• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Rhian's Recipes

  • About
    • Contact
    • Work With Me
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • Thanksgiving/Christmas Recipes
  • Cookbook
  • Blogging Tips
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • Thanksgiving/Christmas Recipes
  • Cookbook
  • Blogging Tips
×
Home » Recipes » Lunch & Dinner

Vegan Eggplant Pulled Pork Burger (GF)

Last updated - July 13, 2021; Published - May 13, 2019 By Rhian Williams 26 Comments

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
A collage of two Vegan Eggplant Pulled Pork Burger photos

This Vegan Eggplant Pulled Pork Burger is easy to make, just as tasty as the real thing, and packed full of plant-based goodness. The eggplant "pulled pork" has a deliciously chewy texture, and pairs beautifully with the salty-sweet, tangy homemade BBQ sauce and creamy coleslaw.

A vegan eggplant pulled pork burger with coleslaw and sweet potato fries and salad in the background

I've seen so many vegan "pulled pork" recipes using jackfruit, and I wondered if there were any other ingredients that could be used to create a similar effect.

This got me thinking about a very simple Japanese dish called nasu no mushiyaki. It consists of grilled eggplant (aubergine) that has the skin peeled off and is shredded up. It's eaten seasoned with soy sauce and sesame, and most commonly eaten in the summer.

The texture is simultaneously tender and melt-in-your-mouth soft, whilst also being a little chewy and it has a rich, almost meaty flavour...sounds like pulled pork, right?

But there's no need to get the grill out for my version here - just halve your eggplant and pop it in the oven and wait for it to soften. Meanwhile you can get on with other fun activities, like making a foolproof homemade vegan BBQ sauce.

And, if I've learnt anything from the past several years of meat-free recipe development, it's that it's not the meat that makes certain dishes taste good, but the sauce. So, I knew that the texture of the pulled eggplant paired with a delicious BBQ sauce would be perfect!

So, I got to work making a DIY BBQ sauce that would taste just as good as the bottled stuff - my version here is made with caramelised onions and garlic, smoked paprika for smokiness, cumin for a spicy hum, tomato sauce for an acidic tang, tamari (or soy sauce) for salty umami-rich flavour, and dates for a nectar-like sweetness. You could also add a pinch of cayenne for heat, and maybe a dash of whiskey if a whiskey BBQ sauce situation is your kinda thing.

I decided to bulk out the eggplant "pulled pork" with green lentils, which add protein and extra fibre, and help make it more of a proper meal. You can either cook your own green lentils from scratch (which is pretty quick and easy!) or use tinned ones.

How to make homemade vegan BBQ sauce

Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe.

  • Fry the onion and garlic for around 10 minutes until softened.
Sliced onion and garlic being fried in a silver saucepan
  • Add the smoked paprika and cumin and fry for a minute until fragrant.
  • Add the tomatoes, dates, tamari and salt + pepper.
  • Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
Vegan homemade BBQ sauce ingredients in a silver saucepan
  • Remove from the heat and whizz in a blender or food processor (a hand-held stick blender also works well) until completely smooth.
Blended vegan BBQ sauce in a silver saucepan

You can make extra sauce and freeze it for another day, or if you're pressed for time/feeling lazy, you can just use your favourite shop-bought BBQ sauce instead.

How to make eggplant "pulled pork"

Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe.

  • Place the eggplant halves skin-side up on a rectangular baking tray lined with baking paper and bake in the oven for around 30 minutes, until soft enough to gently pierce with a fork.
Two eggplant halves lying face down on a baking tray lined with baking paper
  • Once the eggplant is cooked, use a fork to shred the flesh of the eggplant - the shredded flesh should easily fall out of the outer skin.
Two roasted eggplant halves being shredded on a white plate
  • Add the shredded eggplant and lentils to the BBQ sauce in the pan. Heat to warm through just before serving.
Vegan BBQ sauce, shredded eggplant and green lentils in a silver saucepan

Serving suggestions

I used my favourite rainbow coleslaw to make the burgers look extra cheerful. You can either just use the chopped cabbage (white AND purple for extra colour) and carrots dressed with a dash of lemon juice, or you can go the extra mile (which I highly recommend) and make a creamy, dreamy vegan cashew mayonnaise to coat it. Though again, no judgement if you'd rather use your favourite shop-bought mayo instead.

