Vegan Eggplant Roll Ups with Black Bean-Potato Filling

ByAlina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats Updated on
31 Comments
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Today I'm sharing my vegan eggplant roll ups recipe that features a delicious and healthy veggie and potato-based filling. These delicious vegan eggplant rollatini are naturally dairy free, gluten free, soy free, and nut free.

Eggplant roll ups recipe | vegan eggplant roll ups with potato-bean stuffing

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These vegan eggplant roll ups are the kind of dish that looks quite fancy for a special occasion, yet can be made without putting in lots of effort for a casual dinner.

I'll admit that the idea of using roasted eggplant instead of lasagna noodles in Italian-inspired dishes is not new.

I've seen some recipes online, but never got enough courage to try them because it seemed like too much work.

I have to admit: not all of my recipe inventions come out great the first time I make them, but these wowed my family from the first bite 🙂

I recently made delicious filling for my veggie-loaded vegan enchilada recipe with potatoes, black beans, and bell peppers. It was only logical to try that stuffing in other dishes.

I had a medium-sized eggplant that I sliced lengthwise and roasted in the oven until it was soft. Little did I know that it would shrink so much during roasting!

Thankfully, I only had two people to feed (my husband and myself), so those 7 roll ups were just enough.

There was some leftover stuffing which I gladly wolfed down while the roll ups were baking.

Eggplant roll ups with veggie & potato stuffing

I suggest that you use a LARGE eggplant instead of medium when making this dish, and if you've got more than two people to feed, definitely double or triple the recipe.

(FYI I've updated the ingredient quantities in the recipe card below to yield 13-14 roll ups, enough for 4-5 servings.)

It's awesome if you have some homemade marinara sauce on hand, but if you don't (like me that fateful night), feel free to use some store-bought marinara. Make sure it has no high-fructose corn syrup though!

Another shortcut: use leftover vegan mashed potatoes instead of cooking potatoes specifically for this recipe!

I think these roll ups came out pretty good-looking, no? Maybe I'll make them some day when we have company over for dinner - you know how valuable some recipes can be in those cases!

The best part? My husband declared them so good that they are worth being included into our regular dinner rotation! I have no problem with that, especially since these rollups are (almost) pretty simple to make 🙂

Eggplant Roll Ups with Black Bean-Potato Filling - a vegan recipe approved by Dr. Michael Greger

UPDATE July 2015: This recipe has been approved by Dr. Michael Greger of NutritionFacts.org to be a part of his healthy plant-based recipe directory.

UPDATE 2020: It appears that Dr. Greger and his team decided against creating this recipe directory. Instead, in December 2020 they released a plant-based cookbook titled The How Not to Diet Cookbook: 100+ Recipes for Healthy, Permanent Weight Loss.

I do not know if this recipe was included in this cookbook. If you own a copy, please let me know!

Watch me make these vegan eggplant roll ups in this video on my YouTube channel:

How to Make Eggplant Roll Ups without Cheese or Dairy

Usually the filling of eggplant roll ups is made with ricotta cheese or a combination of cheeses. This makes the dish pretty heavy on calories and fat.

However, for my dairy free eggplant rollups I use a filling that contains no cheese. This filling is based on the good old potatoes that are virtually fat free.

In fact, potatoes are a true nutritional powerhouse.

They have more potassium per serving than bananas; they're an excellent source of vitamin C; plus, they're naturally cholesterol free and high in fiber.

Eggplant roll ups are often served as an appetizer. However, I've "bulked up" my roll ups enough to make them a perfect vegan main course dish for a family dinner.

How to Make a Lower Fat Version of Vegan Eggplant Roll Ups

Not only is this eggplant roll ups recipe fully vegan, it can also be made with very little oil.

Here's what you can do to cut back on oil:

1. Use water or veggie broth to sauté the vegetables.

2. When prepping eggplant slices for roasting, use an oil sprayer bottle to oil the surface of each slice instead of brushing them with oil.

3. Use a low fat or fat free marinara sauce to brush the assembled vegan eggplant rolls just before baking.

More Vegan Italian Recipes from the Blog:

My Vegan Ricotta Stuffed Shells is another veganized Italian dish our family has been enjoying. I've served them to both vegans and omnivores (including my Italian mother-in-law), and everyone raved about them.

Also, check out my Italian-style vegan macaroni salad (mayo-free), vegan Capellini al Pomodoro pasta ( one of my daughter's favorites), and veggie-loaded balsamic pasta.

UPDATE 2019: This recipe has become one of our 2 year old daughter's favorite recipes from the blog! Here's a list of 15 kid friendly recipes from the blog that she has approved.

📖 Recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Vegan Eggplant Roll Ups with Black Bean-Potato Filling

Vegan eggplant rollups recipe | vegan eggplant rollups with potato-bean stuffing
4.5 Stars (13 Reviews)

These vegan eggplant roll ups are a delicious dish with Italian flare that is meant to warm your heart and soul! Make sure to use large eggplants, and double or triple the recipe if cooking for company. Meat free, dairy free, egg free, gluten free, and nut free recipe.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 2 LARGE eggplants
  • 3 cups prepared marinara sauce (or more, to taste)

For Filling:

  • 5 medium russet potatoes, cut into 1-inch dice (about 1 ½ cups cubed)
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 yellow or orange bell pepper, sliced into 1-inch-long strips
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • Salt, pepper to taste
  • Avocado oil (or water/veggie broth), as needed

Seasonings:

  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon sage
  • 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast, or to taste

Instructions

To Prepare Eggplant:

  1. Slice eggplants lengthwise into ⅓ to ½ inch-thick slices. Sprinkle salt on both sides of each slice, put all slices in a bowl, and let sit for 20-30 min, until eggplant slices release their bitter juices. Most of the salt will be wiped away later.
  2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F. Pat each slice dry with paper towels to absorb the bitter juices and salt. Brush both sides of each eggplant slice with high heat oil like avocado oil (or use an oil sprayer bottle to cut down on oil). Arrange slices on a baking sheet.
  3. Bake in the oven for 10-12 min, then flip each slice and bake for another 5-7 min, until eggplant is soft. It doesn't need to be completely done at this point, just soft enough to roll up. Remove eggplant from the stove and set aside to cool. Reduce the heat of the oven to 375°F.
  4. Alternatively, you can grill eggplant for about 5 min per side.

To Prepare the Filling:

  1. If you have a steamer potor a separate steamer insert (kind of like a colander), set it up on stovetop and steam cubed potatoes until they are soft, about 10-15 min. If you don't have a steamer, boil potatoes until done, drain and set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, heat 1-2 tablespoon of avocado oil (or water/vegetable broth for low-oil option) in a nonstick pan on medium heat. Add sliced onions and peppers. Sauté them for 5 min until soft, stirring occasionally. Add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add seasonings: oregano, thyme, paprika, and sage.
  3. Once the steamed (or boiled) potatoes are soft, mix them into the sauteed vegetables. Mash them with a potato masher right in the pan. Add drained and rinsed black beans. Mix them in well and let heat through, about 3 min. Take off the heat.
  4. Sprinkle the potato-veggie filling with nutritional yeast, salt and pepper, mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

To Make the Roll Ups:

  1. Add about 1 cup of marinara sauce to the bottom of a 9 x 13 ovenproof baking casserole dish.
  2. Take a slice of baked eggplant, put a large spoonful (about ⅓ - ½ cup) of the potato-bean stuffing on one end of the slice, and cover it with the remaining part of the slice. Ideally, the ends just need to touch. If they overlap, you may add more stuffing; if they don't touch, remove some. Put your roll up into the baking dish with the seam facing down. Proceed with the rest of the eggplant pieces.
  3. Once all of the roll ups are in the baking dish, pour the rest of marinara sauce over them, spreading to cover all roll ups evenly.
  4. Bake uncovered for 20 min at 375°F. Once done, let cool for 5-10 min before serving.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

3 roll ups
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 497Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0mgCarbohydrates: 78gFiber: 22gSugar: 16gProtein: 18g

Nutritional information numbers will vary based on serving size, pasta sauce ingredients, eggplant size, etc. These numbers are approximate.

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© Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats
Cuisine: Italian / Category: Main Dishes

I hope you enjoy my vegan eggplant roll ups recipe as much as we do in our family!

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Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats
Alina Zavatsky is a vegan of 12+ years, a passionate blogger, YouTuber, and a mom. She helps new vegans and their families navigate a vegan diet and lifestyle in a sustainable and enjoyable way. Check out her new vegan meal planning app, Veg Easy, designed to make meal planning a breeze for everyone.
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31 Comments

  1. Discovered this recipe from https://thegreenloot.com/vegan-eggplant-recipes/ ☀️ I only had one egg plant, so I ended up slicing a courgette (British for zucchini!) and added it for the last 5 minutes. Then when I went to assemble, I decided to turn it into a lasagna - lol!!! Cooked for 25 minutes. I added a sprinkling of vegan mozzarella cheese in between the layers, but honestly with the creamy potato mix it really didn't need it. Hubby is still chowing down on it as I type this - WIN!! Thank you 🙂

    Reply

  2. I saw the link for this awesome recipe on Nancy's blog Colors 4 Health. Being vegan and oil free, it looks so good and can't wait to try it. Thanks

    Reply

  3. My favourite way to eat eggplant is my version of a dish I had in a tiny town. It might have been a middle eastern restaurant; I longer remember. I prepare the eggplant slices as you did here but need to be fully cooked. I top them with sauteed minced onion, garlic and sometimes chilis; then sprinkle with lemon juice. The chilis are my own addition. I fold or roll up the eggplant and stuff it in my mouth. I do eat it in several bites if the slices are bigger.
    For those avoiding oil, I suggest cooking the spices in a water and lemon juice mix.

    Reply

  4. I was looking for a recipe that was different from just the usual eggplant parm. I made these roll ups. Followed the recipe. They were a big hit! We really enjoyed them. Thank you for this unique recipe. We'll be making these again.

    Reply

  6. How will the eggplant do roasting without the oil spray? Also is the nutritional yeast necessary? I really dislike it. I like eggplant but my husband dislikes it. I will have to make it just for me!

    Reply

    1. Sandy, I haven't tried baking eggplant without at least a little bit of oil, so I don't know how that would work out. It would probably be best if cooked on parchment paper to prevent sticking to the pan. If you roast it for a bit longer, until it's soft and pliable, and add more marinara sauce, then it will probably be ok. Also, you can totally omit nutritional yeast, and switch spices to anything you like.

      Reply

  7. I'm looking at this recipe and everything looks delicious as far as ingredients go, & I happen to have all the ingredients! So I will be making it today. However, instead of the roll ups, I am going to be layering. I don't have the patience to roll up all that, even though it does look better that way.

    Reply

    1. Sounds good, Darlene! I love it that this dish calls for ingredients that we usually already have at home. Hope it turned out well!

      Reply

  8. Alina, do you peel the eggplant first? I'm just "learning" how to enjoy these purple delights! Once the CSA box is loaded with them, this will be a go-to recipe I'm sure!!

    Reply

    1. Suze, I don't peel them because they will turn into mush without skin during baking, and it will be too hard to roll them up that way. Let me know how this dish turns out when you try it!

      Reply

      1. I made this tonight Alina. The flavor was wonderful, but oh boy, what a mess. When you say LARGE eggplant, you mean it!! I ended up with a 9 x 13 casserole! LOL!! The flavor was excellent, though, so I'll be making it again, but I'm inclined to just roast pieces of the eggplant and then cook everything in my dutch oven, casserole style. p.s. husband went back for seconds...proof positive of the great flavor! 🙂

        Reply

        1. Hi Suze, sorry it took me a while to respond! Glad to hear you had great results with these rollups! I'm sure these will work fine as a layered casserole too, kind of eggplant lasagna-style! Thanks for the feedback!

          Reply

  9. Alina I definitely will be trying this recipe...We have large eggplants that my daughter brought home from the farm...and this does sound tasty yet very different from traditional Italian style fare...Cant't wait to try it.. 🙂

    Reply

  12. Hey Alina! I'm really fond of eggplant and have written a blog post to celebrate them. I've included this recipe. I hope it brings you tons of hits. Thanks so much!

    Reply