Name: Sautéed Eggplant and Plant-Based Meat with Soy, Ginger, and Scallions
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: ¼ cup vegetable oil , divided; 1½ pounds eggplant , cut into 1-inch pieces; 2 tablespoons soy sauce , divided; 12 ounces plant-based ground meat; 1 jalapeño chile , stemmed, halved, seeded, and sliced thin crosswise, divided; 4 garlic cloves , minced; 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger; 2 tablespoons mushroom oyster sauce or oyster sauce; 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar; 4 scallions , sliced thin on bias, divided

Why This Recipe Works

In this easy one-skillet dinner, rich plant-based meat and creamy eggplant coexist in perfect balance amid a velvety, gingery sauce. We start by sautéing the eggplant, which releases its moisture and softens until it turns melt-in-your-mouth tender. After removing the eggplant from the pan, we sear the meat along with a jalapeño chile for a kick and some aromatic garlic and ginger just until firm crumbles form, a sign that the meat is cooked through. To finish, we simply add back the eggplant and round out the sauce with mushroom-based oyster sauce, which is plant-based (you can use traditional oyster sauce if you like), seasoned rice vinegar (which includes extra salt and sugar), and a splash of soy sauce. In just a couple minutes, the eggplant soaks up all the spicy, salty flavors in the intensely aromatic sauce. Scallions add freshness and a pop of color to this enticing weeknight meal.

Before You Begin

Serve with rice.

Instructions

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add eggplant and cook, stirring frequently, until tender and browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon soy sauce and transfer to plate.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add ground meat, jalapeño, garlic, and ginger and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until firm crumbles form, about 3 minutes.

Stir in oyster sauce, vinegar, and remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Return eggplant and any accumulated juices to skillet and cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Stir in half of scallions. Serve, sprinkling with remaining scallions.