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Vegan aubergine bake with chickpeas served
Mediterranean style aubergine casserole with basil

Vegan Aubergine & Chickpea Bake

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Vegetarian & Vegan Main Courses
Aubergine ('eggplant') is a real sponge: if prepared poorly, it drinks up oil. If done well, it becomes creamy. In this recipe, a spicy tomato and chickpea ragout is placed between aubergine layers, creating a light, plant-based fusion of Greek moussaka and Italian parmigiana.
🕒 Prep Time 30 mins
🍳 Cook Time 35 mins
⌛ Total Time 1 hr 5 mins
🍽️ Servings 4 servings
🔥 Calories 360 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Mediterranean

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Kitchen paper for the aubergine
  • Frying pan
  • Heatproof dish

Instructions

1 ✓

Cut the aubergine into half-centimetre rounds, salt both sides, and let 'sweat' for 20 minutes. Then wipe dry with kitchen paper.

Tip: This step is essential for good texture (cell wall collapse).
2 ✓

Make the ragout: sauté the onion in 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the crushed garlic, smoked paprika, and oregano. Fry for half a minute.

Tip: Smoked paprika gives that depth reminiscent of meaty dishes.
3 ✓

Pour over the tomato purée and rinsed chickpeas. Cook for 10 minutes until thickened. Stir in the torn basil.

Tip: Add basil at the end so its scent doesn't cook away.
4 ✓

Pre-fry the aubergine rounds in the remaining oil in a hot pan on both sides until they start to brown.

Tip: Pre-frying (Maillard reaction) gives flavour. If you put it in raw, it will just steam.
5 ✓

Layer in an oiled dish: aubergine, then ragout. Continue until finished (close with aubergine if possible, but ragout on top protects better from drying out).

Tip: If ragout is on top, it stays juicier.
6 ✓

Bake at 180°C for 35 minutes (covered with foil for the first 25 minutes).

Tip: Under foil it softens, without foil it bakes.
7 ✓

Serve sprinkled with parsley.

Tip: Best warm, but also delicious cold as a starter.

Recipe FAQ

Why is the aubergine bitter?
Older varieties could be bitter, modern ones less so, but salting ('sweating') is still important: it not only draws out (potential) bitter juices but compacts the flesh so it doesn't absorb as much oil during frying.

Ingredients

  • 600 g Aubergine
  • 400 g Cooked chickpeas (tinned)
  • 300 ml Thick tomato purée (passata)
  • 1 pc Red onion
  • 3 cloves Garlic
  • 4 tbsp Olive oil
  • 1 tsp Smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp Dried oregano
  • 1 bunch Fresh basil
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 0.5 tsp Pepper
  • 1 bunch Fresh parsley