Sautéed Eggplant - The Plant Based School (2024)

Table of Contents

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Serving suggestions
• Variations
• More eggplant recipes
• More sautéed vegetable recipes
• Sautéed Eggplant Recipe

You can make sautéed eggplant with most eggplant varieties. The most common ones in Western supermarkets are globe eggplants, the large ones with an oval shape and dark shiny skin.

Italian eggplants also work as they are very similar to globe American eggplants.

Alternatively, you can use Chinese and Japanese eggplant (long-shaped and thin), fairy tale eggplant (small, purple, and white), graffiti eggplant (speckled with white and purple skin), and white eggplant (the one that looks like an egg).

Tip: We think the best and fastest way to make sautéed eggplant is to cut the eggplant into dice, and not with eggplant slices. This way, you won’t have to arrange the eggplant slices on a single layer on the skillet, and you will be able to make a larger quantity in less time.

Tomatoes

We recommend using fresh ripe tomatoes for sautéed eggplant. We prefer cherry tomatoes or plum tomatoes. Roma tomatoes are also perfect for this recipe.

Olive oil

We use extra virgin olive oil for better flavor and nutrition. Alternatively, regular olive oil is also ok.

Garlic

To add a mild and pleasant garlic aroma. For this recipe, we prefer fresh garlic to garlic powder.

Red Pepper Flakes

To add some spiciness. You can replace them with chili powder or dried chili.

Salt & Pepper

We use sea salt or kosher salt to season this dish. We add black pepper for a fragrant aroma.

Fresh Basil

Basil is the main flavoring herb in this sautéed eggplant recipe. However, you can add more herbs and spices if you like. Good options are dried herbs such as Italian seasoning mix, dried oregano, or thyme.

Note: you can make this recipe in a large nonstick skillet, enameled cast iron, or stainless steel skillet.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, add halved cherry tomatoes, and season them with salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and garlic (you can add it crushed, pressed, minced, or grated).

Fry the tomatoes on medium-high heat for 5 minutes, then crush them with a fork.

In the meantime, wash and dry the eggplant, remove the stem, andslice it into 1-inch cubes (2.5 cm). Add the eggplant to the pan along with one cup of water.

Stir well, cover with a lid, and sauté for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the lid and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the eggplant is thoroughly cooked.

Sprinkle with fresh basil leaves, stirring them in before serving.

Side dish

This sautéed eggplant recipe was created as a side dish. Serve it in a bowl as a side for one of our easy dinners for a healthy, tasty, and nutritious dinner.

Appetizer

Serve sautéed eggplant as an appetizer on toasted bread. You can make eggplant bruschetta with larger bread slices or crostini with smaller bread slices. Either way, it’ll be delicious.

Main course

Transform this dish into a delicious main course by using it as a sauce for a tasty and nutritious pasta dish.

All you have to do is cook a short pasta (penne, rotini, rigatoni) al dente, then add it to the pan with the sauteed eggplant, a cup of reserved pasta water, and a handful of black olives (optional).

Toss for a minute on medium heat and serve with plenty of fresh basil and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Zaalouk (Moroccan eggplant salad)

Check out our zaalouk recipe, a delicious Moroccan eggplant salad.

Sweet and sour eggplant

Sweet and sour eggplantis a delicious sautéed recipe with a soft texture and bold flavor, made with simple ingredients on the stovetop in about20 minutes.

You can serve them as aside dishoron top of toasted bread,orin a bowl with boiled rice. It’s tender, juicy, and delicious, with a mildly sweet and tangy flavor.

Check out our sweet and sour eggplant.

Make ahead: you can make this recipe ahead and use it for meal prep as it keeps well in the fridge for several days, and it’s easy to reheat. Also, we noticed that the eggplants taste even better the next day, so feel free to make a big batch ahead of time and have it ready for the week.

Refrigerator: store sautéed eggplant in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Heat eggplant in a pan or microwave.

Freezer: we don’t recommend freezing this recipe.

More eggplant recipes

Eggplant lover? Us too. Here are some other eggplant recipes you might like:

• Breaded eggplant
• Stuffed eggplant
• Pasta alla Norma
• Eggplant pizza
• Roasted eggplant

Or any of ourbest 35 eggplant recipes, including dinners, lunches, and snacks.

Don’t want to turn on the oven? Here are some more veggie recipes you can make on the stove-top:

• Sautéed zucchini (lemon juice, red onion, zucchini, garlic, parsley, etc.)
• Easy sautéed asparagus (lemon, asparagus, olive oil, shaved almonds, etc.)
• Pan-fried artichokes (artichokes, garlic, lemon, olive oil, mint, etc.)
• Sautéed mushrooms (parsley, mushrooms, olive oil, garlic, etc.)

For many more side dish ideas, check out our sides category page.