Roasted Eggplant with French Lentils, Goat Cheese, and Herbs

These roasted eggplant are a super-satisfying, super-filling vegetarian dinner. And perfect for using up all the last-of-summer veggies that are filling the up the farmers’ markets and grocery stores!This recipe can serve two or four, depending on what your meal plan is…you could serve two with nothing more than these roasted eggplants, or serve four with a side salad, carb and/or veggie side dish. No matter how many you plan to serve, look for the small, longer eggplants (like Italian or baby eggplants) to make this recipe. The bigger ones are just, well, too big and unwieldy to use for this elegant main dish.

These are hearty because they’re full of vegetables like summer squash/zucchini, eggplant, and cherry tomatoes, then topped with French lentils tossed in a Dijon vinaigrette, and topped with goat cheese, herbs, and toasted pine nuts. A drizzle of pomegranate molasses is an optional but very welcome topping to add some brightness to the final dish.

I highly recommend using Le Puy lentils, which are green lentils from France that hold up well after cooking, whereas red or brown lentils will generally break down (but are perfect for Indian dals!). Cooking them yourself (versus buying pre-cooked canned/bagged lentils) allows you to impart more flavor via the cooking stock and ensure they are cooked until al dente.

This recipe takes a little time to put together due to its various components, but it’s a beautiful meal to have for a slightly-more-involved weeknight dinner-or when company’s coming!

Roasted Eggplant with French Lentils, Goat Cheese, and Herbs

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• Author: Amanda
• Yield: 2 to 4 servings 1x

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Description

This hearty, filling vegetarian meal of Roasted Eggplants topped with lentils, roasted vegetables, goat cheese, pine nuts and plenty of herbs. This recipe takes a little time to put together due to its various components, but it’s a beautiful meal to have for a slightly-more-involved weeknight dinner-or when company’s coming!

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Ingredients

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• 2 baby eggplants, rinsed
• 4 ounces cherry tomatoes
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• Olive oil, as needed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

LENTILS:

• 1/2 cup Le Puy lentils, rinsed and picked over
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 medium shallot, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 to 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf

VINAIGRETTE:

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon, to taste
• 2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

TO SERVE:

• 4 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
• 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
• Microgreens, for garnish
• Pomegranate molasses, for drizzling

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°.  Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and place in a baking pan.  Score the flesh of the eggplants in a criss-crossing pattern, taking care not to cut all the way through.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt, pepper, thyme leaves and red pepper flakes, to taste.  Place the diced zucchini and cherry tomatoes in another baking pan and season in the same way.
2. Transfer the eggplant to the preheated oven and roast for 40 to 45 minutes, until the flesh is softened and beginning to turn golden brown.  About halfway through the roasting time, add the pan with the zucchini and tomatoes and roast for 15 to 18 minutes, until the zucchini is crisp-tender and the tomatoes are beginning to release some of their juices.  Remove and let cool.
3. In the meantime, place the lentils, vegetable stock, water, carrot, shallot, garlic, thyme, bay leaf and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.  Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the lentils are tender.  Taste for seasonings and adjust if necessary.  Drain and remove the bay leaf, thyme sprigs and carrot chunks.
4. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the juices from the roasted zucchini and tomatoes, the Dijon mustard, lemon juice and enough olive oil to emulsify the dressing.  Add the drained lentils, zucchini, chopped parsley and mint and toss to combine; mash the mixture lightly just to break down some of the lentils and make them more sticky to hold onto the eggplant.  Taste for seasonings and adjust if necessary.
5. To serve, top the warm eggplants with the lentil mixture, sprinkle with goat cheese and pine nuts and top with microgreens and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses, to taste.

Notes

Inspiration: Roasted Eggplant with Lentils, Goat Cheese, and Thyme on bromabakery.com

• Category: Vegetarian, What's for Dinner