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Vegan Eggplant Involtini with Harissa Sauce

This vegan eggplant involtini is made with tender baked (not fried!) eggplant slices that are stuffed with cashew-based vegan ricotta filling and baked up in spicy harissa tomato sauce.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 406 kcal
Course: Side Dish , Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For the eggplant:
  • 1 large Italian eggplant about 1 ½ pounds
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
For the harissa sauce:
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion diced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 28-ounce can tomato puree
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1-2 tablespoons harissa paste or to taste
  • 1 ½ teaspoons maple syrup or granulated sugar
  • salt and pepper to taste
For the vegan ricotta filling:
  • 1 cup raw cashews soaked in water 4 to 8 hours and drained
  • ¼ cup chopped onion about ½ small onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • ¼ cup unflavored soy or almond milk
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • ½ pound extra firm tofu drained
  • 1 cup torn fresh basil leaves
  • ½ cup coarsely chopped kalamata olives
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs

Instructions

Prepare the eggplant:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut the top off of the eggplant, and then cut the rest lengthwise into ¼-inch thick slices--you want the slices as long and wide as possible. Lightly brush both sides of each slice with oil, and then arrange them in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the slices are pliable and have just begun to brown, about 12 minutes. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack.
Make the harissa tomato sauce:
  1. While the eggplant bakes, coat the bottom of a medium saucepan with olive oil, and place it over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion. Sauté until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté about 1 minute more, until fragrant. Add tomato the puree, tomato paste, harissa, and maple syrup.
  2. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, just until the sauce has thickened up a bit. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Make the vegan ricotta filling:
  1. Place cashews, onion, garlic, milk, lemon juice and maple syrup into the bowl of a food processor fitted with an S-blade. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of bowl as needed. Add the tofu and pulse until the mixture takes on a chunky, ricotta-like texture. Add the basil and Kalamata olives and pulse again, just until they’re evenly incorporated into the mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Make the vegan eggplant involtini:
  1. Pour the sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish, reserving about 1 cup for serving. Place an eggplant slab on a clean work surface, extending away from you, with the wider end closest to you. Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of vegan ricotta filling onto the eggplant slab, about a half inch from the end closest to you, then sprinkle the filling with about a teaspoon of panko breadcrumbs. Roll the end of the eggplant slab over the filings, then away from you. Place the eggplant roll into your baking dish, seam side down. Repeat until all the eggplant and fillings are used.
  2. Place the baking dish into the oven (which should still be at 400°F) and bake for about 20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for a few minutes before serving.
  3. Top with the reserved sauce and divide onto plates, then serve.

Notes

  • Prep time does not include soaking time for the cashews.
  • If your eggplant has been hanging around for a few days or shows some browning when you cut it open, you may need to salt it to remove the bitterness. Arrange eggplant slices in a colander and sprinkle generously with salt. Allow to sit for about 30 minutes, then rinse well, pat dry and proceed with the recipe.
  • Feel free to use your jarred sauce for a quicker version of this dish, but if you can, I really recommend finding a very basic sauce and adding some harissa, or at least red pepper flakes, as the spicy flavor goes really nicely with the ricotta. You’ll need about 2 ½ cups of whatever sauce you go with.

Nutrition Information

Calories 406kcal (20%) Carbohydrates 35g (12%) Protein 14g (28%) Fat 26g (40%) Saturated Fat 4g (20%) Polyunsaturated Fat 5g Monounsaturated Fat 15g Sodium 465mg (19%) Potassium 809mg (23%) Fiber 7g (28%) Sugar 15g (30%) Vitamin A 617IU (12%) Vitamin C 14mg (16%) Calcium 117mg (12%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 406

% Daily Value*

Calories 406kcal 20%
Carbohydrates 35g 12%
Protein 14g 28%
Fat 26g 40%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Polyunsaturated Fat 5g 29%
Monounsaturated Fat 15g 75%
Sodium 465mg 19%
Potassium 809mg 17%
Fiber 7g 28%
Sugar 15g 30%
Vitamin A 617IU 12%
Vitamin C 14mg 16%
Calcium 117mg 12%
Iron 4mg 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.