This rich and hearty braised eggplant in fresh tomato sauce is a great way to utilize your fresh summer veggies. Light, nutritious and full of flavor!
There's nothing like the flavor of freshly picked produce. Especially during the summer. Super sweet corn and tomatoes, meaty eggplant, juicy peaches, plump blueberries...
We're very lucky to be surrounded by incredible farm stands here in NJ. We love stopping by every week and getting some inspiration for our recipes! I'm known for always going a little too excited and buying way too much every single time. Not that there's anything wrong with that... but that forces me to come up with recipes to use the leftover fresh fruit and veggies before they go bad.
Last time I went to one of the farms stands close by, I found these beautiful white eggplants and had to buy an entire case of them. And of course, I could not leave without a case of my favorite Jersey tomatoes... Which is how this Braised Eggplant in Fresh Tomato Sauce recipe was created.
These tomatoes are ideal to make fresh tomato sauce. Super juicy, sweet and a little tangy, will make you not want to use jarred sauce ever again!
The fresh eggplant is almost like a sponge, so by braising it in the sauce, it absorbs all that tomato goodness, giving it an amazing flavor.
Serve it over rice, quinoa or your favorite grain for a light, satisfying and nutrient-packed summer dinner!
Enjoy!
Check out our other eggplant recipes.
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Braised Eggplant in Fresh Tomato Sauce
- Total Time: 55 mins
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This rich and hearty braised eggplant in fresh tomato sauce is a great way to utilize your fresh summer veggies. Light, nutritious and full of flavor!
Ingredients
- 8 small white eggplants, sliced lengthwise (you can also use 4 long Japanese eggplants, sliced in rounds)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small head of garlic peeled and sliced
- 1 cup tightly packed basil leaves, chopped
- 6 large tomatoes, diced with their juice (see note)
- 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp Aleppo pepper (you can also use ½ tsp red pepper flakes)
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Slice eggplants in half lengthwise. Place them on a large colander and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt and let them sit on the colander while you prepare the tomato sauce
- Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large deep skillet. Add garlic and basil and cook for 2 minutes
- Add diced tomatoes, ginger, ½ teaspoon salt and Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes and cook over high heat for 15 minutes
- In the meantime, in a separate large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Add sliced eggplant and cook over high heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly
- Once the tomato sauce is ready, add cooked eggplant, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the eggplant is tender
- Serve warm over with rice, couscous or quinoa
Notes
- During the wintertime, you can use canned diced tomatoes
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Category: Entree
- Method: Braising
- Cuisine: Vegan and Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ of the dish
- Calories: 221
- Sugar: 8.8
- Sodium: 886
- Fat: 18.2
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Unsaturated Fat: 15
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 16
- Fiber: 5.5
- Protein: 3.3
- Cholesterol: 0
Keywords: eggplant, tomato, dinner, summer, vegan, gluten-free
Katerina says
Perfect summer meal! I would love to try it out!
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you Katerina!
Joan says
Can this be made ahead of time and reheated? I am thinking about making it for the seder and need some
dishes that can be made ahead of time.
Thanks,
Joan
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi Joan,
You can prepare this dish 2-3 days in advance, and keep it in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve it. Hope you enjoy it!
Cindy says
I love eggplant and this was an easy way to prepare it and it tasted great!!
★★★★★
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you!
Diane says
Cannot find white or Japanese eggplant. Is it okay to use the big aubergine colored ones?
Vicky & Ruth says
Yes, you can make this recipe with big aubergines. Let us know how liked the recipe.
Diane says
Does a head of garlic mean several cloves? Sorry, I am new to cooking and need things spelled out for me.
Vicky & Ruth says
Not a problem. A head of garlic is the whole bulb of garlic. If you are buying garlic already peeled we would use 6-8 cloves. Please let us know if you have any other questions.
Kate says
★★★★★