This slow cooker eggplant marinara recipe is packed with healthy vegetables and nutty, cheesy flavor. Made from fresh carrots, garlic, eggplant, tomatoes and flavored with a Parmesan cheese rind, this sauce delivers balanced nutrients and healthy, filling flavors. Whether you’re using your slow cooker to avoid the oven during the hot Summer months or if you’re simmering this marinara sauce to pair with pasta for a cozy Winter dinner, this slow cooker eggplant marinara makes a simple, nutritious and delicious meatless Monday meal.
A warm and cozy late Summer or early Fall sauce
Eggplants are typically available year-round in most grocery stores but their peak growing season is August through October so this sauce is perfect for the slow cooker when it’s just too hot to use the oven. It’s also great for the early Fall months when the evenings start to cool down and you’re craving a warm and cozy Fall pasta sauce.
To select a perfectly ripe eggplant, look for shiny and glossy skin. Press the eggplant gently. It should be nice and firm with a little bit of give. The leaves and stem should be green. Larger eggplants have a lot of seeds and taste bitter. Select small or medium-sized eggplants.
What’s a parmesan rind?
For cheese lovers like myself, if you haven’t been using a parmesan rind, you’re missing out. There is a ton of cheese flavor packed in the protective outer layer of a Parmesan cheese wheel which develops as it ages. If you add that rind to sauces or soups, it adds amazing, cheesy, almost nutty flavor that truly takes the dish to the next level.
You can find a slice of Parmesan cheese with the rind at the cheese counter in the deli section of your grocery store. You’ll use the rind for the preparation of the soup and the cheese portion to top each bowl of soup for extra cheesy flavor.
What’s in slow cooker eggplant marinara?
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Shredded carrots – I buy a bag of pre-shredded carrots to keep it nice and easy.
- Tomato paste
- Cloves of garlic
- Salt
- Eggplant – I suggest avoiding large eggplants as they have lots of seeds and taste bitter. Select either a medium eggplant or two small eggplants.
- Crushed tomatoes
- Vegetable or chicken broth
- Parmesan rind – You can usually buy just the rind at the cheese counter in the grocery store or you can buy a piece of Parmesan cheese and remove the rind. This sauce is delicious paired with Parmesan so grate the cheese once you’ve removed the rind and sprinkle a little bit on each serving of sauce.
- Dried oregano
- Dried basil – If you’re making this sauce during the Summer and you have fresh basil on hand, feel free to substitute the dried basil for a handful of chopped fresh basil.
Looking for more delicious soup recipes?
Slow Cooker Eggplant Marinara
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 medium eggplant chopped (about 3 cups) - no need to peel the skin
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 Parmesan rind
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
Instructions
- If your slow cooker has a sauté setting you can sauté the vegetables directly in the slow cooker. If it doesn't have a sauté setting you'll need to sauté them on the stovetop and transfer them to the slow cooker. Sauté the onion and shredded carrots in the olive oil on medium heat for about 2-3 minutes or until the onions start to soften. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for an additional minute.
- If you're using the stovetop, transfer the mixture to the slow cooker. If you've sautéd the vegetables in the slow cooker, turn off the sauté setting.
- Add the salt, eggplant, crushed tomatoes, broth and the Parmesan rind to the slow cooker, stir and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove the Parmesan rind.
- Once the sauce has slow cooked for 6-8 hours, blend the soup using an immersion blender or blend in batches using a blender.
- Stir in the oregano and basil.
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