For fries, I kept up the rainbow theme and used a mixture of regular orange sweet potatoes, white-fleshed sweet potatoes and purple sweet potatoes, but you can also use

  • Regular potato fries.
  • Sweet potato fries.
  • Celeriac fries.

More delicious meat-free sandwiches

  • Tofu Burger
  • Lazy Falafel
  • Mediterranean Chickpea “Tuna” Pittas
  • Hummus Toasted Sandwich
  • Chickpea Mayonnaise Salad Sandwich

If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.

Watch how to make this recipe

A vegan eggplant pulled pork burger with coleslaw and sweet potato fries and salad in the background

Vegan Eggplant "Pulled Pork" Burger (GF)

This Vegan Eggplant "Pulled Pork" Burger is easy to make, just as tasty as the real thing, and packed full of plant-based goodness. 
4.39 from 31 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: vegan bbq sauce, vegan eggplant recipe, vegan pulled pork
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 burgers
Calories: 413kcal
Author: Rhian Williams

Ingredients

For the "pulled pork"*:

  • 1 eggplant (aubergine) , halved
  • 1 tablespoon oil (olive, rapeseed, vegetable or coconut)
  • 1 onion , sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic , minced
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 120 ml (½ cup) tinned tomatoes
  • 3 pitted dates
  • 1 tablespoon tamari (or soy sauce if not gluten-free)
  • Salt + pepper to taste
  • 400 g (14 oz) tin of green lentils , drained and rinsed

For the coleslaw:

  • 1 carrot , peeled and grated or chopped into matchsticks
  • 1 large leaf white cabbage , shredded or finely sliced
  • 1 large leaf purple cabbage , shredded or finely sliced

For the mayonnaise:

  • 50 g (⅓ cup) raw cashew nuts soaked overnight in cold water or in boiling water for 10 minutes
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
  • Salt + pepper to taste

To serve:

  • 4 burger buns , halved (gluten-free if necessary)
  • Oven-baked fries **

Instructions

For the "pulled pork":

  • Place the eggplant halves skin-side up on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake in the oven for around 30 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit), until soft enough to gently pierce with a fork.
  • Meanwhile, make the BBQ sauce by heating up oil in a saucepan.
  • Add the onion and garlic once hot and fry for around 10 minutes, until softened.
  • Add smoked paprika and cumin and fry for a minute until fragrant.
  • Add the tomatoes, dates, tamari and salt + pepper to taste.
  • Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes on a low heat.
  • Remove from the heat and whizz in a blender or food processor (a hand-held stick blender also works well) until completely smooth.
  • Once the eggplant is cooked, use a fork to shred the flesh of the eggplant. The shredded flesh should easily fall out of the outer skin.
  • Add the shredded eggplant and lentils to the BBQ sauce in the pan. Taste and add extra salt if necessary.
  • Heat to warm through just before serving.

For the coleslaw:

  • Place the shredded vegetables in a large bowl.

For the mayonnaise:

  • Add all ingredients for the mayonnaise to a blender or food processor and whizz until completely smooth, adding little splashes of water until you achieve your desired consistency - it should be fairly runny but not too watery.
  • Add mayonnaise to the chopped vegetables and mix well.
  • Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
  • Coleslaw keeps well in the fridge so can be made up to a day in advance.

To serve:

  • Place a few generous tablespoons of the "pulled pork" into each burger along with a couple of tablespoons of coleslaw.
  • Serve alongside oven-baked fries of choice, if desired.

