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.
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
- Spicy Lebanese Salad
- Hummus with Ground Beef
- Chicken Tawook Fattoush Salad
- Lamb Vegetable Soup
- Lebanese Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Did you try this Lebanese recipe? The next time you make it, snap a picture and share it to your socials! Tag @thelemonbowl and #thelemonbowl so we can admire and share your dish.
I prefer to eat my Lebanese Eggplant and Chickpea Stew with pita bread, but you can enjoy it over rice pilaf as well. Let me know how you serve it in a comment!
Your spoon is waiting.
Lebanese Eggplant and Chickpea Stew
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant (cubed)
- ¼ cup olive oil (divided)
- 1 medium onion (thinly sliced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne (optional)
- 15 ounces canned chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- parsley (minced, optional garnish )
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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!
Oven times can vary so much, glad broiling it helped and you enjoyed it!