Published: Jan 9, 2017 · Modified: May 5, 2025 by Alissa Saenz · This post may contain affiliate links · 53 Comments

Eggplant Goulash

Potatoes, bell peppers, and tender-melt-in-your-mouth chunks of eggplant are simmered up in a smoky paprika sauce to make this hearty vegan goulash. This scrumptious stew is loaded with flavor and really easy to make — perfect for a busy weeknight dinner!

I already have a much-loved recipe for American-style vegan goulash. It's a total hit with readers! But I do get comments sometimes from folks telling me that it's not goulash. Well, it is. It's vegan goulash anyway. But aside from that, goulash is a dish that comes in many different forms, depending on the geographic origin. American goulash is made with ground meat (or perhaps lentils, if it's vegan) and macaroni. Today we're making vegan Hungarian goulash ... with eggplant.

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Ingredients You'll Need
How It's Made
Frequently Asked Questions
More Vegan Eggplant Recipes
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Hungarian goulash, in contrast to American, is more like beef a stew, but with peppers and LOTS Of paprika. I already have a recipe for vegan beef stew, using portobello mushrooms in place of meat. For my vegan Hungarian-style goulash, I decided to go with one of my other favorite meaty veggies: eggplant.

The result was a super hearty, flavor-packed meal that was actually pretty easy to whip up. Eggplant works great as the main ingredient in vegan goulash because it cooks up really tender and soaks up all that delicious smoky flavor in the stew base.

Ingredients You'll Need

Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.

Olive oil. Other high heat oils like canola, avocado, and vegetable oil can be substituted for this.
Eggplant. Pretty much any variety of eggplant will do! I used the super popular Italian globe eggplant.
Red bell pepper.
Onion.
Garlic.
Flour. The recipe calls for all-purpose wheat flour, also known as white flour. It's a very small amount, and just for thickening, so I see no reason you couldn't substitute a similar type of flour, such as whole wheat or all-purpose gluten-free flour.
Vegetable broth.
Spices. You'll need sweet paprika, smoked paprika, and a bay leaf. Caraway seed is a nice addition, but it's totally optional.
Yukon gold potatoes. Have a russet or a couple of red potatoes on hand? They'll work just fine!
Diced tomatoes. We're keeping things simple and using canned diced tomatoes.
Soy sauce. Tamari or liquid aminos can be substituted, if needed.
Sugar. Use organic sugar to keep the recipe vegan.

How It's Made

Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!

Step 1: Heat your olive oil in a large pot, then add diced eggplant. The eggplant will take about ten minutes to soften up. Stir it occasionally for even cooking and to prevent sticking.

Eggplant, bell peppers, and onions cooking in a pot.

Step 2: Add diced bell pepper and onion to the pot. Cook everything for about five minutes, continuing to stir the mixture occasionally.

Flour being stirred into a pot of diced eggplant, and peppers.

Step 3: Stir in the flour and minced garlic. Get the veggies nicely coated with flour, and cook the mixture for about a minute.

Eggplant, potatoes, bay leaf, and peppers simmering in red sauce in a pot.

Step 4: Stir in the broth, spices, and potatoes. Turn up the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and let the stew simmer until the potatoes are tender.

Tomatoes being stirred into a pot of Eggplant Goulash simmering on the stove.

Step 5: Take the lid off of the pot, add the tomatoes, soy sauce, and sugar. Let the goulash simmer for a few minutes longer.

Step 6: Take it off of heat, get rid of the bay leaf, and add some salt and pepper.

Bowl of Eggplant Goulash with a loaf of bread in the background.

Your eggplant goulash is ready to serve! Ladle it into bowls and enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can this recipe be made gluten-free?

Yes! Substitute gluten-free flour, or simply skip the flour. The stew will be a bit thinner, but it'll still be delicious! You'll also need to replace the soy sauce with gluten-free tamari.

Can this recipe be made with less oil, or none at all?

I don't recommend making it oil-free, but if you'd like to reduce the amount of oil you can roast your eggplant. Toss the diced eggplant with a tablespoon of oil, arrange it in a single layer on a baking sheet, and roast it at 400°F for about twenty to twenty-five minutes, flipping the pieces halfway through.

How is eggplant goulash served?

You can serve it alone, over rice, pasta, or with crusty bread for dipping. I also love to top mine with some vegan sour cream or cashew cream.

Do I need to salt my eggplant?

Not necessarily! Salting removes bitterness that often develops in eggplant that's been hanging around in the fridge for a while. If your eggplant is a little old, or looks a little brown when you cut it, then salt it. Here's a guide on how to salt your eggplant.

How do the leftovers keep?

Great! Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. You can reheat them in a pot on the stove, or in the microwave. Add a splash of water if you think it's needed.

More Vegan Eggplant Recipes

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5 from 19 votes