Portions: 4 servings Calories: 510kcal |
Looking for a vegan Thanksgiving main dish? This vegan eggplant roulade is a flavorful and elegant-looking dish perfect for Christas, Thanksgiving, or any feast. The intense flavors and beautiful presentation will win over even meat lovers.
By - Revised . Original Dec 20, 2011.
Vegan Main Dish for Thanksgiving & Christmas [Video+Recipe].
Why we ❤️ it
- If you have vegan or vegetarian guests for your Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year's Eve dinner, I encourage you to serve this delicious and attractive vegan main dish, which is easy to prepare and sure to be a hit.
- You will surprise and impress your guests, instead of expecting them to be content with eating only side dishes or whatever meat-free leftovers there are.
- Every year I have vegan guests for our Christmas Eve dinner, and I serve this every year. Even meat lovers happily help themselves to it.
Utensils and tools
Ingredients
For the eggplant
- 1 very large eggplant, or 3 large eggplants, see tips
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 small red onion, cut into strips
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- ¼ cup pitted green olives, sliced
- ¼ cup capers, optional
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 cup canned chickpeas, or boiled at home
- 1 cup panko, or breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
For the dough
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon white sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon soy milk, (or a bit more, if needed)
For the glaze
- 1 tablespoon soy milk
- ½ teaspoon brown sugar, or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Video
Preparation
1. Preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 120°C [250°F].
2. Cut the eggplants
Cut the eggplants in half.Separate the skin from the flesh. Remove the flesh with a spoon, leaving as little as possible.Cut the flesh into small cubes.
3. Sauté the vegetables
- Heat the oil in a pot over very low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until they are translucent.Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for one minute. Add the olives and capers, followed by the oregano, and mix. Cook for one minute.Add the eggplant pulp (reserve the skins). Mix well. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
4. Make the filling
- Pour the tomato sauce into the sautéed vegetables and mix well. Cover for one more minute.Turn off the heat. Add the chickpeas, followed by the panko. Mix well. Season with pepper and salt to taste.Let the filling cool to room temperature.
5. Make the dough
- Mix the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda.Add the soy milk and oil. Mix well. Knead the dough lightly until soft (about 1 minute). ⚠️ If the dough is too dry, add just a bit more of soy milk.Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
6. Stuff the eggplants
- Stuff the two eggplant skins with the filling made earlier, and join them back together, being careful not to spill the filling.
7. Make the glaze
- Mix the oil, soy milk, and sugar or maple syrup.
8. Assemble
- Roll out the dough until it is 3 mm (⅛ inch) thick. Place the eggplant on the rolled-out dough (being careful not to disturb the filling).Pull the dough up until it meets at the top. Smooth it out and seal it with a finger dipped in the glaze, cutting off the excess dough as you go.Make a few small holes in the crust on the seam side and turn it over (the seam will be on the bottom).Roll out the remaining dough and, with a cutter, cut out the decoration. Stick it to the eggplant with a finger dipped in the glaze. Place them on a baking sheet with a rack.⚠️ If you don't have a rack, use a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, but the dough will turn out better on a rack.
9. Bake
- Brush the eggplant with the glaze, being careful not to wet it too much.Bake for about 10 minutes.Remove from the oven and brush with the glaze again. Bake until the crust is lightly browned.⚠️ Be very careful with hot surfaces! Use caution and wear appropriate protective gear.
10 Serve
- Remove the eggplant from the oven. Let it cool on a wire rack for a couple of minutes before serving.See serving suggestions below.
Top tips
- Eggplants: I used only one eggplant. I found these giant eggplants at the local supermarket, measuring about 25 centimeters [almost 10 inches] long.
- If you can't find these giant eggplants, substitute two large regular ones. You can look for Italian eggplants or American eggplants, but the names of the varieties are not the same in every country.
This dish fed four people at our table. If you are feeding more than four people, or your guests have big appetites, adjust the quantities accordingly to make more servings. - Prepare ahead: If you want to do any of the prep work beforehand, do so up to step 6, wrap the eggplant in aluminum foil, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
You can also prepare the dough and leave it in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic wrap. From there, the dish will take about 30 minutes to be ready to serve. - Baking sheet: Baking on a wire rack allows any liquid released during baking to drain away so that it doesn't soften the dough, which is preferable and gives better results.
If you don't have one, use whatever you have on hand. This is something I discovered when I made it after taking the photos and-years later-filming the video. - Homemade panko: I have a recipe for making homemade panko, in case you want to make it at home or can't find it.
Serving suggestions
If you're having vegan or vegetarian guests over for New Year's dinner, you can serve this elegant thanksgiving vegan main dish with my Christmas rice with raisins and almonds, my Festive rice with cranberries, or any of my Christmas recipes.
They're all perfect for a vegan Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas, or New Year's menu.
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Nutrition
Calories: 510kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1817mg | Potassium: 691mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 415IU | Vitamin C: 11.6mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 4.1mg
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
This gorgeous eggplant roll is a flavorful and elegant Christmas and Thanksgiving vegan main dish with intense flavors and beautiful presentation.
I am vegetarian and I am going to try this recipe this year. I will try using regular milk so I don't have to buy soy milk.
Step 6 says add the soy milk and oil. But soy oil is not listed in the ingredients for the dough. Which is correct?
Hi Penny,
Merry Christmas, I think that's step 5, and it says soy milk and vegetable oil. I have changed the text to explain it better, so thanks for writing and letting me know.
Thanks.
It sounds incredible. Thanks for sharing this recipe, I can't wait to make it for Thanksgiving.
Hi Clara, this looks amazing & I would love to try it but one question. what can I use instead of sugar...Maple syrup? or would you suggest a different sweetener
Yes, maple syrup is perfect for the glaze.
When my children were small i used to freeze plain yogurt made with whole milk and orange juice concentrate (about equal amounts, stirred together) f o r teething babies or sick children. For older children i added a little vanilla. today i mix this up for a summer drink that… Read more »
This is a great idea! I am happy I found it just in time for tomorrow. Wish me luck.
I absolutely loved this berenjena! I made it exaclty like you and it worked great. I didn't have those cookie cutters but it was fine without. Maybe next year. I love all of your recipes! I am currently planning our Christmas dinner and will check for more recipes. 🙂
This looks so good!
Oh, and I love when you add videos. It helps a lot.
Nice looking dish and very pretty pictures.