I’ll be honest, I’m not sure what else to make with eggplant besides the classic eggplant parmesan, so I thought, “how can I make this a bit different?” I decided to use my air fryer! You get the perfectly crispy coins of eggplant without ever having to turn on your oven. Besides the eggplant itself and the vegan mozzarella, the rest of the ingredients should already be in your pantry! Rubbing salt into the eggplant and letting it sit for 15 minutes helps draw out water and make sure it will crisp up instead of getting mushy. I served this with some simple noodles and marina, asparagus, and garlic bread, but you can add whatever sides you’d like!
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup non dairy milk
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 Tablespoons vegan parmesan cheese
1 package vegan fresh mozzarella (I use Miyoko’s)
Jar of your favorite marinara sauce
Directions:
Slice eggplant into pieces about 1/4 of an inch thick. Sprinkle with salt and rub into each piece. Let sit for 15 minutes. Dab with a paper towel to remove excess water.
While waiting, mix your panko breadcrumbs, the Italian seasoning and a tablespoon of vegan parmesan cheese together.
Pour your milk into a separate bowl, and your cornstarch into another. Take each piece of eggplant one at a time and cover it first in cornstarch, then milk, then panko.
Place into air fryer basket in a single layer. Try not to overlap. You’ll probably have to do several batches, depending on the size of your air fryer, but it’s so worth it!
Bake in air fryer at 400 degrees F for 8 minutes. Flip each piece over and bake for 4 more minutes.
Top each slice with a few spoonfuls of marinara and a few chunks of your vegan mozzarella. Place back in air fryer for 2-3 more minutes.
Continue until all your slices of eggplant are finished. Serve topped with more parmesan, with a side of pasta, and your favorite side!
The Veg Table 