Roasted Eggplant & Black Lentil Salad with Olives, Dates & Herb Sauce

Serves 4

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the Roasted Vegetables:

• 1 large eggplant
• 1 Tablespoon table salt (for sweating the eggplant before roasting – you’ll rinse the salt off before roasting and eating it)
• 2 teaspoons light or classic olive oil
• 2 teaspoons coarse flakey sea salt
• 2 teaspoons sumac
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme (or 2 Tablespoons fresh thyme)
• 5-6 small carrots, halved
• 1 head of garlic, top cut off and drizzled with 1/4 teaspoon light/classic olive oil for roasting. You’ll use half for the lentils and half for the herb sauce.

For the Lentils:

• 1 cup (210 grams) dry black, or french lentils
• 4 cups (880 grams) water
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 head of roasted garlic

For the Herb Sauce:

• 1 handful fresh mint (around 15-20 grams, measured when de-stemmed), chopped to moderately sized pieces
• 1 handful fresh basil (around 15-20 grams, measured when de-stemmed), chopped to moderately sized pieces
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 head roasted garlic

For the Salad:

• 1 bunch of kale
• 1 teaspoon classic olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon honey (can substitute maple syrup)
• 35 grams (about 13) kalamata olives, torn into thirds
• 35 grams (about 5) dates, torn into fourths (If your dates are dry, soak them for 10-20 minutes in warm water and they will be soft by the time you add them to the salad.)
• 10 (90 grams) cherry tomatoes, halved
• 15 (120 grams) red seedless grapes, halved
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Preparation

1. Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Then start prepping the vegetables to be roasted.
   
2. Wash and dice the eggplant. Place the chunks into a colander and toss with 1 Tablespoon salt. Set eggplant aside for 30 minutes.
   
3. Wash and half the carrots. Toss with 1 teaspoon oil and place them along the edge of a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
   
4. Cut the top off of a head of garlic. Drizzle the tops of the garlic cloves with 1/4 teaspoon olive oil. Wrap the head in a piece of aluminum foil and add it to the baking tray. Set the tray aside.
   
5. Now cook the lentils. Add 4 cups water, 1 teaspoon table salt, and a cup of lentils to a medium saucepan and bring everything to a boil over high heat. Then, cover the pot and reduce to a simmer. Continue to cook the lentils for 20-30 minutes or until they are soft but not mushy. Strain (but don’t rinse) them immediately when they are done cooking.
   
6. While the lentils cook, make the herb sauce. Chop the fresh basil and mint and add them to a small bowl. Add 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, the juice of 1/2 a lemon, and 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt. Set the sauce aside.
   
7. After 30 minutes of salting, the eggplant should be “sweating” heavily. Rinse to remove as much salt as possible and dab dry with a clean towel. Toss with 2 teaspoons classic olive oil, coarse sea salt, thyme, and sumac, and add the eggplant to the baking sheet. Roast for 25-45 minutes or until they are lightly browned and very tender.
   
8. Now prep the salad. Rinse, de-stem, and shred the kale into bite-sized pieces. Pre-heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add just enough classic olive oil to coat the pan. Add the greens to the hot skillet and toss them to sear the leaves. Drizzle 2 teaspoons honey over the greens and toss to coat them. Turn off the heat.
   
9. Halve the grapes and cherry tomatoes. Tear the olives and dates into thirds. Add these to the kale along with sesame seeds, another 1/2 teaspoon of coarse sea salt, drained lentils, roasted aubergine, and half the roasted garlic. Toss everything together. Taste the salad and adjust to taste–adding a drizzle of honey or olive oil or a sprinkle of salt as desired.
   
10. Add the other half of the roasted garlic head to the fresh herb sauce you set aside earlier. Mix.
    
11. Serve the salad topped with the roasted carrots, herb sauce, and a scoop of hummus.