Lentil and Orzo Stew With Roasted Eggplant

By Yewande Komolafe

Lentil and Orzo Stew With Roasted Eggplant
Tara Donne for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Liza Jernow.
Total Time
45 minutes to 1 hour
Rating
4(3,459)
Comments
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For rich, golden cubes of roasted eggplant, a high-temperature oven is crucial. Here, lentils and pasta make for a hearty stew, and the coriander seeds introduce a robust, clean flavor. Use a mortar and pestle, a spice grinder or the base of a wine bottle to crush the seeds, opening them up before they’re tossed with the eggplant. Serve this stew warm or hot, topped with an aged, salty cheese like ricotta salata or feta, and a soft-poached egg if you like. The lemon zest and juice are essential and enhance the finish.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1½pounds eggplant (2 small or 1 large, skin on, or peeled, if desired), chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • ¼cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1tablespoon coriander seeds, crushed
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1medium carrot, finely chopped
  • 1medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2celery stalks, finely chopped
  • 3garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1cup dried lentils (green, black or brown)
  • 5cups chicken or vegetable stock, or water
  • ½cup orzo or other small pasta, such as ditalini, stelline or macaroni
  • Zest and juice from 1 lemon, plus 4 lemon wedges for garnish
  • ¼cup shaved ricotta salata or crumbled feta
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

616 calories; 27 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 17 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 72 grams carbohydrates; 14 grams dietary fiber; 15 grams sugars; 26 grams protein; 1537 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the eggplant with ¼ cup olive oil and crushed coriander seeds until coated; season with salt and pepper. Arrange in an even layer on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast until eggplant is tender and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, giving the baking sheet a shake halfway through roasting to toss the eggplant pieces for even cooking.

  2. Step 2

    In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium. Add the carrot, onion and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, about 3 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomato paste begins to darken on the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Stir in the lentils until coated. Pour in stock or water and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower to medium and simmer until lentils are tender, 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the type and age of lentils you use.

  5. Step 5

    Stir in the orzo and cook until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon zest and juice.

  6. Step 6

    Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with the roasted eggplant pieces and large shavings of ricotta salata, and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
3,459 user ratings
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Comments

Roland

This is a wonderful dish; however, the photo accompanying the recipe doesn't seem to reflect the instructions; the eggplant looks more like slices than chopped 1" pieces; the carrots don't look finely chopped; and the stew looks more soupy and too red for 1 tablespoon of tomato paste.

DJ

I made a few modifications - I put in a can of low sodium white northern beans, which I think I will now use to replace the orzo. I also put in a few slices of leftover turkey polska kielbasa. Do NOT skip the eggplant - it was an amazing addition - I treated the slices like a baguette slice I would eat with soup and wish I had made more.

S.M.

This is a delicious recipe. I made it as written, choosing vegetable broth (I like Better Than Bouillon for this), brown lentils. tricolor orzo, and a goat-milk feta cheese as the topping. The lemon zest & juice were plenty, and neither my husband nor I found it necessary to add more. This, by the way, is a really important component. The lemon really brings together the other flavors & makes them all pop. I peeled & cubed the eggplant. This is also a key ingredient; it adds buttery umami.

Jess

Followed the recipe exactly but the lentil to stock/water ratio seemed really off. Easily could’ve cut the amount of lentils in half. Also wish I had read other comments about the soup not turning out as tomato-y in the photo. Overall surprisingly disappointed!

Sruti

Skipped the orzo and thought it was really tasty and flavorful and light! Otherwise followed the recipe closely - used a pan to cook the eggplant because my oven was out. Might add beans after reading the comments. I did add chili flakes and feta at the end. I think more herbs/spice would be welcome. Perhaps fresh herbs like coriander

Cara A.

I made this with a little extra tomato paste, because it was there. In addition to the suggested toppings I used chopped cilantro and za’atar. Served with crusty bread. So very very good!

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