Hearty lemon-garlic Lentils with Roasted Eggplant and Tomatoes is infused with smoky flavors from roasted eggplant and plump sweet cherry tomatoes. Cooking the lentils on the stovetop while the veggies roast means this Mediterranean eggplant recipe requires little hands-on time to prepare. Share with naan or pita bread for scooping and a dollop of Greek yogurt or coconut cream. This recipe is vegetarian, easily vegan and gluten free.
Why You’ll Love This Mediterranean Eggplant Recipe
Hearty, and full of interesting textures and flavors, this lentils and eggplant recipe is a celebration of late summer and early fall, when produce is at its peak!
This Recipe Is
- a community favorite
- vegetarian or vegan and gluten free friendly
- freezer friendly
- hearty
Naan, Sourdough Pita Bread, crusty Multigrain Sourdough Bread or Seeded Multigrain Gluten Free Sourdough Bread is quite nice on the side for scooping up all the creamy lentil goodness. Share with a hearty Vegetarian Kale Caesar Salad, or Pan Fried Asparagus to get your greens in.
An Inspired Mediterranean Eggplant Recipe
This Mediterranean lentils recipe is inspired by Ottolenghi Simple, but the recipe itself was torn from the pages of my husband’s much-loved weekly magazine, The Week, where it’s reprinted.
While I followed the original recipe as a guide, I tweaked the lentil cooking method, added a few flavor builders, increased the garlic and lemon of course, and scaled the recipe so that it’s a main for four rather than a side.
Lentils are filling enough, but with the abundance of eggplant and tomatoes in this recipe, it easily becomes a hearty main. Especially when shared with yogurt or coconut cream and a side of bread.
About the Key Ingredients
- Eggplant – there are several types of eggplant to choose from. For this recipe, look for Italian Eggplants, also called Globe eggplant. I found some Graffiti eggplant, sometimes called Sicilian eggplant, at the farmers market and it tasted just as delish as Globe.
- Cherry Tomatoes – in season, plump and juicy. You can go for sun golds and/or a mix of heirloom and cherry.
- French or Puy Lentils – these are the same variety of lentils, so you can use them interchangeably in this recipe. The difference is Puy are grown in the Puy region of France, while French lentils are grown in North America and Italy. Look for French lentils in the bulk bins for the best value.
- Plain Yogurt – look for rich and creamy Greek yogurt or whole milk yogurt. They’re both thick and create a tangy contrast to the seasoned lentils and eggplant. You can opt for Coconut Creme for a diary free and vegan option.
At a Glance: How to Make this Mediterranean Eggplant Recipe
While this recipe takes just over an hour to pull together, most of the time to prepare it is hands-off.
- First, roast the eggplant for about one hour or until they’re soft, and slightly charred.
- Meanwhile, put the lentils on to cook. Gather and prep the seasonings and aromatics.
- Third, when the eggplant are almost done, roast the tomatoes.
- Next, once the eggplant and tomatoes are done roasting, cut the eggplant open and allow to cool a bit. Scrape out the flesh.
- Last, stir the eggplant flesh, roasted tomatoes, aromatics and seasonings into the lentils. Rewarm on low as needed.
Serve in bowls and share with another squeeze of lemon, parsley, Greek yogurt or coconut cream, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Traci’s Tips
- Choosing Eggplant: Although modern eggplants are bred to be less bitter, if concerned, look for smaller eggplants to avoid any bitterness. Choose eggplants that are firm with smooth skin, with no blemishes or soft spots. Check the stem to ensure it’s green with no signs of mold. Buying in season helps too!
- Freezer friendly? Yes please! Freeze this recipe for up to two weeks. Thaw in fridge overnight and rewarm with a splash of water on the stovetop.
Makers Notes
Thank you all for sharing and tagging your mouthwatering pictures and tips on Instagram and in the comments below! I love seeing and hearing your results! Here are a few of your notes:
- Nancy commented: “…cubed the eggplant before roasting to shorten the bake time. I also added more raw veggies for texture.”
- Carolyn said “I didn’t have yogurt but sprinkled some feta cheese on top.”
- Alexandra commented: “I would only suggest that you roast the garlic when you’re roasting the eggplant and tomatoes. And the yogurt is a must!”
More Eggplant Recipes to Love
- Italian Pressed Sandwich
- Smoky Roasted Eggplant Hummus
- Thai Red Curry with Eggplant and Sweet Peppers
Mediterranean Lentils with Roasted Eggplant and Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 4 pounds (1.4 kilograms) Globe Eggplants about 4 large eggplants or 6 medium
- 1 cup (185 grams) Dry French Lentils
- 3 1/4 cups (765 grams) Water
- 20 ounces (640 grams) Cherry Tomatos about two pints
- 1 Bayleaf
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil extra virgin + more for drizzling if desired
- 2 1/2 tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice about 1/2 a lemon + more for serving
- 3 Plump Cloves of Garlic crushed and minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 3/4 – 1 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- 3 tablespoons Fresh Chopped Parsley
- 1/2 cups (155 grams) Greek Yogurt or coconut cream for serving
- Fresh Ground Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475F (248C). Arrange an oven racks to the second highest setting and another just below it. Using the tines of a fork, prick each eggplant about eight times each all around (no need to peel the eggplants). Set the eggplants on a parchment lined sheet pan and roast on the highest rack for about one hour or until the eggplants are soft and slightly chard. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile arrange the cherry tomatoes on a parchment lined sheet pan. During the last 12-13 minutes of eggplant roasting, place the tomatoes on the lower oven rack and roast until the tomatoes are burst and slightly charred. About 13 minutes.
