Haitian Legume – Eggplant Stew

This Haitian Legume recipe will become one of your family favorites! It’s a comforting dish that’s loaded with vegetables. A comforting eggplant stew warms you up like a hug in a plate form.  

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I am happy to say that this rich Haitian Legum instant pot version was requested by one of our readers. It is filled with rich flavors and scrumptious texture from the eggplant, cabbage, spinach, and carrots.

Add it to a bed of white rice, you’ll have the perfect weeknight meal for the whole family.

About Haitian Legume

Légume Haïtien is highly flavored with epis, onions, herbs, garlic, and tomato paste. Légume is also served with mais moulin (mayi moulen), and or boiled or fried plantains.

There are multiple versions of legume. Often, protein is included in legume and various vegetables are added. However, this version is a recipe that’s well suited to vegetarian lovers. 

Why does this recipe work?

This instant pot eggplant stew is an incredibly aromatic thick stew that’s hearty, vegan, and satisfying.

Requires only 10 ingredients to make this delicious eggplant stew and it will not disappoint!

Eggplants don’t get much recognition, but if you pair it with cabbage, carrots, and warm spices, you’ll have a delicious healthy meal that’s vegan, and gluten-free. Perfect for a healthy weeknight dinner and meatless Monday. 

This Haitian Legume Recipe is a crowd pleaser and will become one of your family favorites!

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This stew is authentic, traditional legume requires patience; especially if being made over the stove. It is very involved. However, this instant pot version has certainly cut down the time.

Like most Haitian recipes, this vegetable stew is also labor intensive; especially when meat is included. 

Haitians love stews. We make stews or sauces out of almost anything. Most of our vegetables, meats, or fish has been incorporated in a stew form or accompanied by a sauce or condiment, such as the spicy coleslaw.  

There are several versions of Haitian legume as with various Haitian dishes. This Instant Pot Haitian Legume Beregene is clean, light, affordable, and scrumptious. 

This recipe is also easily transformed to a non-vegan dish by simply adding meat. 

My Eggplant Stew Ingredients

No need to be intimidated. Often times a laundry list of ingredients are added to this dish to make it perfect. This version only require the basic ingredients: 

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Eggplants– The star of the dish and is always available at the grocery store. 

Haitian Epis– I have already created this for you here. I have used it as a dip as well. 

Cabbage – Is often included (but not necessary). It also tend to also release liquid. 

Carrots– Traditionally used and pairs well with the cabbage and eggplants in this dish. 

Tomato paste– This helps to give it that reddish color. 

Olive Oil (or vegetable oil) – We will need the oil to sauté the onions and garlic.

Vegetable Stock– Let’s keep it vegetarian/vegan all the way! Not to mention this helps to enhance the flavor. Using water will be fine as well. 

Lime– Most Haitian meals include acid. So, we often use lime, lemon, apple cider vinegar.

Salt and pepper– I used Kosher salt to make this dish. Kosher salt is less salty than sea salt and It’s easier to distribute evenly to season food. 

Spinach– The more vegetables the better. Use what you have available to you.

How to make Haitian Legume

Ready to make this legume? Here’s what you need to do:

This 12-ingredient dish starts with cooking the onions and garlic. Photo 1.

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Add the vegetables and stock. Cook until the vegetables are soft. Photos 2-3.

Season with tomato paste and season with Haitian Epis, salt, and pepper to taste and continue to cook. Photo 4.

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Mash the vegetables until well combined.

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Continue cooking until the vegetables are well incorporated.

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Serve and enjoy with rice or starch of your choice.

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Haitian Legume Pro Tips 

• Slice the eggplant and cabbage as evenly as you can to help the vegetables cook in the instant pot.
• Vegetables: You are not limited to the vegetables listed above. You may use Militon (Chayote), purple cabbage, shallots, even beans/peas.
• You may prepare this meal with the eggplants unpeeled. 
• Don’t forget the oil! I used olive oil for this dish. A good quality olive oil will definitely enhance the flavor of the dish. Make sure to drizzle a couple of tablespoons in the pot when cooking the onions and garlic. 
• No dicing necessary. The beauty of this dish is that everything is cooked and condensed in the instant pot. No need to dice or finely chop any vegetables. 
• Season as you go. I mostly used the Epis, salt, and pepper to season this dish. However, other choices may include better than bouillon (vegetable base), Worcestershire sauce, and hot pepper for some heat – you may like this Haitian hot pepper sauce.
• Herbs. I did not include additional herbs in this dish as it is already blended in the Epis. However, feel free to add more basil, parsley, and or thyme.  Both fresh and dry herbs are perfectly fine to add. 

Haitian Legume Serving Suggestions

This eggplant stew recipe is hearty enough to be a meal on its own and served with bread. However, if you’re looking for something more substantial to go with it, you can’t go wrong with this Haitian instant pot red beans and rice. 

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If you make this Haitian Legume, please let me know how it turns out for you in the comments! Also, tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can see your beautiful dish. I hope you love it.