Perfectly blending sweet and sour flavor profiles, this delicious eggplant caponata will banish those winter blues and transport you straight to balmy Sicily. It pairs silky eggplant with herbs, tomatoes, olives, capers and raisins to create a mouthwatering, tangy treat you’ll love.
I’ll level with you – I’ve always adored Italian food. From my Gluten-Free Lasagna, Classic Italian Salad to comforting Italian Wedding Soup, the authentic combination of herbs, olives and tomatoes never fails to get me going.
And this delicious eggplant caponata is no exception!
I love serving this traditional Sicilian dish with a hunk of crusty bread. But it’s equally delicious served over spaghetti squash or pasta to create a well-rounded, filling dinner.
If you’re feeling bougie, use this easy eggplant caponata for a crispy bruschetta with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and fresh basil and enjoy it with a glass of vino?
It’s not quite sipping an aperitif on the Italian coast, but it’s close enough for me!
Cheap to make and easy enough for beginners, this dish is bound to become a firm favorite in your recipe binder.
I love the idea of using it as an appetizer to serve guests for a restaurant-quality experience.
Let’s chat about the fresh and simple ingredients!
Ingredients for Eggplant Caponata
These are all the ingredients you’ll need to make a tasty eggplant caponata. The recipe is dreamy as it is, but I’ll include a few customizations and additions to play around with too!
Eggplant: The star of the show! Italians usually fry the eggplant, but roasting is a good alternative if you’re trying to multitask. I recommend using smaller eggplants for a more tender flavor.
Avocado oil: This oil has a very high smoke point, so it’ll hold up in the oven or skillet better than olive oil without burning. And hey, I love the healthy fatty acids and vitamin E this ingredient brings to the table!
Yellow onion: Yellow onions have a more complex flavor than white onions. So, they’ll add a slight, caramelized sweetness that enhances the base. Plus, they won’t turn to mush when cooked (hooray!).
Celery: Adds crunch and light acidity to the recipe.
Garlic cloves: The cloves bring an incredible fragrance and a delicious, savory flavor to the base. This recipe uses eight cloves, but you can never go too overboard on garlic!
Raisins: These little morsels offer sweetness to balance out the briny tang of the white vinegar and capers.
Capers: Key to achieving the caponata’s signature saltiness. You can also use a tapenade if you prefer.
Kalamata olives: These give the recipe a briny flavor and enhance the sour side of the caponata’s flavor profile.
Diced tomatoes: Fresh tomatoes form the base of the caponata sauce. I prefer using fresh, but you can always use whole, canned tomatoes in a pinch.
White vinegar: Vinegar is key for achieving a typical caponata’s classic “agrodolce” (AKA: sweet and sour!) flavor. I highly recommend using high-quality vinegar to add more richness to the recipe.
Parsley: For sprinkling.
Salt: To make the rest of the ingredients shine.
Recipe Customizations
- Swap the kalamata olives with green olives to dial down the tang a little. These olives bring a pop of color to the caponata recipe while being buttery and slightly sweet.
- If you find the recipe too briny, a sprinkle of sugar should lighten up the overall flavor. A small amount of pure maple syrup will also work if you’d rather use a natural sweetener.
- Chopped red bell peppers and a few pine nuts can add extra crunch and sweetness.
- Love herbs? Feel free to sprinkle some fresh basil over the recipe with the parsley!
- Spice fanatics can add a few red pepper flakes over the caponata for a kick.
Tips for the Best Eggplant Caponata
- Keep sauteing your vegetables until they’re soft and tender. A slight crunch is not what we’re looking for here.
- Chop everything before cooking to ensure you’re ready to toss everything in the skillet.
- If you’re using Italian eggplants, you can leave the skin intact – it’ll soften as it roasts. With globe eggplants, removing some skin is a good idea to stop it from tasting leathery.
What Does It Taste Like?
This eggplant caponata is particularly tangy, and I feel the vinegar, capers, and olives bring out the natural flavors of the veggies.
The softness of the eggplant pairs so well with the crunch of the celery and the sweetness from the raisins.
While it has bitter notes, I don’t find it eye-wateringly sour, and I love how rustic it tastes with a hunk of bread.
In short, it’s just *chef’s kiss*.
How to Make Eggplant Caponata
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Chop your eggplant and place it into ½ cup of the oil. Spread it in an even layer over a large baking sheet, sprinkle with sea salt, and roast in the oven for 35-40 minutes.
If you prefer, you can cook the eggplant in a skillet. Heat oil under medium heat and add the chopped eggplant. Toss and sauté until the eggplant has browned and gone soft. Remove the eggplant from the skillet and set it aside.
Heat the remaining oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and sauté, stirring every few minutes until the veggies are fully cooked.
Add the remaining ingredients (including that roasted eggplant from earlier!) and stir until thoroughly mixed.
Bring the mixture to a full boil, reduce the heat, and let the sauce boil gently until the liquid reduces.
Serve your eggplant caponata hot over toasted bread, pasta, or spaghetti squash for a delicious dinner. Sprinkle the dish with parsley and salt, and you’re good to go. Alternatively, let your caponata cool, place it in the fridge, and serve cold!
