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Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat.
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Add onion, celery, garlic, and bay leaf.
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Cook until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes.
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Add lentils and stir constantly to toast, about 2 minutes.
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Add tomatoes, stock and wine, if using.
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Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender.
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Meanwhile, turn on broiler (low setting, if applicable) and line a sheet pan or a 9x13 inch pan with foil.
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Coat clean, dry eggplants with olive oil (1 tablespoon total) using your hands and put them on the baking pan.
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Put pan into the oven, 6 inches from heat, and broil for about 25 minutes, turning eggplants onto a new side every 5 minutes.
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Remove from oven and set aside to cool when heavy and blackened.
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Cut tops off eggplant and peel off the skin.
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Pull eggplant into strips, removing conspicuous chunks of seeds, if desired, and place in a colander set over a bowl or the sink for 5 to 10 minutes.
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Pulse eggplant in food processor until the long fibers are broken up and the mixture has just turned creamy and spreadable.
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Uncover stew and reduce heat to low.
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Stir in eggplant puree and the harissa, plus salt and pepper to taste (start with the listed amounts and go from there).
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Once well mixed and warm throughout, serve in bowls with extra condiments and bread, if desired.
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Notes: 1.
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The stew alone is vegan.
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Depending on your choice of condiments, its likely gluten-free and vegetarian after adding sauces.
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Pesto will be the most likely culprit in spoiling either of these classifications, so be sure to check your ingredients in the case of allergies or strict adherence.
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2.
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If you dont have harissa, Id recommend adding chili powder (even better: ancho chili powder), ground cumin, ground coriander, ground caraway seeds, and a bit of cayenne pepper to the onions when theyre almost softened.
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Stir for a couple minutes, until the spices are aromatic.
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You may also wish to add smaller quantities raw at the end, to finish the soup.
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In lieu of all that, Sriracha will provide some heat and flavor, although it wont match the complexity of harissa.
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3.
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The lentils make this stew insanely filling, especially when served with bread.
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The recipe will likely feed 12 or morejust dont use giant soup bowls, or you may end up throwing a lot out.
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The recipe halves fairly well (you can still add the full can of tomatoes) and freezes great.
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4.
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Feel free to make a day or two aheadthe flavors noticeably deepen after just 12 hours in the refrigerator.
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5.
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Recipe adapted from Food and Wine magazine, December 2014 print issue.
