Moroccan Eggplant Stew
Published Aug 13, 2026
This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read My Disclosure
This Moroccan Eggplant Stew recipe is bursting with flavor and a great way to use up an array of fresh, seasonal produce! Eggplant and zucchini are the perfect blank-canvas ingredients that absorb the rich flavors of the fire-roasted tomatoes, fragrant harissa paste, and a blend of warming spices. Serve over couscous, rice, or quinoa for a hearty, wholesome, and delicious dinner!
Why This Recipe is a Keeper!
This Moroccan Eggplant Stew is a versatile meal that highlights the abundance of late summer vegetables. The aromatic spices that are classic to Moroccan cuisine are the ideal match for simple ingredients like the eggplant, zucchini, and chickpeas, creating a dish that is satisfying and flavorful.
This eggplant chickpea stew recipe is:
- Visually stunning! It has a deep, rich color from the harissa paste and Moroccan spices.
- Creative! A fresh way to use late-summer produce when you’re running out of ideas for all that eggplant and zucchini!
- So flavorful! This eggplant stew has all the aromatic ingredients and spices that are typically used in Moroccan cuisine.
- Vegan! Chickpeas provide wholesome plant-based protein.
- Reheats great! Perfect for meal prep or to stash in the freezer for a wholesome meal when you need it!
Hearty and packed with bold flavor, it’s the kind of wholesome meal that makes eating your vegetables something to look forward to. Best of all, it’s just as delicious the next day, when all those wonderful flavors have had even more time to mingle. Perfect served over couscous or with a slice of crusty bread!
How to Make Moroccan Eggplant Chickpea Stew:
Recipe Ingredients:
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this eggplant stew recipe. The exact quantities are on the recipe card below.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- Eggplant: Globe eggplants are the most common type of eggplant and have an oval shape, glossy deep-purple skin, and mild, slightly earthy flavor. When purchasing eggplant, it should be free of blemishes and feel heavy for its size. You’ll need two medium-sized globe eggplants or about 1 ½ pounds. Avoid anything larger, as large eggplants tend to be slightly bitter.
- Vegetable Broth: Vegetable broth keeps this Moroccan Eggplant Stew vegan, but if that doesn’t matter to you, you can use chicken broth.
- Ground Coriander: Ground coriander is made from grinding the dried seeds of the cilantro plant. It has a citrusy, bright flavor, and adds depth and warmth without adding heat.
- Hungarian Paprika: Hungarian paprika is made from toasted peppers, which are then blended to create different flavor profiles. All Hungarian paprikas have a rich, sweet red pepper flavor; however, they all range in pungency and heat.
- Fire-Roasted Tomatoes: Canned fire-roasted tomatoes give the stew depth and a smoky flavor. You can substitute regular diced tomatoes and adjust with a little more cumin and Hungarian paprika.
- Chickpeas: It’s important to drain and rinse the chickpeas to remove excess sodium and to help improve their texture in the stew. Chickpeas add protein to make it more hearty and satisfying.
- Harissa Paste: Harissa paste is a spicy chile pepper paste popular in North African cuisine. It has a smoky, earthy, slightly tangy flavor with a moderate kick of heat and adds rich color and spicy depth to the stew. Different brands will have different heat levels.
Step-By-Step Instructions:
- Gather and prep all the ingredients.
- Place the eggplant cubes in a colander and sprinkle approximately 1 tablespoon of salt over the eggplant.
- Place in the sink and let drain for approximately 30 minutes. Pat the eggplant dry with paper towels. (Do not rinse.)
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat in a large heavy skillet or sauté pan. Add the eggplant, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, or until lightly browned and tender. Transfer to a bowl.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the hot skillet. Add the zucchini and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, or until lightly browned. Transfer to the bowl with the eggplant.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the hot skillet. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, or until softened.
- Add the yellow bell pepper and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until lightly browned.
- Add the garlic, coriander, cumin, paprika, and turmeric.
- Stir briefly, 10 to 15 seconds, or until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits.
- Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, the tomato sauce, and chickpeas.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or until thickened.
- Add the eggplant, zucchini, and harissa paste, leaving behind any excess olive oil that may have accumulated in the bottom of the bowl, and heat through
- Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Stir in the cilantro. Serve the eggplant chickpea stew with hot cooked couscous, rice or quinoa.
Chef Tips and Tricks:
- Salting the eggplant draws out excess moisture, which helps it to brown. Pat it thoroughly dry before cooking.
- Give the eggplant plenty of room to brown; it needs contact with the hot pan to brown properly. Cook it in batches if necessary. Also, eggplant absorbs oil quickly. Start with the amount called for rather than continually adding more; as the eggplant cooks and softens, some of that oil will release.
- You want the eggplant soft, but don’t overcook the other vegetables so the stew retains a variety of textures.
- Blooming the spices by briefly cooking them in the oil brings out their aromas and deepens the flavor.
- Adjust the harissa to your heat preference. Harissa varies quite a bit from brand to brand, so start conservatively if you’re unfamiliar with yours. You can always add more.
- Taste before adding more salt. The salted eggplant, broth, and canned ingredients may already provide plenty of salt to your taste.
Recipe FAQs:
Is this Moroccan eggplant dish spicy?
It can be! If you are sensitive to spice, reduce the harissa paste or leave it out, or use a small amount of crushed red pepper flakes instead. This dish isn’t naturally too spicy, but you can adjust as you go to increase or decrease the level of heat.
Can I use other vegetables?
Definitely! There are numerous options like carrots, sweet potato, regular potatoes, cauliflower, green beans, yellow squash, and greens like spinach or Swiss chard.
Can I make this eggplant chickpea stew in advance?
Yes, definitely! This dish can be made 1-2 days in advance and gently reheated on the stovetop. The flavors deepen and get better after it sits.
Can I freeze this eggplant stew?
Absolutely! Moroccan Eggplant Stew freezes well. Store in an airtight container or portioned in smaller containers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or in the microwave and reheat gently on the stovetop or microwave.
VARIATION:
- Vary the vegetables with carrots, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, cauliflower, green beans, yellow squash, or leafy greens such as spinach or Swiss chard.
Serve this Eggplant Stew with:
- Garlic Green Beans
- Roasted Cauliflower Rice
- Tunisian Salad Platter
- Couscous, rice or quinoa
More Vegetable stew recipes:
- Traditional Ratatouille Recipe
- Roasted Vegetable Stew with Pepper Jack Polenta
- Vegan Thai Red Curry
- Vegan Thai Green Sweet Potato Curry
- Vegan Indian Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry
Get all my vegan and vegetarian recipes at Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes – From A Chef’s Kitchen.
Moroccan Eggplant Stew
This Moroccan Eggplant Stew recipe is bursting with flavor and a great way to use up an array of fresh, seasonal produce! Eggplant and zucchini are the perfect blank canvas ingredients that absorb the rich flavors of the fire-roasted tomatoes, fragrant harissa paste, and a blend of warming spices. Serve over couscous, rice, or quinoa for a hearty, wholesome, and delicious dinner!
Ingredients
- 2 medium globe eggplants, (1 1/2 pounds) cut into 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon salt, plus more for seasoning to taste
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, or as needed
- 1 large zucchini, quartered lengthwise, then cut into 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
- 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
- 1 large yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch pieces
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 can (15-ounce) diced fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
- 1 can (8-ounce) tomato sauce
- 1 can (15-ounce) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon harissa paste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Cooked couscous, rice or quinoa
Instructions
- Place the eggplant cubes in a colander, and sprinkle with approximately 1 tablespoon of salt and toss to coat. Place in the sink and let it drain for approximately 30 minutes. Pat the eggplant dry with paper towels. (Do not rinse.)
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat in a large heavy skillet or sauté pan. Add the eggplant, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, or until lightly browned and tender. Transfer to a bowl.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the hot skillet. Add the zucchini and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, or until lightly browned. Transfer to the bowl with the eggplant.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the hot skillet. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, or until softened.
- Add the yellow bell pepper and cook for 1-2 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Add the garlic, coriander, cumin, paprika, and turmeric. Stir briefly, 10-15 seconds or until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits.
- Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, the tomato sauce, and chickpeas. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until thickened.
- Add the eggplant, zucchini, and harissa paste and heat through for 1-2 minutes.
- Season to taste with additional salt (if needed) and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in the cilantro.
- Serve with hot cooked couscous, rice or quinoa.
Notes
SUBSTITUTIONS:
- Vary the veggies with carrots, sweet potato, regular potatoes, cauliflower, green beans, yellow squash, and greens like spinach or Swiss chard.
- Vegetable broth keeps this Moroccan Eggplant Stew vegan, but if that doesn’t matter to you, you can use chicken broth.
- You can substitute regular diced tomatoes for the fire-roasted and add the smoky element with a little more cumin and Hungarian paprika.
- If you are sensitive to spice, reduce the harissa paste or leave it out, or use a small amount of crushed red pepper flakes instead.
- Salt and dry the eggplant well. Salting draws out excess moisture so it browns better; pat thoroughly dry before cooking.
- Don’t crowd the pan when browning the eggplant, and avoid adding extra oil—it will absorb oil initially, then release some as it softens.
- Don’t overcook the vegetables. The eggplant should be soft, while the other vegetables retain some texture.
- Bloom the spices. Briefly cooking them in oil enhances their aroma and deepens their flavor.
- Adjust the harissa to taste. Heat levels vary by brand, so start conservatively and add more as desired.
- Salt at the end. The salted eggplant, broth, and canned ingredients may already provide enough.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Calories: 157kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 3gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gSodium: 1366mgPotassium: 642mgFiber: 6gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 570IUVitamin C: 73mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 2mg
Nutritional values are automatically calculated using unbranded products and are estimates only. Actual results may vary based on ingredients used and portion sizes. Adjust as needed for dietary restrictions, allergies, or health concerns.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
