These Greek Tostadas with Eggplant and Chickpeas are the perfect meatless meal. They are packed with delicious Mediterranean flavors and ready in under twenty minutes.
Tostadas are the easiest and tastiest way to make an amazing dinner in no time using items you probably already have at home. But instead of going the traditional Mexican route, try these Greek inspired tostadas instead.
The base for these vegetarian tostadas starts with quickly cooked eggplant paired sun-dried tomatoes, chickpeas, garlic, and spices. Then everything is topped with crunchy cucumbers, bright tomatoes, red onion, and lots of creamy feta. Finally, everything is topped on a crispy baked pita instead of the traditional tortilla. It's like an amazing Greek salad served on a crispy, crunchy pita chip. Delicious.
The other thing I love about this recipe is that it makes amazing leftovers. Usually, I like to make a double batch of the eggplant and chickpea mixture as well as the tomato and cucumber mixture. You can use it to make a quick sandwich in pita bread, an awesome salad over a big bed of greens, a quick and tasty pasta salad with some cooked pasta and extra dressing, or a grain bowl with some cooked quinoa or farro.
Recipes Ideas for Greek Tostadas
Tostadas are the type of recipe that almost calls for customization. Since you are building them, you can make changes to create different flavor profiles and combinations. Here are some ideas for how to switch up the recipe.
- Not everyone loves eggplant, so consider swapping in zucchini, summer squash, cauliflower, or green beans. Almost any veggie will work, just add some extra cooking time if it is a starchy or heartier vegetable like butternut squash or sweet potatoes.
- Like the veggies, you can also try out different beans. Cannellini beans are a good option that will absorb all the yummy spices.
- Instead of adding beans to the eggplant, you can simply spread your favorite hummus on the pita. I really love this option with Artichoke Hummus.
- If you like things spicy, consider adding some pepperoncini peppers for a touch of spice or fresh jalapenos for more spice.
- If feta cheese isn't your favorite, use mild goat cheese or fresh mozzarella instead.
- If you don't have pita, you can use corn tortillas instead.
- For a lower carb option, serve these on butter lettuce leaves.
- Add more veggies with a layer of greens. Try it with arugula, spinach, or chopped Romaine lettuce.
- Turn this into a salad over a bed of greens and crumble the baked pita on top instead of croutons.
How to meal prep tostadas
This recipe can work great for meal prep to make an already easy weeknight dinner even easier. Start by making the eggplant and chickpea mixture. Store it in the fridge and then simply reheat in the microwave or in a saute pan. Make the cucumber and tomato salad. Just pack the dressing separately so the veggies don't get soggy. When it's time to eat, simply bake or toast the pita bread and assemble. Great for lunch or dinner.
Do I need to peel the eggplant?
It is completely up to you based on your preferences. Eggplant skin is totally fine to eat, but some people find it can be bitter or difficult to chew. If you fall in that camp, then peel it before cooking
Another option if you don't want to peel the eggplant, it to choose younger eggplant or baby eggplant. Smaller eggplants have softer skin that tends to be less bitter than larger, more mature eggplant.