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Healthy Slow Cooking

July 24, 2019 · 28 Comments

Slow Cooker Eggplant Tapenade

Appetizer· Slow Cooker Recipes· Vegan Slow Cooking for Two

Jump to Recipe

My Slow Cooker Eggplant Tapenade will prove that your crockpot is eggplant’s best friend.

This warm slow cooker eggplant tapenade is perfect for summer dinner and it doesn’t heat up your kitchen. Eat it cold on crackers or in lettuce wraps.

Eggplant Tapenade from Vegan Slow Cooking for Two

Photo by Kate Lewis
Table of Contents show
1 Are You Feeling the Summer Yet?
2 Do You Use Your Slow Cooker in the Summer?
3 A Few of My Favorite Summer Slow Cooker Recipes
4 Slow Cooking for Two
5 Can I Freeze This Eggplant Tapenade Recipe?
6 Do I Have to Use Black Olives?
7 More Slow Cooker Recipes
8 Eggplant Tapenade from Vegan Slow Cooking for Two
8.1 Equipment
8.2 Ingredients 1x2x3x
8.3 Instructions
8.4 Notes
8.5 Nutrition

Are You Feeling the Summer Yet?

The hot and humid North Carolina summer weather wears me out after a simple walk around my tiny garden or after a few hours working on the deck.

The heat makes me feel less motivated and more time thinking about napping than cooking.

That’s when it’s time to put my slow cooker back on the counter. I can throw everything in before it gets too hot and dinner will be ready when I’m hungry!

Do You Use Your Slow Cooker in the Summer?

This is the time of the year that slow cookers are made for. Make dinner while doing other, less heat-producing, chores.

While I’m writing this, I have 2 cooking away in the kitchen and it doesn’t heat the house up one bit. I’ll be posting more summer slow cooker recipes as the season wears on, so don’t put that slow cooker away!

I’ve been watching and waiting for my tomatoes to get ruby red and my eggplant to grow large enough to pick.

It will be a while before mine are ready, so I got some early tomatoes from the farmers market, and gave I in and bought an early eggplant at Trader Joe’s.

Don’t judge me – I really wanted to make the Eggplant Tapenade from my book  Vegan Slow Cooking for Two.

It’s great straight from the slow cooker, but perfect for summer when you eat it cold from the fridge on crackers.

eggplant growing from a stem

A Few of My Favorite Summer Slow Cooker Recipes

Slow Cooker Pizza Rolls are a fun side for a large dinner salad. You get the best of both worlds and still keep the house cool.

Don’t forget dessert! You can make my vegan slow cooker pound cake. Enjoy it with a scoop of vegan ice cream.

Slow Cooking for Two

If you are a small household of one or two you need these fun and easy recipes!

Can I Freeze This Eggplant Tapenade Recipe?

This freezes great and is an easy way to preserve your summer harvest.

I like to thaw some out in the dead of winter to remind me that summer will eventually be back again.

Do I Have to Use Black Olives?

I love this veggie combo, but if you aren’t in love with olives, just leave them out. After all, this is your dinner, not mine!

My slow cooker recipes for two use a small 2-quart or 3-quart slow cookers. It’s the perfect size for 2 portions and you can usually pick one up on sale at a big box store. 

Keep your eyes open at the thrift store too, because I see dozens cycle through over the course of a year.

More Slow Cooker Recipes

  • Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce Fresh Tomatoes and Basil
  • Vegan Slow Cooker No-Honey Tofu
  • Kung Pao Cauliflower
  • Slow Cooker Veggie Loaf
  • Whole Wheat Spelt Potato Rolls
  • Vegan Thai Iced Tea Concentrate

Eggplant Tapenade from Vegan Slow Cooking for Two

Kathy Hester
The slow cooker is eggplant’s best friend. This warm veggie spread will prove it to you, plus that can be chuncky or smooth – it’s all up to you.
4.35 from 23 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 8 hrs
Total Time 15 mins
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 19 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 1 1/2 or 2 quart slow cooler

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups chopped eggplant
  • 1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes or a 14.5 ounce can – do not drain
  • 1 6 oz can pitted green olives , chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 teaspoon capers
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar , to taste
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil ,or 1 tablespoon fresh basil
  • salt and pepper ,to taste

Instructions
 

  • Add everything above balsamic vinegar to the slow cooker and cook on low 7 to 9 hours.
  • Before serving add the vinegar, basil, salt and pepper.
  • Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Notes

You can either leave it chunky for bruschetta or purée it in a food processor until you have tiny pieces for crackers or crostini.

Nutrition

Calories: 19kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 21mgPotassium: 165mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 62IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mg
Keyword eggplant dip, eggplant tapanade, slow cooker eggplant
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Next Post: Blackberry Mint Lemon Switchel »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. The Peace Patch says

    June 27, 2014 at 5:42 am

    Thanks for the reminder about the goodness of summer slowcookery…and ohgoodgolly yes! on the chilled tapenade straight from the fridge! 🙂

    Reply
  2. mamapasta says

    July 6, 2014 at 10:01 am

    I’ve done it and it really comes out yummy!

    Reply
  3. Poppy says

    July 9, 2014 at 10:16 am

    Delicious! Thank you for joining the VVLP!

