Tomato Sausage and Eggplant (Aubergine) Soup

Submitted by abloom69

"Thick and Hearty. A meal in itself, add crusty bread and salad."

 

• Ready In: 40mins
• Ingredients: 16
• Yields: 3 quarts
• Serves: 4-6

ingredients

• 1⁄3 cup olive oil, plus
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 1⁄2 cups eggplants, unpeeled 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1⁄2 cups onions, chopped
• 1⁄2 cup fennel or 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds, ground
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 1⁄4 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 lb sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
• 1 1⁄2 cups chicken stock
• 1 (29 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (28 ounce) can whole canned tomatoes, chopped

directions

1. Heat the 1/3 cup of olive oil in a 4-5 quart saucepan.
2. Add the eggplant and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.
3. Sautee over medium high heat, stirring freqently 5 minutes or until tender. Transfer eggplant to a bowl.
4. In the same pan, heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add onions, celery or fennel, garlic, fennel seed, pepper, bay leaves, remaining salt, basil and thyme. Cook over medium high heat for 5 minutes.
5. Add sausage and sautee 5-6 minutes breaking meat up into small pieces while cooking.
6. Add chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, chopped tomatoes with juice, and the eggplant.
7. Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes, if soup seems too thick add more stock. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Reviews

[renee46218]

Loved this recipe!!! I like the other person I didn't have fennel seeds and added oregano and my other favorite seasonings. De-dog-on-licious!!! GREAT!!!!! Thanks for sharing!!!! I put it over rice.

 

[Vlada]

It is just what it said - thick and hearty. I had to omit celery/fennel, as I did not have any, and substituted basil for oregano, for the same reason. I added a bit of cumin in the end, and some sugar to neutralise the tomatoes. The result was a beautiful, heavy, "full-bodied" soup that was indeed a meal in itself. Thank you for posting.