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    Home » Mediterranean recipes

    Eggplant Caponata Recipe

    Published: Apr 17, 2021 by Shadi HasanzadeNemati · This post may contain affiliate links .

    37279 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    Eggplant caponata is an easy recipe that's full of flavor. This vegetarian eggplant recipe is made with fresh vegetables and can be prepared quickly.

    Eggplant caponata is an easy recipe that's full of flavor. This vegetarian eggplant recipe is made with fresh vegetables and can be prepared quickly. 

    We use eggplant very often in our recipes because it's such a versatile vegetable that can be used in different ways. Eggplant recipes are very common in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. Some of our favorite eggplant recipes are eggplant lasagna, classic eggplant parmesan and Greek eggplant moussaka. Today's recipe is caponata, which is a simple Italian dish that you can make in summer and serve simply with some bread. 

    Table Of Contents:
    • What Is Caponata?
    • Ingredients
    • How To Make Eggplant Caponata
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Storage
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • More Eggplant Recipes
    • Step-by-Step Recipe

    What Is Caponata?

    Caponata, also known as capunata, is a Sicilian eggplant dish made that's usually served warm. It's considered a warm vegetable salad that can be served as an appetizer, side or even a main dish. There are so many different versions and most have eggplant and onions in common.

    Caponata, also known as Capunata is a Sicilian eggplant dish made that's usually served warm.

    This Italian eggplant recipe is easy, simple and full of flavor. It's such a delicious addition to a dinner table, especially in summer when fresh vegetables are nicely in season. We have this Italian dish at least twice a month in summer because it's so good! 

    Ingredients

    Like French ratatouille, this recipe calls for fresh vegetables that are easily accessible. To make this easy eggplant dish, you need the following ingredients:

    To make this easy eggplant dish, you need the following ingredients: Eggplants Onions Garlic Tomatoes Red bell pepper Olives Capers
    • Eggplants: I suggest using Italian eggplants since they are less spongy compare to globe eggplants.
    • Onions: You can use white or yellow onions to make this dish.
    • Garlic: It's best to use fresh garlic and not garlic powder.
    • Tomatoes: You can use canned tomatoes for this recipe. If using fresh ones, Roma tomatoes work best.
    • Red bell pepper: You can use orange or yellow bell pepper as well. I don't suggest using green bell pepper.
    • Olives: Black olives work best in this recipe, however you can also use a combination of black and green olives.
    • Capers: I love the addition of capers in this dish, but you can leave them out if you're not a fan.

    How To Make Eggplant Caponata

    roast the eggplants cook the onions and pepper with tomatoes and eggplants
    1. Preheat the oven to 400 °F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with non stick spray.
    2. Cut the eggplants into cubes and place them on the baking sheet.
    3. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle some salt. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes.
    4. Saute the onion and garlic in a large pan over medium heat and add in tomatoes and red bell pepper.
    5. Once the vegetables are cooked, add in roasted eggplants, olives and capers with salt and pepper.
    6. Let it cook for another 10-15 minutes and serve with crusty bread.

    Serving Suggestions

    Caponata is a very versatile dish. You can serve it as an eggplant appetizer at your parties, or as a main dish with some crusty bread or even homemade pita. I also love serving it as a side dish with garlic chicken or caprese chicken as it makes a wonderful combination. This dish is also great with Italian stuffed peppers. 

    Storage

    Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Reheat in a pan, covered, over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes.

    Can I freeze eggplant caponata?? This eggplant recipe freezes beautifully therefore you can make a big batch and freeze the rest to use later. Once it's is fully cooled, transfer it into an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. To serve, thaw either in the fridge or microwave and heat in a pan over medium heat. Serve with some crusty bread.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What kinds of eggplant can I use for this recipe?

    I suggest you use Italian eggplants to make this Italian warm eggplant dish because they have thin peel and roast beautifully. It's also possible to use graffiti eggplants, globe eggplants or Chinese eggplants if Italian eggplants are not available. Please check out this article by The Kitchn about different varieties of eggplants and how to use them.

    What's the difference between ratatouille and caponata?

    Besides the ingredients that are unique to each recipe, such as capers for caponata and zucchini for ratatouille, the main difference between the two dishes is in their texture. While ratatouille is more of a stew, caponata is considered more of a warm salad served as an appetizer.

    Is caponata served warm or cold?

    Eggplant caponata is considered a warm vegetable salad, therefore it's usually served warm or at room temperature. However, I've also had it cold and it tastes great. Serving this classic Italian dish warm or cold completely depends on your preference. 

    You can serve eggplant caponata as a main dish with some crusty bread.

    More Eggplant Recipes

    • The Best Middle Eastern Eggplant Recipe
    • Classic Eggplant Lasagna Recipe
    • Best Eggplant Parmesan Recipe (Video)
    • Easy Vegetable Lasagna Recipe

    Did you make this recipe? I'd love to hear about it! Please comment and leave a 5-star🌟 rating below. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest or subscribe to our newsletter to get a free e-Cookbook!