    Reply
  4. Kris says

    July 15, 2014 at 5:40 am

    Just took this out of the slow cooker. It smells amazing. I can’t wait to dig in. My sneak preview taste =two thumbs up. This is a great recipe for fresh eggplant. Salty delicious!

    Reply
  5. Carry says

    September 9, 2014 at 1:11 pm

    We ended up making a version of this in the pressure cooker (my slow cooker is packed away in preparation for a move). The eggplant completely broke down to make a delicious sauce for pasta. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
  6. Barbie says

    February 9, 2015 at 9:43 am

    So if you do not have a slow cooker how long would I cook this in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven in the oven??

    Reply
    • Kathy Hester says

      February 9, 2015 at 9:59 am

      I can’t give you an exact time since I’ve never cooked it that way, but I’d say once the eggplant was tender and cooked through you would be good to go. You also might want to either cook it covered or add extra liquid. In fact I would go ahead and add a 1/4 water to begin with since you will use a pan larger than 2 quarts.

      If there’s too much liquid at the end, just uncover and cook until it’s the way you’d like it to be.

      Reply
  7. Rachel @ athletic avocado says

    June 16, 2015 at 7:21 am

    this looks amazing!!! I love eggplant 🙂

    Reply
    • Kathy Hester says

      June 16, 2015 at 7:51 am

      Me too!

      Reply
  8. Becky Striepe says

    May 30, 2017 at 2:41 pm

    Oh yum! I love olive tapenade and can’t wait to try this eggplant one!

    Reply
  9. Dianne's Vegan Kitchen says

    May 30, 2017 at 7:27 pm

    I love the idea of using my slow cooker for a light meal when it’s too hot to cook!

    Reply
  10. GiGi Eats says

    May 31, 2017 at 8:38 am

    Yum yum yum yum!! I am in love. I LOVEEEEEEE toppings like this! I put them on everything and…. Sometimes just eat it with a spoon 🙂

    Reply
  11. Karen says

    July 24, 2017 at 3:53 pm

    Made this yesterday. Didn’t have quite enough eggplant so chopped up a couple of crimini mushrooms to make up the volume. Very tasty, both hot,last night, and cold for lunch today

    Reply
  12. Rach says

    September 5, 2017 at 8:21 pm

    Could you add chicken?

    Reply
    • Kathy Hester says

      September 9, 2017 at 5:25 pm

      I don’t cook meat at all, so I’m not sure.

      Reply
  13. Lee Edenfield says

    September 29, 2017 at 9:12 am

    Peel the eggplant?

    Reply
    • Kathy Hester says

      September 29, 2017 at 9:20 am

      I don’t, but you can if you’d prefer to.

      Reply
  14. Jules says

    October 18, 2017 at 7:44 am

    No need to salt and drain the chopped eggplant first???

    Reply
    • Kathy Hester says

      October 19, 2017 at 9:04 pm

      Nope.

      Reply
  15. Joan says

    May 30, 2018 at 1:33 pm

    Can you add onion?

    Reply
    • Kathy Hester says

      May 30, 2018 at 1:45 pm

      Yes you can!

      Reply
  16. Lola says

    July 9, 2018 at 9:06 pm

    Could I substitute black olives for green olives? Or you think it would ruin the flavor? I have all the ingredients except tor green olives…

    Reply
    • Kathy Hester says

      July 9, 2018 at 9:31 pm

      I think they could work.

      Reply
  17. Alyssa Beller says

    September 12, 2018 at 4:45 am

    Can i cook covered in the oven for shorter time? Do you think red wine vinegar could be subbed?

    Reply
    • Kathy Hester says

      September 17, 2018 at 12:17 pm

      Yes on both counts!

      Reply
  18. Dancin' Machine says

    November 11, 2018 at 12:48 pm

    THANK YOU! A friend “gifted” me 5 large eggplants:). I was intimidated but found this recipe. I used more like 4+ cups of eggplant, set my crockpot on HIGH because I feared it wouldn’t be done in time for dinner with friends. Result: 4 hrs+ mostly on HIGH worked!) Inserted hand blender at hour 5 & all blended in a wink ! GREAT flavors – spreadable on crackers or bread, delicious.

    Reply
  19. Roberta says

    June 16, 2020 at 10:44 pm

    The flavor is ahhhhmazing! I just cooked it in a dutch oven on the stovetop on low heat. Didn’t have capers or, believe it or not, basil – so I used dried oregano.
    So happy to find this delicious, oil-free eggplant recipe. Yummy, yummy. Thanks!

    Reply
  20. Andrea Tersigni says

    August 2, 2020 at 7:36 pm

    Oh My Goodness!!! I had a lone eggplant and I was struggling to find a recipe. I usually make a huge batch of ratatouille but I needed more than one. Scrolling through FB I saw mention of eggplant tapenade in an obscure sidebar in one of your posts.

    What a chance happening. I didn’t want to wait for slow cook, so I followed the instructions exactly except I cooked it in my Instant Pot for 3 minutes; let it set 3 minutes then quick release. Added the balsamic, fresh basil. I had to restrain myself not to eat the entire pot before dinner. As always… Thank you. I have almost all your cookbooks but sometimes it helps to have our memory jogged.

    Reply

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