Spicy Seitan Stew with Roasted Eggplant and Tomatoes

Watch the video

When I'm cutting—usually in the lead-up to summer—there are a few foods I especially like to keep on the menu.

Seitan is one of them.

Like tofu, seitan is a traditional food with roots in Asia.

It was probably invented by Buddhist monks and made its way west in the 1960s, thanks to hippies and the emerging vegetarian movement in the United States and Europe.

Seitan is traditionally made by mixing wheat flour into a dough, then washing away the starch with water.

What's left is the wheat protein, gluten, with most of the starch removed.

Gluten is a grain protein, not a carbohydrate, despite what plenty of people think.

There's a catch:

Although seitan is very high in protein, its protein quality is relatively low compared with other sources, such as soy or peas.

But that doesn't mean you can't eat seitan and make impressive progress toward getting leaner or building muscle.

You don't need to rely on seitan as your only protein source. It can absolutely have a place in your diet alongside legumes and other grains.

Its clear nutritional advantage: it's low in carbs and fat. For me, that makes it especially useful during a cut.

How to eat it:

Plain, unseasoned store-bought seitan has a strong, distinctive flavor that isn't everyone's favorite.

My advice: chop it finely and cook it in a rich, boldly flavored sauce.

Something like this spicy seitan stew with roasted eggplant and tomatoes.

It's a rich, easy-to-make stew with a spicy red sauce that's great over rice or couscous—or even stuffed into a pita.

And before everyone asks:

Yes! You can replace the seitan with tofu. Just remember that the nutrition numbers will change.

A Few Notes on the Recipe

Eggplant:

I love using roasted eggplant because it's very low in calories—as long as you haven't added oil—and adds plenty of volume to the stew.

Then there's that deep, smoky flavor, which works beautifully with the tomatoes and spices.

If you don't want to char the eggplant over an open flame, or can't, you can roast it in the oven instead. Store-bought plain roasted eggplant spread works, too; choose one without tahini or added oil.

You can also swap in the same amount of roasted or grated zucchini, grated carrots, cabbage, or another vegetable you like.

Tomatoes:

I added half a can of crushed tomatoes to give the sauce some body, wonderful flavor, and a little lycopene, an antioxidant found in tomatoes.

Spices:

I used generous amounts of the spices I love and think work well together:

Cumin, turmeric, and some fantastic smoked paprika I received from Derech Hatavlinim (an Israeli spice farm). They didn't pay me to say that. Their paprika really is wonderful, and I want the world to know.

Don't like a particular spice? No problem. Swap it for something else. Try a little cinnamon instead of cumin, or baharat (a Middle Eastern spice blend) instead of paprika. Go with it. You might just end up with something delicious.

Nutrition for Seitan Stew with Roasted Eggplant and Tomatoes

• 400 calories
• 54 g (1.9 oz) protein
• 29 g carbohydrates
• 8 g fat (including 1 g saturated fat)

Want another seitan recipe? Click here.

Seitan Stew with Roasted Eggplant and Tomatoes

A spicy stew that's high in protein and low in calories

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Yield 1 serving

Ingredients

• 1 medium fresh eggplant about 300 g (10.6 oz), or 100 g (3.5 oz) prepared plain roasted eggplant spread
• 200 g (7 oz) plain unseasoned seitan, cut into small cubes
• 1/2 onion
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• A pinch of salt
• 100 g (3.5 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• A little water, as needed
• A few chopped scallions, for garnish

Instructions

1. Wash the eggplant thoroughly and place it over an open flame.

2. Char for about 10 minutes, until the skin is completely blackened and the eggplant has collapsed.

3. Alternatively, roast it in a very hot oven for about 10–15 minutes.

4. Slit the eggplant lengthwise with a knife. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon, leaving the charred skin behind.

5. Roughly chop the eggplant flesh and set aside.

6. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add the dry spices: cumin, paprika, turmeric, and red pepper flakes.

7. Cook over low heat for about 1 minute, stirring, just to bring out the spices' flavors.

8. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, until translucent.

9. Add the diced seitan to the skillet and cook for a few minutes, stirring.

10. Add the roasted eggplant and crushed tomatoes and stir well.

11. Cook over very low heat for about 10 minutes.

12. Keep an eye on the stew so it doesn't burn. If it starts to dry out, add 1/4 cup water and stir.

13. Scatter a few chopped scallions on top and serve hot with rice or whole-wheat couscous, or tuck it into a whole-wheat pita.

Recipe Video