Garden Eggplant & Tomato Skillet with Eggs

Garden Eggplant & Tomato Skillet with Eggs

A hearty, rustic dish made with fresh garden vegetables — perfect for a late-summer brunch or cozy dinner.

When your garden is overflowing with eggplants, tomatoes, onions, and herbs, this comforting skillet meal brings it all together. The vegetables slowly cook down into a rich, spiced sauce that cradles perfectly cooked eggs, ideal for scooping up with crusty bread or pita.

Ingredients

1 large onion
1 medium eggplant
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4 large tomatoes or one 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1 tablespoon paprika
½ tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili flakes or ½ fresh jalapeño, finely chopped (adjust to taste)
½ teaspoon sugar
Juice of ½ lemon
A handful of fresh parsley, chopped
4 eggs

Instructions

Finely chop the onion. Dice the eggplant and tomatoes into half-inch cubes. Place the eggplant in a colander and sprinkle it with salt to draw out excess liquid while you prepare the rest. Mince the garlic and, if using, finely chop the jalapeño.

Heat a large nonstick or enamel-coated skillet over medium heat. Add one tablespoon of oil and the onions. Sauté for about five minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking for another five minutes, until golden and fragrant.

Add two tablespoons of oil and the eggplant cubes to the pan, being careful not to overcrowd them. Let the eggplant brown for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Once it absorbs the oil, drizzle in the remaining tablespoon and continue browning for about ten minutes, until tender and evenly colored.

Stir in the tomatoes and cook on medium heat until they break down into a chunky sauce, about fifteen to twenty-five minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, cumin, chili, salt, and sugar. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly.

Use a spoon to make small wells in the sauce and crack an egg into each one. Alternatively, you can scramble the eggs separately and spoon them into little nests of sauce—try both to see which you prefer. Cover the pan and cook on medium heat for eight to ten minutes, until the whites are set but the yolks remain a little jiggly.

Squeeze in the lemon juice, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve immediately. Add a dollop of yogurt on the side and a slice of crusty bread to soak up all that delicious sauce.

Garden Note

This dish is a celebration of late-summer harvests, when eggplants are glossy, tomatoes are bursting with flavor, and there’s still enough fresh basil and parsley in the garden to make everything shine. It’s hearty, wholesome, and exactly the kind of meal that brings the garden to your table.