Ingredients
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1/3 cup olive oil, plus
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2 tablespoons olive oil
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1 1/2 teaspoons salt
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1/2 cup fennel or 1/2 cup celery, chopped
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2 tablespoons garlic, minced
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1/2 teaspoon pepper
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4 bay leaves
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1 teaspoon dried basil
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1 1/4 teaspoons dried thyme
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1 lb sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
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1 1/2 cups chicken stock
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1 (29 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
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1 (28 ounce) can whole canned tomatoes, chopped
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1 1/2 cups onions, chopped
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4 1/2 cups eggplants, unpeeled 1/2-inch cubes
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2 teaspoons fennel seeds, ground
Instructions
- Heat the 1/3 cup of olive oil in a 4-5 quart saucepan.
- Add the eggplant and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.
- Sautee over medium high heat, stirring freqently 5 minutes or until tender. Transfer eggplant to a bowl.
- 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.
- Add sausage and sautee 5-6 minutes breaking meat up into small pieces while cooking.
- Add chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, chopped tomatoes with juice, and the eggplant.
- Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes, if soup seems too thick add more stock. Remove bay leaves before serving.