Roasted Eggplant and Pears over Green Lentils
 
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These Roasted Eggplant and Pears over Green Lentils are a distinctive option for your Valentine’s date night meal. This recipe combines the aphrodisiac powers of eggplant, green lentils, and pears. Eggplant, rich in antioxidants and traditionally linked to passion, pairs with protein-packed green lentils and pears that symbolize fertility and indulgence, creating a meal designed to ignite connection and pleasure. A bright, nutty sauce made from walnuts, lemon, red wine vinegar, and fresh parsley ties everything together, adding a punch of acidity and richness that lifts each component. Cut a few eggplant rounds into hearts to add the perfect romantic detail to the meal! Bonus Alert: This aphrodisiac meal is not only rich with love, each serving provides: *8 grams of Plant-Based Protein *11 grams of Fiber *20% of your daily Vitamin C *14% of your daily Iron *12% of your daily Potassium *10% of your daily Calcium I love using my Vitamix Blender to quickly make a dressing. I don’t chop anything up. I just throw it in the blender and it purees everything spectacularly so I quickly have a smooth dressing. Easy to clean, too.
Author:
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 cup green lentils, rinsed
  • 3 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2 sprig fresh thyme (or ½ tsp dried thyme)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 eggplant
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil (divided)
  • 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • ¼ cup packed Italian parsley
  • ¼ cup walnuts
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 pears (Anjou, Bartlett, Asian pear)
  • 4 oz feta
  • Pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Put lentils in a saucepan with broth, thyme, and bay leaves. Optionally, add a few sprigs of fresh thyme. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and cover. Cook for 30 minutes or until all liquid has absorbed.
  3. Slice eggplant into ½” rounds. For an aesthetic detail, cut 4 of the rounds into a heart shape. Coat the eggplant rounds with salt. Let it sit for 30-45 minutes, then rinse thoroughly under cold water and pat dry. Next, coat the eggplant rounds with 1 Tbsp olive oil and lay them out on a baking tray. Roast for 30 minutes at 400°F, turning them over halfway through. Remove from the oven.
  4. Combine red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Italian parsley, 1 Tbsp olive oil, walnuts, and Dijon mustard in a blender or food processor. Pulse until smooth.
  5. Once lentils are finished cooking, remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Serve by plating a bed of lentils, adding eggplant rounds alternated with pear slices, and crumble feta on top. Drizzle with walnut herb dressing. Add pepper to taste.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: ½ cup lentils, 4 eggplant rounds, 3 Tbsp sauce, 1 oz feta Calories: 281 Fat: 15 Saturated fat: 3 Carbohydrates: 33 Sugar: 15 Fiber: 11 Protein: 8 Cholesterol: 11
Recipe by Sarah Koszyk at https://sarahkoszyk.com/roasted-eggplant-and-pears-over-green-lentils/