tomato lentils their aromatic and savory notes. You sauté these ingredients for 5-8 minutes before adding tomatoes and eggplant to the recipe.

Step 4: Simmer your eggplant and tomato

Next, you’ll add eggplant and tomato to the large, deep skillet that you use for the recipe.

It’ll take about fifteen minutes for the eggplant and tomatoes to be fully cooked and saucy. At this point, you can stir in your cooked lentils and simmer for another five minutes.

Finally, add some fresh, chopped herbs to the skillet for a finishing touch. They’ll add a pop of green and their characteristic flavor. I like to add chives, basil, and parsley to this recipe.

Serving stewed eggplant tomato lentils

Store the lentils in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days, or freeze them for up to six weeks. Like most stewy dishes, they taste even better after they sit for a day or two.

You can sprinkle another handful of fresh herbs over the lentils after you reheat them, simply to add a little freshness to the dish. My 10-minute quick pickled red onions might add acidity and savoriness.

For a creamy component, try stirring in some all-purpose cashew cream, tahini dressing, or homemade vegan tzatziki.

Vegan parmesan and an extra drizzle of balsamic are also very nice on top!

Meal prep & storage

I think that this is a really ideal recipe for vegan meal prep, if that’s your thing.

The stewed eggplant tomato lentils will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. You can also freeze them for up to eight weeks, defrosting overnight in the fridge prior to serving.

In the summer months, there aren’t too many meals that I enjoy more than something saucy and tomato-driven, along with fresh toasted bread. Maybe with a nice drizzle of olive oil.

This is one of my favorite preparations along those lines. Hope you’ll love it, too!

xo