Like many Italian recipes, this eggplant caponata gets better the longer you let it sit. It’ll stay delicious in an airtight jar or container in the fridge for up to a week.
Packed with flavor and super easy to make, this meal is one of those mainstay recipes that promises to be love at first bite. Let me know in the comments section if you decide to try it out!
Love eggplant and need some more inspiration for your weekly meal plan? Why not try these reader favorites?
More Eggplant Recipes:
- Indian Eggplant Curry (Baingan Bharta)
- Roasted Eggplant and Mushroom Curry
- Roasted Eggplant Pesto Sandwich
- Roasted Eggplant Split Pea Soup
- Eggplant, Chickpea, and Chard Shakshuka
Enjoy this amazing appetizer recipe the next time you’re serving guests for pasta night!
Eggplant Caponata Recipe
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup avocado oil or olive oil, divided
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 1 celery stalk chopped
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large eggplant peeled and chopped into 1” cubes
- ½ cup raisins
- 2 tablespoons capers
- ½ cup pitted kalamata olives halved
- 1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1/3 cup white vinegar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss the chopped eggplant in 1/2 cup of the oil and spread it in an even layer over a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt and roast in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, stirring once half-way through.
- As an alternative, cook the eggplant in a skillet. To do so, heat ½ cup of the oil to medium and add the chopped eggplant. Toss the eggplant to evenly coat in oil. Sauté, stirring frequently, until eggplant has browned, begins cooking down, and is soft, about 10 minutes. Pour the eggplant into a bowl and set aside.
- Add the remaining oil (about 3 tablespoons to a large skillet and heat on the stove top over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and sauté, stirring every couple of minutes, until veggies are cooked through, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients including the roasted eggplant and stir everything together. Bring mixture to a full boil, reduce the heat, and allow the sauce to boil gently (uncovered) until much of the liquid has been reduced, about 15 minutes.
- Serve hot spread over toasted bread, or serve cold. Keep leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container. Caponata tastes better the longer it sits!
Video
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe on December 27, 2013. I updated the photographs, added a video, and completely re-vamped the content to make it more informational and useful.
This caponata recipe is a masterclass in transforming humble eggplant into something extraordinary! As someone who’s grown Sicilian eggplants for years, I appreciate how the recipe balances sweet and tangy flavors—the addition of golden raisins is inspired. A pro tip from my nonna: Letting the caponata rest overnight allows the flavors to marry beautifully, turning the vinegar from sharp to nuanced.
Three game-changing tweaks I’ve discovered:
Smoky Depth – Charring 1/3 of the eggplant over a gas flame (or grill) adds incredible complexity
Texture Play – Toasted pine nuts added just before serving give a satisfying crunch
Portable Picnics – Pack leftovers in an insulated container(https://holohololife.com/)—its leak-proof seal keeps oils from seeping, and the stainless steel won’t absorb flavors
Question for fellow cooks: How do you adapt this for spice lovers? My Calabrian chili oil drizzle walks the line between traditional and adventurous.
I’m thrilled to hear you’re also a caponata enthusiast! I love the idea of adding chili oil – I had never thought to do so, but now I must try it myself!
This looks simply fantastic; I can’t wait to try it!
I cannot resist eggplant- the dessert of vegetables!! Looks delish!
I adore caponata. And I’m a huge bread fiend so I could totally imagine myself smothering this veggie goodness all over a slice of toasted ciabatta. Yum. But the spaghetti squash idea sounds fascinating, I’ve never eaten spaghetti squash (I don’t think it’s sold over here) but I want to track some down soon!
I could use this meal right about now! too much booze and heavy food. I’m an eggplant lover and this meal pretty much has everything I love in it! Pass me a fork
Oh Im in desperate need of veggies (even those that arent so nutrient rich… Its better than eating leftover Christmas cookies for dinner, right? 😉 This looks delicious!
ahh eggplant is one of my faves! This looks delicious! Yea, not much in the way of vitamins in those old eggplants, although I heard recently eggplants have phytochemicals…kinda like antioxidants I guess. Who knows, all I know is it is dang good! 🙂
I didn’t realize eggplants were so useless nutritionally, but they taste soooo good. I love appetizers, and my family actually does appetizers only for Christmas — this would’ve made a great addition.
This looks beautiful! Love veggies 🙂
Appetizers are like the poor man’s tapas, come on! At least we both agree that eggplant, is indeed, delicious 😀 Your caponata looks lovely.
I actually formed a habit of saying apps from waiting tables for five years but I promise not to ever say it on here again! 😉
Eggplants a funny vegetable and I don’t always like it, but it looks delicious like this! Well worth the tease.
You totally read my mind (again!)….I’ve been wanting to make (read, eat) caponata for weeks!!
We must be on the same wavelength, because I’ve been meaning to make tapenade and I just went to your site, and lo and behold, you posted a recipe for one. 😉 Let’s get together and EAT!
This look like just what I need. Veggies! Love it!
Dern straight! And after the caponata, we can down some of your insane-o churros with boozy chocolate sauce. All things in balance, correct? Correct.