Eggplant Schnitzel: Crispy Vegan Recipe
Crispy on the outside and soft and tender inside, this vegan eggplant schnitzel is oven baked rather than fried and completely gluten free. Serve it over a creamy white bean and roasted tomato hummus for an easy but restaurant style plant based meal.
Equipment
Ingredients
For The Eggplants
- 2 Eggplants Medium - Large
- 1/3 cup Rice Flour
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened Soy Milk
- 3/4 cup Gluten Free Breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup Crushed Corn Cereal Optional
- 2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- 1 tsp Smocked Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 2 tbsp Avocado Oil Or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
For the Beans & Tomatoes Hummus
- 1 cup Cooked White Beans
- 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 tbsp Tahini
- 1 clove Garlic
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/4 To Taste Sea Salt
- To Taste Black Pepper
- 1 Ice Cube Or Cold Water
Instructions
- Cook the eggplant. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Wash the eggplants, prick them several times with a fork, then rub with a little olive oil and salt. Bake whole for 40 to 50 minutes, or until completely soft.
- Roast the tomatoes. Place the cherry tomatoes in a small baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast at 170°C for around 35 to 45 minutes, until soft, juicy and lightly caramelised.
- Prepare the breading station. Set out three shallow bowls. Add the rice flour to the first, the plant based milk to the second, and the gluten free breadcrumbs mixed with crushed corn cereal, nutritional yeast, paprika, salt and pepper to the third.
- Make the white bean cream. Blend the roasted tomatoes with the white beans, tahini, garlic, cumin, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add one ice cube or two tablespoons of cold water and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Drain and flatten the eggplant. Transfer the cooked eggplants to a colander and allow them to cool slightly while releasing some of their excess moisture. Once cool enough to handle, place each eggplant on a clean kitchen towel and gently flatten it with your hands without tearing it.
- Bread the eggplant. Coat each flattened eggplant first in rice flour, then in plant based milk and finally in the breadcrumb mixture. Press the coating gently onto the surface so the eggplant is completely covered.
- Bake until crispy. Transfer the breaded eggplants to a baking tray and drizzle or brush generously with avocado oil. Bake at 200°C for around 20 to 25 minutes, carefully turning halfway through, until golden and crisp.
- Serve. Spread the white bean cream over the plate and place the crispy eggplant schnitzel on top. Serve whole or sliced and enjoy immediately while the coating is still crunchy.
Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Keep the eggplant schnitzel and the white bean cream separate if possible, so the coating stays crisp for longer.
Reheating: For the best texture, reheat the schnitzel in the oven or air fryer until hot and crisp again. I do not recommend using the microwave, as it will soften the coating. This eggplant schnitzel is best served immediately after baking, while the outside is still golden and crisp and the centre is soft and tender.
Original Content Note: All recipes published on INUMAMI are original and developed from my personal cooking experience. The recipe, written content, styling, and photographs featured in this post were created by me. No AI is used to create recipes. All food photographs are original and owned by INUMAMI.
Nutritional Note: Any nutritional information provided is an estimate and may vary depending on the size of the eggplants, the brands of breadcrumbs and plant based milk used, the amount of oil absorbed during cooking, and the quantity of white bean cream served.
Nutrition
Serving: 450gCalories: 890kcalCarbohydrates: 132gProtein: 23gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 1226mgPotassium: 1957mgFiber: 24gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 1127IUVitamin C: 31mgCalcium: 214mgIron: 6mg