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Lebanese Eggplant and Chickpea Stew

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LIZ DELLA CROCE

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This vegan Lebanese eggplant and chickpea stew is made with caramelized onions and simmered in a cinnamon-scented tomato sauce. It is sweet, savory and slightly-smoky. Ideal for scooping with warm pita or serving over Lebanese rice pilaf.

Lebanese eggplant and chickpea stew.

Soups and stews are often associated with winter, but I love them! I’ll eat soup year round as they tend to be easy and require little clean-up – great for busy days. My Lebanese Eggplant and Chickpea Stew is the ultimate comfort food, with warm, sweet, and savory flavors. And since it’s vegan, it won’t leave you feeling heavy and bloated!

Ingredients

  • Eggplant: Mild and sweet in flavor, it roasts and caramelizes to a delicious, creamy texture.
  • Olive oil: A healthy oil to help the vegetables cook and caramelize.
  • Onion: I use a white onion as it’s mild and slightly sweet in flavor once it caramelizes.
  • Garlic: A staple ingredient in most of my meals, it’s nutty and earthy flavor pairs wonderfully with Lebanese food.
  • Tomato paste: It cooks down with the water to create an acidic, bright base for the stew.
  • Warm spices: A comforting and warm blend of cinnamon, cumin, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper.
  • Chickpeas: Also known as garbanzo beans, they have the texture and taste similar to cannellini or pinto beans.

How to Make LEbanese Eggplant and chickpea stew

Start your Lebanese Eggplant and Chickpea Stew by chopping your eggplant and slicing your onion.

Then on a prepared baking sheet, drizzle your eggplant in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven at 450 for about 15 minutes until caramelized.

Meanwhile, heat up remaining olive oil in a medium to large sauce-pan and start to soften the onion.

Then use a microplane to freshly grate the garlic in with the onion. Sprinkle in the cinnamon, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne, and some salt & pepper.

Add the roasted eggplant in with the onion and spices.

Stir in the tomato paste.

And add the chickpeas.

Stir in the water and add another pinch of salt and pepper, then bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Garnish with fresh parsley before serving, and enjoy your Lebanese Eggplant and Chickpea Stew!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Does eggplant need to be soaked in milk?

If you are frying the eggplant, then I’d recommend soaking it. Otherwise, I don’t find it necessary.

Do you peel eggplant when cooking?

Nope! There’s no need to peel the eggplant before cooking, and it’s totally fine to eat!

How do you store leftover stew?

Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

More Lebanese Recipes

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Liz eating eggplant and chickpea stew.

I prefer to eat my Lebanese Eggplant and Chickpea Stew with pita bread, but you can enjoy it over Lebanese Rice Pilaf as well. Let me know how you serve it in a comment!

Your spoon is waiting.

Lebanese Eggplant and Chickpea Stew

5 stars average
This vegan Lebanese eggplant and chickpea stew is made with caramelized onions and simmered in a cinnamon-scented tomato sauce. It is sweet, savory and slightly-smoky. Ideal for scooping with warm pita or serving over Lebanese rice pilaf.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Serves8
CourseSide Dish
Calories136

Ingredients
  

  • 1 eggplant cubed
  • ÂĽ cup olive oil divided
  • 1 medium onion thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ÂĽ cup tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ÂĽ teaspoon cayenne optional
  • 15 ounces canned chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • parsley minced, optional garnish

Instructions
 

  1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. Spray with cooking spray before spreading eggplant cubes on the prepared pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, salt and pepper then toss well to coat. Roast until tender, caramelized and slightly browned, about 10-15 minutes, tossing once halfway through.
  2. While eggplant is roasting, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium sauce-pot over medium-high. Add the onions and garlic plus a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Saute until onions start to caramelize and soften, about 8-10 minutes. Sprinkle with cinnamon, cumin, smoked paprika and cayenne and heat until fragrant, about 30-45 seconds.
  3. Add tomato paste in to the pan and heat for 1 minute. Stir in two cups of water plus another big pinch salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then stir in roasted eggplant and chickpeas. Return to boil then reduce to low. Simmer for 30 minutes. Check for seasoning and adjust accordingly before serving. Garnish with minced parsley to serve if you wish.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 136kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 4gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 215mgPotassium: 323mgFiber: 5gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 238IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 1mg

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Let us know how it was!

5 from 7 votes (1 rating without comment)

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9 responses to “Lebanese Eggplant and Chickpea Stew”

  1. Cool Mom Avatar
    Cool Mom

    I made this with roasted eggplant that I froze from the summer garden. Put everything in my pressure cooker in the same order & quantities as the recipe. High pressure 5 mins, quick release. Served over chicken and lemon rice. Delicious! This recipe doubles and triples with ease!

  2. Meems Avatar
    Meems

    Absolutely delicious! My veggie man brought beautiful eggplant this week, and I saved it for this recipe. So yummy & such depth of flavor. This is a keeper!

  3. Carol Halfacre Avatar
    Carol Halfacre

    1st time I’ve made anything like this and hardly ever use a recipe. But, easy, vegetarian and feeds a crowd deliciously!

  4. Lily Avatar
    Lily

    Big hit in my family. I usually double the recipe so I can store half in the freezer. I serve with hot sauce on the side so people can adjust the spice level.

  5. Deb Avatar
    Deb

    Fabulous recipe. Very tasty and filling. I served it with brown rice and it was Avery satisfying meal.

  6. Shannon D Avatar
    Shannon D

    This is such a yummy and easy recipe! I added whole cherry tomatoes to the eggplant when roasting just because I had an abundance from the garden. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Oh what a great way to use those tomatoes! Glad you enjoyed it!

  7. Jody Avatar
    Jody

    Fantastic recipe! I made your tahini-lemon sauce from your “grilled eggplant with tahini sauce” to go with it and it was PERFECT! I also made sauteed browned zucchini to have on the side/mix in; I liked the way the zucchini harmonized and also brought a more cooling flavor. Served it all over basmati rice.

    Only comment: the eggplant needs closer to 1/2 hour to get browned and caramelized, not 10-15 minutes, at least in my oven. I put it under the broiler for a few minutes and that helped. But seriously: YUM! This recipe is a keeper, thank you!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Oven times can vary so much, glad broiling it helped and you enjoyed it!