These stuffed eggplant boats are filled with a spiced lentil and veggie blend, then covered with a nutty and spicy tahini sauce to create a nutrient-rich dish packed with flavor and texture.
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🥗 Why We Love This Recipe
- Great vegetarian dinner: This recipe is filling and makes for a great Meatless Monday dish. Lentils and eggplant create a meaty dish that's full of protein, fiber, and vitamins - without the meat!
- Eggplants are such a versatile ingredient that adds a smoky depth of flavor that kind be hard to find in other vegetarian and vegan dishes.
- Tahini adds a nuttiness to this dish that pairs extremely well with eggplant, creating a well-rounded flavor profile.
📋 Ingredient Notes
- Lentils: You can use green or brown lentils, just be aware that brown lentils have a much softer texture than green lentils do.
- Ras el hanout is a mixture of eight different spices that's often used in Tunisian, Algerian, and Moroccan recipes. If you can't find any at your grocery store, you can substitute for any middle eastern spice blend you can find, such as berbere.
- Mushrooms: We used shiitakes, but you can use your mushroom of choice.
🔪 Step-by-step Instructions
(1) Preheat oven to 375˚F / 190˚C.
(2) Cut eggplants in half lengthwise and scoop out the inner flesh, leaving a relatively thick layer so the "boats" aren't too thin. Brush both sides of eggplant with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Put eggplant boats in oven and roast for 15 minutes.
(3) Cook lentils according to package directions in vegetable broth (veggie broth makes them more flavorful, but you can sub for water if you'd prefer.
(4) In a separate pan, heat olive oil over medium. Add shallots and chopped fennel and sauté 5-7 minutes, or until softened and fragrant. Add garlic and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.
(5) Add chopped mushrooms and carrots to pan and cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms have softened.
(6) Add fire roasted tomatoes, parsley, cilantro, salt, paprika, turmeric, pepper, coriander, cumin, kale, and 1 cup cooked lentils into your shallot-fennel mix. Cook for approximately 7-10 minutes to let tomatoes reduce.
(7) In a small separate pan, toast ½ cup of walnuts, stirring frequently, until toasted and fragrant. Add to lentil mixture.
(8) Fill eggplant boats with lentil mixture. Return to oven and cook for 10 additional minutes.
(9) Meanwhile, whisk together all ingredient for tahini sauce until smooth and creamy. When eggplant boats are finished, drizzle with tahini, pomegranate seeds and fresh parsley.
💭 Expert Tips and FAQs
- Make sure to thin out the tahini sauce with a bit of water. This prevents it from becoming too thick and also helps to lighten up its strong, sesame flavor.
- If you can't find Ras el hanout, feel free to substitute with berbere or any middle eastern spice blend you can find at the store.
- Cooking the lentils in vegetable broth will add a nice layer of extra flavor.
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Lentil Stuffed Eggplant Boats with Tahini Sauce
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: Serves 4
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These stuffed eggplant boats are filled with a spiced lentil and veggie blend, then covered with a nutty and spicy tahini sauce to create a nutrient-rich dish packed with flavor and texture.
Ingredients
Eggplant and stuffing:
- 2 medium eggplants
- 1 cup brown or green lentils
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- ⅓ cup shallots, minced
- ⅓ cup fennel, chopped finely
- 2 teaspoon finely minced garlic
- 1 3.4 oz container shiitake mushrooms, chopped
- ⅓ cup shredded carrot
- 1 can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 1 ½ cups chopped curly kale
- ½ cup chopped, toasted walnuts
Tahini sauce:
- ½ cup tahini
- ½ cup water
- 1 ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 ½ teaspoon Ras El Hanout seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- pinch of cayenne
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375˚F / 190˚C.
- Cut eggplants in half lengthwise and scoop out the inner flesh, leaving a relatively thick layer so the "boats" aren't too thin. Brush both sides of eggplant with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Put eggplant boats in oven and roast for 15 minutes.
- Cook lentils according to package directions in vegetable broth (veggie broth makes them more flavorful, but you can sub for water if you'd prefer.
- In a separate pan, heat olive oil over medium. Add shallots and chopped fennel and sauté 5-7 minutes, or until softened and fragrant. Add garlic and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add chopped mushrooms and carrots to pan and cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms have softened.
- Add fire roasted tomatoes, parsley, cilantro, salt, paprika, turmeric, pepper, coriander, cumin, kale, and 1 cup cooked lentils into your shallot-fennel mix. Cook for approximately 7-10 minutes to let tomatoes reduce.
- In a small separate pan, toast ½ cup of walnuts, stirring frequently, until toasted and fragrant. Add to lentil mixture.
- Fill eggplant boats with lentil mixture. Return to oven and cook for 10 additional minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together all ingredient for tahini sauce until smooth and creamy. When eggplant boats are finished, drizzle with tahini, pomegranate seeds and fresh parsley.
Notes
Make sure to thin out the tahini sauce with a bit of water. This prevents it from becoming too thick and also helps to lighten up its strong, sesame flavor.
If you can't find Ras el hanout, feel free to substitute with berbere or any middle eastern spice blend you can find at the store.
Cooking the lentils in vegetable broth will add a nice layer of extra flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ½ Boat
- Calories: 647
- Sugar: 7.6 g
- Sodium: 2050.9 mg
- Fat: 41.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 56 g
- Fiber: 14.3 g
- Protein: 22.7 g
Ahryse says
What would you recommend as a substitute for the tomatoes? We have a tomato allergy in the household. Thanks!
Lexi says
You can just leave them out altogether!