24 Delicious Eggplant Recipes You Can Enjoy All Year Long (2024)

With its endless possibilities for preparation and gorgeous aubergine hue, eggplant is one of our favorite produce items. Technically, it's a fruit, but it's generally treated like a vegetable, and it comes in a range of shapes, sizes, and colors. It's also versatile: Try it grilled, roasted whole, or as part of a vegetable stew. Eggplant makes a great sandwich filling or pasta sauce—and it can even be made into meatballs and more.

Before we share our favorite eggplant recipes, it's important to know how to identify a good one at the market: The flesh should give a bit when it is gently pressed; there should be no hard spots (avoid produce with brown or soft spots). The skin should be shiny and smooth (not wrinkled or mottled) and stems should be green. A whole eggplant will keep up to a few days in a cool place, but don't store it in the refrigerator—this will damage its texture.