Miso Lentils with Smoked Aubergine
Clock Image
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 15-20 mins
We're off to Japan now (without leaving the kitchen, mind) for salty miso. It's made from soybeans and used to season soups, noodles and fish. We're adding it to our smoky aubergine lentils to give your supper some delicious depth.
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340 kcal
(per portion)
Ingredients you'll need
Recipe Ingredients Image
  • 1 aubergine
  • 1 spring onion
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 1 garlic clove
  • A handful of chervil, leaves only
  • A tin of green lentils
  • A sachet of brown rice miso
From your kitchen
  • 4 tsp olive oil
  • 300ml boiling water
  • Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
You'll need
  • Bowl
  • Small heavy-bottomed pan
  • Sieve
  • Measuring jug
Step by step this way
  • 1.

    Turn your hob to a low-medium gas flame (no hob? Skip to our tip). Slice a couple of 1 cm thick slices from the bottom of the aubergine. Set them aside. Stick the rest of the aubergine right on top of the flame. Every 20 secs or so, give it a turn using a pair of metal tongs.

  • 2.

    Cook the aubergine for about 5 mins till the skin starts to blister and the flesh starts to sizzle. Pop on a plate. Leave to cool, then peel the charred skin off the aubergine. Put the flesh into a bowl. Roughly mash the flesh with a fork.

  • 3.

    Trim and slice the spring onion. Dice the tomatoes, discarding the white cores. Peel and crush the garlic. Roughly chop the chervil leaves.

  • 4.

    Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add the spring onion. Sweat for 2 mins till soft. Drain and rinse the lentils. Add to the onion with 300 ml boiling water. Cover. Simmer for 5 mins till heated through.

  • 5.

    Brush the slices of aubergine you saved in step 1 with 2 tsp olive oil. Heat your grill to high. Grill the aubergine slices for 5 mins, turning once, till golden on both sides.

  • 6.

    Stir the crushed aubergine, diced tomato, garlic and miso into the lentils and simmer for 1 min. Season to taste.

  • 7.

    Ladle the lentils into warm bowls. Nestle the grilled aubergine slices on top of them. Garnish with the chervil and serve.

  • Tip

    Fill your grills
    If you don’t have a gas hob, halve the aubergine and cook skin side up under a very hot grill till the skin is blackened and the flesh is soft.

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