This Moroccan eggplant stew also features potatoes, tomatoes, and tomatillos smothered in Moroccan spices for a hearty plant-based dish bursting with flavor!
Do you like cooking with ingredients you know, or do you think it’s fun to experiment with new things?
When I discover a new vegetable at the farmers’ market, I can’t help myself — I just have to try it! So when I came across African eggplant and pineapple tomatillos one day, of course I had to bring them home.
Which is how this delicious Moroccan eggplant stew came to be!
But don’t worry, you don’t need those crazy ingredients to recreate the recipe.
In fact, this vegetable stew is very flexible. You can easily create a super flavorful dish by using this recipe as a guide and adding the ingredients that are convenient for you!
How to make Moroccan eggplant stew
Ready to see how easily this delicious plant-based stew comes together?
Step 1: Heat the oil in a stock pot over medium heat.
Step 2: Add the minced onion and cook, stirring often, until soft and golden, about 5 minutes.
Step 3: Add the diced eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes or until the eggplant begins to soften.
Step 4: Add the diced potatoes, tomatillos, garlic, Ras el Hanout, cayenne, and salt. Mix well, then cook, stirring often, for another 3 minutes.
Step 5: Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and broth or water, then stir to combine.
Step 6: Bring everything to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Divide into four bowls and dig in to all that wonderful flavor!
Choosing ingredients for this stew
I’ll admit that this recipe has some unique ingredients listed. But when I discovered pineapple tomatillos and African eggplant, how could I not try cooking with them?
The good news is that this recipe can be easily adapted to ingredients you have on hand.
Can’t find Ras el Hanot, a Moroccan spice blend? Just use curry powder. No tomatillos at your local market? You can leave them out. No good fresh tomatoes at the grocery story? Try canned instead.
You are free to use this recipe as a guide or starting point, then improvise based on what’s convenient (or sounds delicious) for you!
Storage
This recipe is for four servings of Moroccan eggplant and vegetable stew. It’s great to serve the family, or to eat a serving for dinner and save the rest for easy meals throughout the week!
Leftovers can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to a week. The flavors will likely deepen overnight, so you may find the stew even more delicious the next day.
Other plant-based soups and stews
No matter what time of year, I can always go for a flavorful bowl of soup. It warms me up on chilly winter days and cools me down on hot summer days! Soup is pretty amazing that way.
If you’re looking for some more recipes for delicious soups and stews with a hearty serving of veggies, here are a few of my favorites I enjoy all year round:
- White Bean Lentil Soup (Instant Pot)
- Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Brussels Sprouts
- Low Sodium Tomato Soup
When you’ve tried this stew, please don’t forget to let me know how you liked it and rate the recipe in the comments below!
Moroccan Eggplant Stew
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (extra-virgin)
- 1 large onion (minced)
- 2 cups diced eggplant (any variety)
- 2 medium gold potatoes (diced)
- ¼ pound pineapple tomatillos or tomatillos (husks removed — if using full-sized tomatillos, dice them)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon Ras el Hanout (Moroccan spice blend or curry powder)
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 large tomatoes (peeled, seeded, and diced)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth or water
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a stock pot over medium heat.
- Add the minced onion and cook, stirring often, until soft and golden, about 5 minutes.
- Add the diced eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes or until the eggplant begins to soften.
- Add the diced potatoes, tomatillos, garlic, Ras el Hanout, cayenne, and salt. Mix well, then cook, stirring often, for another 3 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and broth or water, then stir to combine.
- Bring everything to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
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