Dinner Week 10 - Eggplant and Chickpea Stew

What You'll Need:
1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
3 cups hot water
2 large eggplants
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 large onions, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 small cinnamon stick
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh pepper
1 bay leaf
1 cup dried chickpeas, rinsed and soaked overnight and drained
1 can tomatoes drained and coarsely chopped (28 oz.)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

What You'll Need to Do:
Preheat oven to 400 F.

Combine dried mushrooms and hot water in a bowl. Stir well and let stand for 30 minutes. Strain through a sieve lined with paper towel and set the liquid aside. Finely chop the mushrooms.

Peel eggplants and cut in half lengthwise. Brush the cut sides liberally with 2 tbsp. oil. Place on a rimmed baking sheet, cut-side down, and roast until tender, about 25 minutes. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Cut into 1-inch cubes and transfer to a 4-quart slow cooker.

Heat the remaining 1 tbsp. of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, and cook, stirring frequently, until softened. Add garlic, oregano, cinnamon stick, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and the chopped mushrooms; cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add the reserved mushroom-soaking liquid and chickpeas. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker and stir to combine with the eggplant.

Cover and cook until the chickpeas are very tender, about 4 hours on high or 7 to 8 hours on low. Remove cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Stir in tomatoes and parsley.

Enjoy!