- While the eggplants are roasting, add the lentils to a medium sauce pot. Pour in the water and add a bayleaf with a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil then turn the heat to low, simmering for about 25-30 minutes. The lentils should be tender, not mushy, and there should be a few tablespoons of liquid left (no need to drain). Remove the bayleaf, lid, remove from heat and set aside.
- Once cool enough to handle, slice the eggplants open and scrape out the flesh. Spoon the flesh and any roasting juices into the pot of lentils along with the roasted tomatoes and all their juices. To the pot of lentils and veggies add the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, oregano, pepper flakes, sea salt and parsley. Stir. Heat on low for just a few minutes to warm through. Add a few twists of fresh ground pepper. Stir and taste for salt adjustment.
- Spoon into serving bowls and share with yogurt or coconut cream, ground pepper, fresh parsley and lemon wedges on the side. Sourdough Pita, naan or crusty Sourdough Bread is especially nice for scooping.
- Store in lidded containers in the refrigerator for up to three days, or in the freezer for up to two weeks. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and gently rewarm on the stovetop.
This dish is amazing!
I used our own garden eggplant and cherry tomatoes.
Did not have yogurt at home but I did mix in Vegan Feta crumbles at the end.
Everyone loved it and had seconds. Will make it again for sure
Thank you for your recipe
Perfect timing, Sharnell! Even better with veggies from your garden. Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go!
Delicious. I could only find baby brinjals. Halved, roasted and stirred through skin on. Made it really interesting to the eye. I also added a bunch of baby spinach to the lentils. Def making it again. Soon.
Hi Esté! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go! Baby spinach sounds like a delicious addition!
I made this with previously oven semi-dried Roma and cherry tomatoes; I often have these in the freezer from the garden harvest. Same with excess aubergines, which I slice, grill, drizzle with olive oil and freeze. Ditto with pre-cooked Puy lentils. In this case I used a halved aubergine roasted with salt, pepper, olive oil and smoked picante paprika. I then cut the aubergine into chunks including some of the charred skin to up the smoky element. To the lentils and veggies, I used harissa paste in lieu of red pepper flakes, the zest from the half a lemon, along with the juice, crumbled feta cheese, pine and pistachio nuts before gently stirring in Greek yoghurt. The servings were garnished with parsley, a drizzle of good olive oil and pomegranate molasses! It was amazing. Thank you for the inspiration.
I made this tonight! It was delicious. I used cilantro instead of parsley and made a tahini sauce to go with it.
Hooray! Thank you for your note and sending a smile, Victoria! The tahini sauce sounds delicious.
Hi, This looks delicious. Can it be eaten cold?
Sounds good to me, Jess!
I made this last week and it was yummy. I love onions and I felt it needed something else so I caramelized some onions and added to the top of my bowl.
Oh my, Donna! Caramelized onions sound fabulous. Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a try!
Such a great summer->fall recipe and those Mediterranean flavors really shine through. I only had red lentils in the house so I cooked them for about 8 minutes and they tasted great though I’m sure the green ones hold their shape better with this dish. I did roast the garlic with the eggplant as someone else recommended and also added a roasted honey nut squash just because it was begging to be used. It’s definitely a recipe where countless veggies could be added depending on what you have around but the tomatoes and eggplant are key. Since I’m the only lentil lover in my family I’ll happily be eating this for lunch all week. Thanks for another winner, Traci!
Hiii Jean! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go! French Lentils do hold their shape more-so than red, but I love how you improvised here. A honey nut squash sounds so amazing! Solo leftovers are a good thing :D
this was delicious. I mixed half coconut milk and half yogurt. Was easy to make and well worth the time.
Hi Kath! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go! Half and half offers the richness and flavor of both. I love it!
Delicious! Easily adapted to your taste and what you have in hand. I cubed the eggplant before roasting to shorten the bake time. I also added more raw veggies for texture.
Thank you so much for coming back, leaving a note and sharing your tip, Nancy! So happy you enjoyed the lentils. Those extra raw veggies sound delightful!
I stumbled on this recipe last night while looking for something different to use up an eggplant in the fridge. It was so good! didn’t have yogurt but sprinkled some feta on top. Will definitely be making this again!
Hi Carolyn! Thank you for your note… so glad you stumbled on the recipe! The feta sounds like a lovely addition!
This is such a simple, flavorful, filling dish! I love it when minimal ingredients and effort lead to a delicious meal. I’ve made this twice, and both times it was gobbled up by my family in no time. BTW, I didn’t have any yogurt on hand the second time and it was still really tasty!
Hi Caroline…. isn’t it such a nice surprise? So happy to hear you and your family enjoyed it. It’s amazing what a little roasted veggie can do to elevate the humble lentil! Thank you for your note and giving the lentils a go!
Made this last night and it was delicious!! I would only suggest that you roast the garlic when you’re roasting the eggplant and tomatoes.
And the yogurt is a must!
Hiii Alexandrea! Thank you for your note, tip, rating and giving the recipe a go!! Yes please on on roasting the garlic ❤️ So happy to hear you enjoyed it! 🙌🏻