12 Delicious Eggplant Recipes for the Holidays!

Eggplants are great vegetables to have around during your vegan holiday celebrations because they have a nice and meaty texture. Plus, they’re super versatile. You can make a classic eggplant parmesan one night and then make an eggplant curry the next! If you’re not a big fan of eggplant or don’t know quite what to do with it, don’t worry – these recipes will not fail you! There are so many different flavors and types of cuisines that you will find a vegan eggplant dish that you and your loved ones enjoy!

We also highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App  — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help you get healthy! 

1. Paleo Eggplant Noodle Chow Mein

Source: Paleo Eggplant Noodle Chow Mein

Yes, you read that right, eggplant noodles! This Chinese-inspired dish is low-carb, paleo-approved, easy to make, and incredibly delicious. Eggplant noodles are tossed in a five-spice garlic sauce with broccoli, Shiitake, ginger, and scallions with a touch of toasted sesame. This Paleo Eggplant Noodle Chow Mein by Dana Sterling feels as satisfying as a noodle dish, minus the carbs.

2. Freezer Friendly Eggplant Meatballs

Source: Freezer Friendly Eggplant Meatballs

Serve these Freezer Friendly Eggplant Meatballs by Lydia Filgueras as you would any meatball. They can easily be served with pasta or rice to make up a more substantial meal, but also taste great on their own! However you choose to serve them, they will taste amazing!

Gratitude: Plant-Based Thanksgiving Cookbook

No other holiday captures the spirit of home cooking the way Thanksgiving does. This is why you need the ultimate Thanksgiving cookbook, One Green Planet’s Gratitude: Plant-Based Recipes to Create your own Thanksgiving Tradition! In the cookbook, you’ll find our 100 most popular plant-based Thanksgiving recipes like Soft Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts, Spiced Apple Cake with Cashew Frosting, Sweet Potato Chocolate Pudding with Nut Crumble Topping, Cinnamon Apple Hand Pies, and hearty entrees like Roast Root Vegetable Stack With Dukkah, Vegducken: Butternut Squash Stuffed With Eggplant, Zucchini, and a Mushroom Lentil Stuffing, and Seitan Roast With Sausage and Pear Stuffing and Apple Cider Gravy and so much more!

3. Grilled Eggplant With Lemon Basil Drizzle

Source: Grilled Eggplant With Lemon Basil Drizzle

This Grilled Eggplant With Lemon Basil Drizzle by Taryn Fitz-Gerald makes a delicious light option for lunch, dinner, or a side dish. Eggplant slices are seasoned with only salt and then grilled until tender — the real flavor comes from the easy lemon basil dressing. The flavors complement each other superbly. Open to other possibilities such as being wrapped up and stuffed with your favorite fillings, like cashew ricotta.

4. Easy Instant Pot Eggplant Marinara Sauce

Source: Easy Instant Pot Eggplant Marinara Sauce

This Easy Instant Pot Eggplant Marinara Sauce by Molly Patrick can be made in an Instant Pot and is a wonderful twist on the classic marinara sauce!

5. Marinated Eggplant with Capers and Mint

Source: Marinated Eggplant with Capers and Mint

Marinated eggplant is a classic Greek dish popular for sharing. This Marinated Eggplant with Capers and Mint by America’s Test Kitchen has a surprisingly creamy texture and a deep yet tangy flavor. We wanted an easy recipe that would keep the eggplant in the spotlight, with a complimentary, brightly flavored marinade.

6. Bharli Baingan (Stuffed Eggplant Curry)

Source: Bharli Baingan (Stuffed Eggplant Curry)

Bharli Baingan is a Maharashtrian version of baby eggplants stuffed with fresh coconut, peanuts, and spices. Serve Pavani Nandula’s Bharli Baingan (Stuffed Eggplant Curry) with roti or rice and dal for a filling and delicious meal.

7. Miso-Turmeric Glazed Eggplant With Spicy Chickpeas

Source: Miso-Turmeric Glazed Eggplant With Spicy Chickpeas

This easy and simple eggplant-based dish is exploding with flavor and color with the vibrant, fiery hue of fresh turmeric, rocket-red smoked paprika, lush green onion, and neon-red Thai chilis. Eggplants are halved and doused in a miso-turmeric glaze, then topped with wicked spicy chickpeas and chopped candied nuts. Serve this as a main dish or as a small plate, and double up on the glaze if you think you want a little extra for drizzlin’, dippin’, or putting on other things. You can never have too much sauce. Wicked Healthy‘s Miso-Turmeric Glazed Eggplant With Spicy Chickpeas is fantastic!

8. Roasted Eggplant and Cauliflower Curry

Source: Roasted Eggplant and Cauliflower Curry

This Roasted Eggplant and Cauliflower Curry by Lenny Wu is super flavorful and worth all the effort! Feel free to throw in any leftover roasted veggies that you have on hand.

9. Pulled Eggplant Dip

Source: Pulled Eggplant Dip

For anyone who loves eggplant, this Pulled Eggplant Dip by Ella Woodward is for you. The mixture of sundried tomatoes, roasted garlic, tahini, almond butter, pine nuts, and parsley makes this so delicious. The maple syrup gives it a hint of sweetness but if you’d prefer it savory, just omit it. The dip tastes amazing with just about anything. You can make double quantities so that you can use the leftovers later in the week.

10. Simple Bao Buns with Hoisin Eggplant and Quick Pickled Carrot

Source: Simple Bao Buns with Hoisin Eggplant and Quick Pickled Carrot

Chinese bao buns (pronounced ‘bow’) are slightly sweet, steamed fluffy dough pockets filled with a savory treat. Traditionally the buns are made using yeast in the dough, which requires kneading and rising before steaming. Since most of us are time-poor, this version is a quicker ‘cheats’ version. As the dough has a sweetness to it, the filling benefits from a powerful punch of flavor provided by the sticky hoisin eggplant. You have to try Jo Pratt‘s Simple Bao Buns with Hoisin Eggplant and Quick Pickled Carrot!

11. Vegan Oven Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Source: Vegan Oven Baked Eggplant Parmesan

This Vegan Oven Baked Eggplant Parmesan by Gabrielle St. Claire is delicious. It’s such a cozy meal, but perfect for any season!

12. Asian-Inspired Sticky Eggplant

Source: Asian-Inspired Sticky Eggplant

This vegan Asian-Inspired Sticky Eggplant by Jenny Connelly is so delicious and easy to make. The eggplant goes so soft but the marinade goes so sticky – it’s a match made in heaven!

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