Roasted Eggplant & Smoky Harissa
Harissa Roasted Eggplant with Olives, Chickpeas and Dates
No emoji here: just beautifully roasted eggplant with a silky harissa delivering that umami we all crave. Briny olives, sweet as candy dates and chickpeas help elevate this dish from week night to date night.
Recipe first, b.s. story about why eggplant is special to me later.
Roasted Eggplant:
2 medium eggplants, halved lengthwise
2–3 tbsp harissa paste (store-bought or homemade)
2 tbsp olive oil
Kosher Salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
Score the flesh in a crosshatch pattern, then brush with olive oil and harissa.
Season lightly with salt.
Roast cut side up on a parchment-lined sheet until deeply browned and tender (35–40 minutes).
Harissa:
2 dried ancho chilies
2 dried guajillo or pasilla chilies
1–2 chipotles in adobo
1 heaping tbsp tomato paste
2–3 garlic cloves, smashed
1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp ground caraway
1 tbsp lemon juice
¼–½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
Soak dried chilies in hot water for 20 minutes, then remove stems/seeds.
Toast cumin and caraway until fragrant.
Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender, adding olive oil gradually until smooth and spoonable.
Date-Olive-Chickpea Mix:
4 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
⅓ cup Castelvetrano or green olives, halved or smashed
⅔ cup canned or cooked chickpeas, drained
1 tsp olive oil
Pinch of chili flake (optional)
Instructions:
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium.
Add chopped dates and chickpeas, sauté 2–3 minutes.
Add olives and chili flake (if using), cook another 2 minutes until warmed and slightly caramelized.
Deglaze with a splash of water or stock if things get too sticky.
Eggplant is one of those vegetables that if you don’t cook it properly, you will have a terrible experience. Sometimes you have a little extra leeway with certain vegetables, such as potatoes or cabbage. The eggplant requires a tiny bit of TLC to make sure it goes from fibrous and crunchy to melt in your mouth delicious.
Often times eggplant is associated with Italian food, however, I decided to take a left turn and head to West Africa for some inspiration. The smoky harissa sauce really elevates this dish and it’s one of my all-time favorite sauces to make. It doubles both a marinade and a finishing sauce.
And, my favorite after dinner mint is none other than a medjool date. Adding these to the garnish along with the eggplant helps balance out smoky, salty and sweet. And it also gives us over 40 people, a much needed energy boost.
If you want more recipes like this, it’s as easy as grabbing my free better energy kit here. It has a 22 page pantry guide that includes tons of recipes, a seven day reflection journal to check in where you’re at and a sample day of eating with breakfast lunch dinner, and snack recipes.
And if you’re still reading this, that probably means you’d like to read, so you should sign up for Resonate, my twice monthly newsletter, focused on longevity eating here. Insights, recipes and suggestions straight to your inbox. Cheers.
Justin