Video

Notes

*You could also add a pinch of cayenne for heat, and maybe a dash of whiskey, if desired. 
**My favourite recipes for oven-baked fries:
  • Sweet potato fries.
  • Celeriac fries.
 
Nutrition Facts
Vegan Eggplant "Pulled Pork" Burger (GF)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 413 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat 11g17%
Saturated Fat 2g10%
Sodium 495mg21%
Potassium 929mg27%
Carbohydrates 63g21%
Fiber 14g56%
Sugar 16g18%
Protein 18g36%
Vitamin A 2700IU54%
Vitamin C 15.8mg19%
Calcium 128mg13%
Iron 6.4mg36%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Made the recipe?Tag @rhiansrecipes on instagram and use the hashtag #rhiansrecipes!

Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase any of these products, a small percentage will come to me with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog – thank you.

More Lunch & Dinner Recipes

  • Six gluten-free dinner rolls on a wire rack with a bite taken out of one
    Gluten-Free Dinner Rolls (Vegan + No Yeast)
  • A tofu burger with two patties, brown sauce, lettuce and tomato in a burger bun on a grey plate against a blue background
    Tofu Burger (Vegan + Gluten-Free)
  • Six vegan sausage rolls on a black slab
    Vegan Sausage Rolls (Gluten-Free)
  • A sliced loaf of gluten-free vegan Irish soda bread with raisins on a wire rack
    Gluten-Free Vegan Irish Soda Bread
  • Share
  • Tweet

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. Brittany

    January 11, 2021 at 1:28 pm

    Can I use rice instead of lentils?

    Reply
    • Rhian Williams

      January 11, 2021 at 4:17 pm

      Yes!

  2. Margrit

    June 10, 2021 at 4:33 pm

    why dont you use the skin of eggplant sliced thin? vitamins

    Reply
    • Rhian Williams

      June 10, 2021 at 4:53 pm

      You can if you want!

  3. nunu

    June 26, 2021 at 8:00 am

    If I want to substitute some already made bbq sauce, how much would I need to use?

    Reply
    • Rhian Williams

      June 26, 2021 at 12:21 pm

      I'd advise adding it to taste as how much you'd need can vary so much depending on the brand etc of bbq sauce you use!

« Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

A collage of two Vegan Eggplant Pulled Pork Burger photos
Photo of Rhian Williams

Hi, I’m Rhian! I make easy, undetectably vegan + gluten-free recipes, including healthy comfort food and naturally sweetened desserts using plant-based ingredients.

More about me →

Popular Recipes

  • Three vegan blueberry muffins with a bite taken out of one with a bowl of fresh blueberries in the background
    Vegan Blueberry Muffins (Gluten-Free)
  • A stack of oat flour pancakes topped with desiccated coconut and syrup on a blue plate
    Oat Flour Pancakes (Vegan + GF)
  • A loaf of coconut flour bread topped with sunflower seeds and poppy seeds with two slices next to it
    Coconut Flour Bread (Vegan + Gluten-Free)
  • Five vegan coconut flour pancakes stacked in a pile decorated with fresh raspberries and coconut flakes on a green plate against a grey background
    Vegan Coconut Flour Pancakes (Gluten-Free)
  • A loaf of oat flour bread with two slices
    Oat Flour Bread (Vegan + Gluten-Free)
  • A sliced vegan baked cheesecake topped with wild strawberries and strawberry flowers
    Vegan Baked Cheesecake (Gluten-Free)
  • A loaf of quinoa bread topped with seeds with two slices next to it
    Quinoa Bread (Vegan + Gluten-Free)

Footer

A collage of two Vegan Eggplant Pulled Pork Burger photos

↑ back to top

About

  • About
  • Privacy Policy & Disclosure
  • Copyright Notice

Newsletter

  • Subscribe for free updates

Contact

  • Contact
  • Work With Me

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2023 · Foodie Pro Theme On Genesis Framework ·