    Step-by-Step Recipe

    Eggplant Caponata Recipe

    Shadi HasanzadeNemati
    Eggplant caponata is an easy recipe that's full of flavor. This vegetarian eggplant recipe is made with fresh vegetables and is very simple to make. 
    4.62 from 90 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 45 minutes mins
    Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 208 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 lb Italian eggplants cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • 1 yellow onion chopped
    • 4 cloves garlic minced
    • 1 can diced tomatoes 15 oz
    • 1 red bell pepper diced
    • ½ cup green and black olives chopped
    • ¼ cup capers
    • 1 tsp salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Coat with non stick spray. 
    • Place eggplant pieces on the baking sheet and drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil on the eggplants. Sprinkle some salt and mix using your hands. 
    • Roast the eggplants in the oven for 20 minutes. 
    • Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
    • Saute onion and garlic until translucent. 
    • Add in diced tomatoes and red bell peppers to onions and garlic. Cook for about ten minutes until they're cooked. 
    • Add in cooked eggplant, chopped olives and capers. Cook for five minutes. 
    • Season with salt and pepper.
    • Top with parsley and serve warm with crusty bread. 

    Video

    Notes

    • You can also fry the eggplants instead of roasting them. 
    • It's possible to make this dish ahead of time. Eggplant caponata can be served warm, cold or at room temperature. 
    • Store the leftovers in an airtight glass container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
    • To freeze caponata, transfer it into an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. To serve, thaw either in the fridge or microwave and heat in a pan over medium heat. Serve with some crusty bread. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 208kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 3gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 1161mgPotassium: 505mgFiber: 6gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 228IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 67mgIron: 2mg
    Did you make this recipe? Let us know how it was by leaving a comment and a 5-star review!

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    37279 shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nancy

      June 01, 2023 at 2:56 pm

      5 stars
      I always struggle with how to cook eggplants. This Eggplant caponata is amazing easy and tasty.

      Reply
    2. Demi

      April 27, 2023 at 2:18 pm

      real carbonara does not have green peppers in it. use celery or nothing. green olives and capers are the two most important things besides the tomato and onion in this and of course the eggplant but don't use green pepper

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        April 28, 2023 at 9:13 am

        This recipe does not call for green bell peppers (please read the post and the recipe card). It does use olives and capers.

        Reply
    3. Phoebe

      August 22, 2022 at 6:44 pm

      5 stars
      I have always avoided eggplant, until the last couple of years. I realized that I love it. I can’t wait to make this!!

      Reply
    4. Brandy

      August 22, 2022 at 9:35 am

      5 stars
      This is great when you want to have a meatless Monday! So easy to make and very delicious! Always enjoy this when I make it!

      Reply
    5. Bridget

      May 08, 2022 at 5:37 pm

      Can this be canned in mason jars processed in boiling water? If so, how long do you boil?

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        May 08, 2022 at 9:09 pm

        Unfortunately I've never tried canning these therefore I don't know the exact process.

        Reply
    6. Jenny

      February 20, 2022 at 9:22 pm

      5 stars
      This was so delicious! And so versatile. Made it into a delicious sandwich and then had guests and made pita crisps to dip into it. Yummy. Thank you! 🤗🤗

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        February 22, 2022 at 5:28 am

        Glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    7. Jennifer

      February 20, 2022 at 4:34 pm

      5 stars
      I just made this for lunch. I used a regular American/globe eggplant (because good luck finding an Italian eggplant on Maui!) and only black olives. It was delicious. I didn't have any crusty bread, but naan works well, too. Thanks for the recipe! I'll be making it again.

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        February 22, 2022 at 5:30 am

        Hi Jennifer! Glad you enjoyed this recipe! Maui sounds so fun to live in!

        Reply
    8. sharmilawilmore@gmail.com

      January 25, 2022 at 7:30 pm

      5 stars
      This was delicious. I used green bell peppers and fresh ram tomatoes because that's what I had left and I refused to go to the store 🙂. I loved it and will make it again! We ate it as a side but we can def have it as a main dish! LOVED IT!

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        January 27, 2022 at 5:43 am

        Glad you liked it! It's good as a side or main, maybe with some bread or even pasta!

        Reply
    9. LJ Stevens

      January 06, 2022 at 8:00 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my, this is delicious!!! The only change I made, was to omit the additional salt after generously salting the eggplant prior to roasting. Will definitely be making this again! Thank you!

      Reply
    10. Angie

      November 10, 2021 at 2:16 pm

      5 stars
      This is a great receipe. Like the idea of cooking eggplant cubes in the oven. My mom made this all the time for lunch. I have made it and it is very good. Made a batch and put them in mason jars.

      Reply
    11. Holly C

      September 14, 2021 at 4:33 pm

      5 stars
      this is my caponata recipe! 🙂 like you, i eat it room temp or cold.i never use it as an appetizer -i'll have a bowl of it for lunch, & will add some orzo to it & have it for dinner. its too good to just have on some crackers or bruschetta

      Reply
    12. Marcia

      August 22, 2021 at 5:18 pm

      I made this dish, but the Aubergines were still raw in the oven and afterwards in the small amount of juices! It wasn't very tasty I'm sorry to say. Persian dishes are more delicious 😋

      Reply
    13. Nellie Tracy

      July 28, 2021 at 7:39 am

      5 stars
      Delicious recipe for caponata. My family loves it! Thank you!

      Reply
    14. Gina

      July 28, 2021 at 7:37 am

      5 stars
      One of my favorite spreads! I could easily eat this as a meal with a loaf of bread.

      Reply
    15. Angela

      May 11, 2021 at 1:42 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my goodness! This is so good with a loaf of crusty bread. One of my favorites dishes ever. YUM!

      Reply
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