Spiced Eggplant Lentil Stew

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, garlic, and bay leaf. Cook until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add lentils and stir constantly to toast, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, stock and wine, if using. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender.

Meanwhile, turn on broiler (low setting, if applicable) and line a sheet pan or a 9×13 inch pan with foil. Coat clean, dry eggplants with olive oil (1 tablespoon total) using your hands and put them on the baking pan. Put pan into the oven, 6 inches from heat, and broil for about 25 minutes, turning eggplants onto a new side every 5 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool when heavy and blackened.

Cut tops off eggplant and peel off the skin. Pull eggplant into strips, removing conspicuous chunks of seeds, if desired, and place in a colander set over a bowl or the sink for 5 to 10 minutes.

Pulse eggplant in food processor until the long fibers are broken up and the mixture has just turned creamy and spreadable.

Uncover stew and reduce heat to low. Stir in eggplant puree and the harissa, plus salt and pepper to taste (start with the listed amounts and go from there). Once well mixed and warm throughout, serve in bowls with extra condiments and bread, if desired.

Notes:
1. The stew alone is vegan. Depending on your choice of condiments, it’s likely gluten-free and vegetarian after adding sauces. Pesto will be the most likely culprit in spoiling either of these classifications, so be sure to check your ingredients in the case of allergies or strict adherence.
2. If you don’t have harissa, I’d recommend adding chili powder (even better: ancho chili powder), ground cumin, ground coriander, ground caraway seeds, and a bit of cayenne pepper to the onions when they’re almost softened. Stir for a couple minutes, until the spices are aromatic. You may also wish to add smaller quantities “raw” at the end, to finish the soup. In lieu of all that, Sriracha will provide some heat and flavor, although it won’t match the complexity of harissa.
3. The lentils make this stew insanely filling, especially when served with bread. The recipe will likely feed 12 or more—just don’t use giant soup bowls, or you may end up throwing a lot out. The recipe halves fairly well (you can still add the full can of tomatoes) and freezes great.
4. Feel free to make a day or two ahead—the flavors noticeably deepen after just 12 hours in the refrigerator.
5. Recipe adapted from Food and Wine magazine, December 2014 print issue.