Don’t run away! This soup is great! I admit I was a bit leery because it comes from a 1987 vegetarian cookbook from Sunset. Those vegetarian recipes “of old” weren’t exactly the tastiest. The advantage this one has is that it’s vegetarian recipes from around the world, from people who have done a better job figuring out how to make tasty food without meat.

One change I made is that I seasoned the diced eggplant with olive oil, salt, and garlic, before browning (really, charring) on the stove. I did that because Greg isn’t a big eggplant person, but I’ve gotten him to eat it by introducing him to the way I learned to cook it- slicing, seasoning, and charring on the grill. The flavor is great in this stew so be sure you save some for the second day. I went a bit freewheeling in the basil because the garden is full of it right now.

1 large onion diced

olive oil

garlic powder

2 large stalks celery chopped

2 carrots sliced

1/2 cup chopped parsley

fresh basil (or dried- about a tablespoon)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

12 ounces lentils

2 plus cups water

2 cups of chicken or vegetable stock (note: I used two cups of water and added two bouillon cubes to the water/soup) as I didn’t have any stock on hand)

1 eggplant cubed

salt

1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pepper

shredded cheese of your choice (I used fresh mozzerella)

Heat olive oil in dutch oven and cook onion until it starts to brown. Stir in garlic powder (as desired), celery, carrot, parsley, basil, oregano, lentils, 2 cups water, and 2 cups of stock. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for one hour.

Meanwhile, heat more olive oil in separate nonstick frying pan. Season the eggplant cubes with oil, garlic, and salt and brown until cooked through (10 to 15 minutes). Set aside.

After the lentil mixture has simmered for an hour, stir in the eggplant, tomato paste, vinegar, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Continue simmering, covered, until vegetables are tender (about another hour). Add more water as needed. Also, add salt as desired.

Serve topped with cheese.