Lentil And Roasted Eggplant Soup

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 4 large eggplants
• 25 ml olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice
• 3 roma tomatoes, cut into large dices
• 1/4 bunch fresh basil, picked (remove leaves from the stems)
• 1/4 bunch fresh coriander, picked and washed
• 500 g lentils, washed and rinsed
• 1 large potato, peeled and cut into small dices
• 1 lemon
• 1 1/2 liters water
• pepper, to taste
• 1 cardamom pod
• 1 clove
• 1 star anise
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander seed
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seed

Recipe

• 1 prick the skin of the eggplants, and roast in an oven at 180°c until soft.
• 2 remove the flesh from the eggplants and roughly chop.
• 3 in a heavy based pan, sweat (cook gently) the onions and garlic in olive oil.
• 4 add the spice mix, tomato, eggplant, and half of the coriander and basil.
• 5 sweat for a few minutes to release the flavours.
• 6 add the lentils and potatoes cover with water.
• 7 bring to a simmer, and remove any scum, which rises to the surface.
• 8 simmer until lentils and potatoes are tender (approx 20 – 30 minutes).
• 9 finish by seasoning, and stirring through the lemon juice, and remaining herbs.
• 10 to serve, garnish with some fresh coriander and lemon juice.
• 11 spice mix:
• 12 lightly toast spices in a hot dry frypan until they crackle and become fragrant. (be careful not to burn them).
• 13 grind mixture in a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder.