Steamed Eggplant with Green Onion Dressing

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Soft, creamy eggplant coated in a simple green onion and ginger dressing. This 5-ingredient dish is a healthy and simple way to enjoy eggplants.

steamed eggplant with green onion dressing in a plate on the corner of a table

Eggplant has always been one of my favorite vegetables, but for a while I avoiding cooking it because I didn’t know how to make it taste good. Plus, my boyfriend told me he didn’t like eggplant…until he had a bite of eggplant cooked Japanese-style. Asian eggplant dishes are the best, hands-down. Now he always asks for eggplant, and this is our current favorite! This steamed eggplant with green onion dressing is vegan, easy to make, and so delicious!

ingredients for steamed eggplant with green onion dressing

Ingredients

This eggplant with green onion requires just 5 ingredients!

  • Eggplant ⟶ use 1 American globe eggplant OR 2 long Japanese or Chinese eggplants
    • large eggplants like globe eggplants have tougher skin, so you can peel them first if you’d like
  • Green Onion ⟶ for fresh flavor and crunchy texture
  • Ginger ⟶ complements the green onion perfectly!
  • Soy Sauce ⟶ adds salty, umami, Asian flavor
  • Sesame Oil ⟶ adds Asian flavor and brings out flavors from the green onion and ginger

How to Make

This dish is super easy to make! All you gotta do is:

  1. Slice the eggplant into strips (peel the skin if desired).
  2. Steam the eggplant strips until soft (10-15 minutes for slightly crunchy to very soft flesh).
  3. Mix the eggplant with the green onion dressing.
  4. Serve immediately or let the eggplant marinate in the green onion mixture for a few hours in the fridge.

You can serve the eggplant warm or cold. I prefer it cold like a salad; plus this allows time for the eggplant to marinate in the dressing.

chopsticks in hand reaching for a piece of steamed eggplant on a plate

How to Serve

I love serving this eggplant dish with steamed rice, miso soup, and a Japanese/Asian-flavored tofu dish (like this sweet & sour tofu and air-fryer karaage).

Basically, the eggplant covers the vegetable part of your meal, so complete it with a grain (rice) and protein (tofu/beans).

This steamed eggplant is also great for meal-prepping since it will last through the week in the fridge, and will soak up more flavor as it sits! It tastes great warm or cold, so you can pack it up for a tasty lunch or picnic. I would definitely add this to a bento box.

steamed eggplant with green onion dressing in a bowl

Helpful Cooking Tools

More Tasty Japanese Sides!

chopsticks in hand reaching for a piece of steamed eggplant in bowl

I hope I’ve inspired you to make this easy steamed eggplant with green onion dressing! If you try it out, don’t forget to tag me in your photos on instagram @ellielikes.cooking, leave a comment/rating down below, and let me know how you liked it! I love seeing all of your tasty recreations 🙂 Happy cooking♡

This recipe was updated 5/7/2021 to include optional add-ins.

Steamed Eggplant with Green Onion Dressing

Soft, creamy eggplant coated in a simple green onion and ginger dressing. This 5-ingredient dish is a healthy and simple way to enjoy eggplants.
4 from 1 vote
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 3

Ingredients
  

  • 1 globe eggplant, or 2 long Japanese/Chinese eggplants
  • 2-3 green onions**, chopped
  • 2-3 tsp grated ginger**
  • 1-2 tbsp soy sauce*, adjust to taste
  • 2 tsp sesame oil*
  • toasted sesame seeds*, optional for garnish

Optional

  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tsp rice vinegar

Instructions
 

  • Globe eggplants tend to have tough skin, so you can peel it if you'd like.
  • Slice eggplant into strips and place in a steamer. Steam until soft, about 10-15 minutes depending on your desired texture. OR you can steam the eggplant whole and then scoop out the flesh. This will take more cook time but less prep work.
  • Meanwhile, mix together green onion, ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Taste and add optional sweetener or vinegar if desired.
  • Let the eggplant cool for a few minutes, then mix with green onion dressing. Serve warm, or store in the fridge and serve cold later. The eggplant will soak up more flavor as it sits. Garnish with sesame seeds as desired before serving.

**Notes

The sauce is very flexible. Some people (like me) like stronger green onion and ginger flavors, but some may find it overpowering. So start small and adjust to your tastes!
GREEN ONIONS: Start with 2 and add more if you’d like a stronger green onion flavor.
GINGER: Add more if you like a spicier ginger flavor.
SESAME OIL: Feel free to add more if you want a stronger sesame flavor. 

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2 Comments

  1. 4 stars
    Steamed two whole eggplants without bothering to cut or peel them (totally recommend it) and made this, love it! I have to say the amount of onions is a bit much for me, but otherwise this is a very tasty, simple marinade (did add the slightest amount of rice syrup). Goes great with white rice 🙂

    Thanks a for a quick and delicious recipe!

    • Hi Laura, thanks for your comment! I’m so happy you liked the eggplant and I am definitely trying your hack for steaming eggplants whole next time! I love green onions and often put way more on than most people haha so I’ll scale the amount down in the recipe 🙂 love the idea of adding some sweetener too!

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