This Greek eggplant and chickpeas recipe is a hearty, flavorful dish that brings Mediterranean comfort straight to your table. Tender eggplant pairs perfectly with protein-rich chickpeas, simmered in a savory tomato sauce infused with garlic, herbs, and olive oil. Packed with wholesome ingredients, it’s a simple yet satisfying meal that’s perfect for weeknight dinners.
We added feta cheese to our recipe to add some tang and acidity to the dish. However, the greek eggplant and chickpeas recipe works wonderfully also without feta cheese, so you can easily make this a vegan dish.
It’s possible that you are not very familiar with cooking eggplants. Don’t think much about it: somehow eggplants are one of those ingredients that are predominant in some kitchens yet nearly unknown in others. There’s one important tip to know about cooking them, though: they must be made to “sweat”. Cut your eggplant, add salt generously, and let it rest for 20 minutes; then wash away the salt and the dark-ish, bitter liquid that comes out.
In case you haven’t noticed, we are huge fans of chickpeas 🙂 We always keep one or two cans of chickpeas because we use them so often. Chickpeas are a wonderful option if you are trying to eat less meat because they are a great source of proteins and they are packed full of nutrients. Plus, they are super budget-friendly and versatile.
Ingredients
- 2 eggplants
- 1 can chickpeas
- 1 yellow onion (finely chopped)
- 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
- 2 cups passata
- 1/4 cup fresh mint (chopped)
- 8 oz feta cheese (optional)
- 1 tsp honey
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- Salt & pepper
Instructions
- In advance: cut the eggplants into bite-sized cubes and toss them with a generous amount of salt. Leave to rest for at least 20 minutes.
- Wash away the salt and the dark-ish liquid. Make sure to rinse and drain well. Put the eggplant on a baking tray, add 3 tbsp of olive oil and mix well. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 ℉ (180 ℃) with convection (fan).
- While the eggplant is in the oven, finely chop the onion and garlic. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a skillet and fry the onion for a few minutes until transparent. Then add garlic and fry for 30 seconds. Add the passata, salt and pepper, and let it simmer for 10 minutes. If the sauce gets too thick, add a splash of water.
- When the 10 minutes have passed, add the fresh mint and honey. Then add the chickpeas to the pan and mix everything well.
- Transfer the eggplant and sauce to a baking dish and mix everything well. If you are using it, crumble feta cheese on top of the mix and put into the oven for 20 minutes. Done!
Notes
- The recipe is for 4 servings.
- Prep time: 10 minutes.
- Cooking time: 40 minutes.
Similar recipes
If you like the Greek eggplant and chickpeas, you may also like the following recipes:
- Chickpea and feta cheese salad
- Eggplant stuffed with chickpeas and spinach
- Thai red curry with chickpeas
- Chickpea lentil soup
- Fresh salad with pearl barley
- Easy pasta salad with spinach
- Carrot salad with cranberries and walnuts
- Egg and spinach pie
Greek eggplant with chickpeas
Ingredients
- 2 eggplants
- 1 can chickpeas
- 1 yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2 cup passata
- ¼ cup fresh mint chopped
- 8 oz feta cheese optional
- 1 tsp honey
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- Salt & pepper
Instructions
- In advance: cut the eggplants into bite-sized cubes and toss them with a generous amount of salt. Leave to rest for at least 20 minutes.
- Wash away the salt and the dark-ish liquid. Make sure to rinse and drain well. Put the eggplant on a baking tray, add 3 tbsp of olive oil and mix well. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 ℉ (180 ℃) with convection (fan).
- While the eggplant is in the oven, finely chop the onion and garlic. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a skillet and fry the onion for a few minutes until transparent. Then add garlic and fry for 30 seconds. Add the passata, salt and pepper, and let it simmer for 10 minutes. If the sauce gets too thick, add a splash of water.
- When the 10 minutes have passed, add the fresh mint and honey. Then add the chickpeas to the pan and mix everything well.
- Transfer the eggplant and sauce to a baking dish and mix everything well. If you are using it, crumble feta cheese on top of the mix and put into the oven for 20 minutes. Done!