Recipe - Eggplant Parmesan Soup

3 tablespoon Olive oil
1 md Onion; chopped
1 md Red bell pepper; seeded and
chopped
1 md Eggplant; peeled and, cut in
1/2" dice
3 Cloves garlic; minced
2 teaspoon Dried oregano
One half teaspoon Dried red chili flakes
3 cup Canned crushed tomatoes in
puree
4 cup Water
One half cup Grated Parmesan cheese
10 Fresh basil leaves; chopped
One fourth cup Balsamic vinegar
3 cup French or Italian bread
cubes; toasted or stale

Heat olive oil in a large nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. Add the
onions, bell peppers and eggplant; saute 2 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano
and chili flakes and continue to saute until all is softened. Add the
tomatoes and water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and
simmer 35 to 40 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add the Parmesan
cheese, chopped basil, vinegar and bread cubes. Allow the bread cubes to
soak into the soup and thicken the mixture before serving, about 10
minutes.

NOTES : Normally, eggplant should be cut or sliced up , salted and allowed to stand
for about 20 minutes before being rinsed and used so that it tastes less
bitter. You may follow this procedure, but I don't think it's necessary for
this soup.

Recipe by: The Sacramento Bee 7/23/97

Posted to recipeludigest Volume 01 Number 527 by Crane Walden
cranew@foothill.net on Jan 14, 1998