Fire-roasted tomato stew with eggplant and farro
- FARRO:
- 1 cup water;
- ½ cup faro;
- Pinch of salt.
- STEW:
- 1 eggplant (about 1 pound);
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil;
- 1 medium-size red onion, cut into ¼-inch dice (about 1½ cups);
- 1 clove garlic, lightly crushed;
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt;
- ½ pound parsnips or carrots, halved or quartered lengthwise depending on size, and sliced ½ inch thick (about 2 cups);
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon;
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste;
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole fire-roasted tomatoes, crushed;
- 2½ cups low-sodium beef broth;
- ½ cup dark raisins;
- ¼ cup drained, chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes;
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
- TO FINISH:
- 1 teaspoon sugar;
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil;
- ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley;
- Plain whole-milk yogurt, for serving.
Instructions:
To prepare the farro, bring the water, farro, and salt to a boil in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook until the grain is tender but still slightly chewy, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain any remaining liquid.
- Meanwhile, prepare the eggplant for the stew. Cut the eggplant lengthwise into eight pieces (cut into quarters, then each quarter in half again), and then cut each piece into ¼-inch slices. You will have about 6 cups of eggplant. Place half on a large microwave-safe plate and drizzle with 1 tablespoon water. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, or until the pieces start to soften. Transfer the slices to a medium bowl, and repeat with the remaining eggplant.
- To make the stew, heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is light golden with a few brown edges, about 8 minutes. Stir in the parsnips, eggplant, and cinnamon and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the canned tomatoes with their juices, scraping the bottom of the saucepan to release any browned bits. Add the broth, raisins, sun-dried tomatoes, pepper, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook until the eggplant is soft and the parsnips are tender, 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once or twice.
- To finish, stir in the farro and season with the sugar. Add a bit more water to thin, if you like. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper. Remove from the heat, drizzle with the olive oil, and let sit for 3 minutes. Garnish with the parsley and serve in deep plates, spooning some yogurt on top or on the side.
- TO GET A HEAD START: Make the farro, as in step 1, ahead. The stew can be prepared up to 3 days ahead. Chill, covered.
- TO VARY IT: Add 1½ cups cooked bulgur or wheat berries instead of farro (for cooking instructions). Or, for a speedy, light dish, omit the farro and serve with a baguette or sourdough bread. In addition, you can stir in 1½ cups cooked chickpeas (one 15-ounce can) in step 4 together with the tomatoes, and thin with a bit more water if needed.
- TO MAKE IT VEGETARIAN: Just use vegetable broth instead of beef broth.