Lentil Soup and Fried Eggplant
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
 
Ingredients
  • **Soup Ingredients:
  • •½ cup chopped bacon
  • •1 onion, finely chopped
  • •1 large carrot, finely chopped
  • •2 celery stalks, finely chopped
  • •1 lb lentils
  • •1 cup diced tomatoes
  • •½ tsp cumin
  • •2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth
  • •2 cinnamon sticks
  • •salt and pepper to taste
  • **Eggplant Ingredients:
  • •1 eggplant, peeled and cut in long slices
  • •3 eggs, beaten
  • •1 cup flour
  • •vegetable oil
Instructions
  1. **Soup Preparation:
  2. In a large pot, fry bacon until crisp.
  3. Add onion, carrot and celery and sauté in bacon fat until the onion turns translucent.
  4. Add lentils, tomatoes, cumin, chicken broth and cinnamon sticks and stir.
  5. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil.
  6. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until lentils are tender.
  7. Adjust seasoning.
  8. Using a blender or a stick blender puree to the desire consistency.
  9. Serve with fried eggplant, sour cream and chopped parsley.
  10. **Eggplant Preparation:
  11. Heat oil in a large skillet.
  12. Beat eggs in a large bowl.
  13. Place flour in a large, flat dish.
  14. Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in the flour and place them in hot oil.
  15. Fry for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown, each side.
  16. Drain on paper towels.
Recipe by What's Cooking Mexico at http://whatscookingmexico.com/2008/01/31/lentil-soup-and-fried-eggplant/