eggs with zucchini and eggplant and chickpea sauce on plates with toast

Say hi to your new meal prep staple! This eggplant and zucchini sauce is super simple, and packed with nutrients.

zucchini and eggplant and chickpea sauce in a pot with spoon

One of my favorite things to create is easy meal prep sides that can go with multiple meals throughout the week. One of those dishes that you can still be versatile with, but takes a lot of the thinking and preparation out of meal time. I’ve been loving my anti-inflammatory creamy turmeric rice for this purpose, and it inspired me to make another simple side!

zucchini and eggplant and chickpea sauce in a pot

I know that eggplant and zucchini aren’t in season right now…but there just a couple of those veggies that I honestly eat year round. They’re easy to chop/prep, and you can use them in so many different ways. So while I love to eat with the season, I definitely make some exceptions πŸ™‚

The eggplant and zucchini gets simmered in tomatoes and veggie broth for loads of flavor. The chickpeas are option in this dish, but I love them for extra fiber and protein!

There is nothing better than a recipe with just a handful of ingredients! I wanted to make this a simple, yet nutrient-dense side that you could have in your back pocket for busy weeks when you need quick meals. Often times, “quick meals” means resorting to take out– but a little bit of prep so that you can rely on meals at home will go a long way in your health. I promise!

eggs with zucchini and eggplant and chickpea sauce on plates with toast

You can use this dish in so many ways. Some of my favorites:

  • With eggs
  • As a pasta sauce with brown rice or quinoa pasta
  • With salmon and spinach
  • Over sourdough toast
  • Over rice or quinoa
eggs with zucchini and eggplant and chickpea sauce on plates with toast and glasses of water

The list goes on! I’m excited to see what creative ways you guys use this meal prep staple.

Be sure to tag me on Instagram so that I can see how you are enjoying this recipe! xx

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Easy Eggplant and Zucchini Sauce

  • Author: Mia Zarlengo

Description

Simple and versatile eggplant and zucchini tomato sauce.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 of a yellow onion, finely diced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 eggplant, diced
  • 1 zucchini, diced
  • 1 (28 oz) can of whole peeled tomatoes with their juice, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth
  • Optional: 1 (15.5 oz) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt, more to taste
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes

Instructions

  1. Prepare the vegetables. For the tomatoes, you can use clean hands to break apart the tomatoes, or remove them from their juice and roughly chop with a knife (don’t discard the juice!).
  2. Head a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, then stir in the onion and garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
  3. Stir in the eggplant and zucchini. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Reduce heat and stir in the tomatoes and their juice, vegetable broth, seasonings, and chickpeas (optional).
  5. Allow to simmer for 25 minutes, or until veggies are tender. Serve with your favorite protein, grains, and/or veggies.Β 

Appetizers + Sides, Breakfast, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Lunch + Dinner, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Category:

Feb 25, 2020

Simple Eggplant and Zucchini Sauce

Did you make this recipe? Be sure to tag @gatherednutrition on INstagram so I can see what you made! Leaving a rating and review on the site is a huge help too!

  1. Erin says:

    I make this all the time, sooo Good. Thanks

  2. Miranda says:

    Love this recipe so much!! Eat it over quinoa and it makes a perfect dinner

  3. Dana says:

    Good enough to eat alone! I made this recipe so often this winter, took a break to try other meals then quickly missed this. So yummy! I often add to chicken meatballs for a filling lunch!

  4. Saba says:

    This was a super easy and healthy recipe to toss together. I ended up eating it on top of quinoa like another reviewer suggested. I only had crushed tomatoes on hand, but recommend using whole peeled tomatoes as the recipe states! It was still so so tasty with the crushed tomatoes, but just a bit too soupy for my liking.

  5. Saba says:

    Forgot to add my rating πŸ™‚

  6. Ali says:

    So easy and delicious! A weekly dinner for sure! Delicious with a side of brown rice or quinoa!

  7. Paula says:

    OMG 😍 This is so friggin good!! My kids had seconds πŸ™‚ Definitely will be making it again!!

  8. Kellen says:

    Don’t know how I haven’t made this before! Super easy and delicious! Needed a quick veg side dish tonight and this was perfect!

  9. Katya says:

    Finally got to making this with garden eggplant this week, and OMG what have I been missing! Will definitely be on the rotation, love the flavors and pairs so well with quinoa. Thank you!

  10. Patty says:

    Soooo good and easy! The aroma in my house while it cooked had me drooling. I just scooped it into a shallow bowl with a rusty roll to sop up the juice. This will definitely become a regular.

  11. Gordon Ramsay says:

    This was possibly the worst recipe I have tried/attempted to recover from the flaming depths of flavourless hell. It needs WAY more seasoning than the recipe says, and forget 1/4 onion, just throw the whole thing in. Second, this was by far the soupiest “sauce” I’ve made. Forget the broth and just add passata. Still vegan, and better consistency with the finished product. Also where are the bay leaves? And why only a SINGLE teaspoon of seasoning? You may as well be putting nothing in there because you will not be able to tell the difference. Just a bad recipe in all, and as a final caution: don’t add chick peas to this. It’s not optional, just don’t do it.

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Recipe rating

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Simple. Attainable. Gathered Nutrition.