Eggplant Supper Soup
Submitted
by: Jane Mahan, Elm Springs, AR
I collect recipe books - and, of course, recipes.
I've got the following simmering on the stove, ready for me to fix a skillet of cornbread.
For those who do NOT like eggplant, have no fear - you would never know
it was part of the soup unless the cook confesses. I successfully served it to my husband, Jim,
several times & he loved it - then one day, he saw me peeling the eggplant and I had to confess my treachery.
EGGPLANT SUPPER SOUP -Sunset Cooking for Two
Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 40 minutes, approx.
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon olive oil or salad oil
1 Tablespoon butter or margarine
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 lb lean ground beef
1 small eggplant, about 1 lb, diced
1 small clove of garlic, minced or pressed
1 small carrot, shredded
1 can -14 oz- tomatoes
1 can -about 14 oz - regular-strength beef broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
(Jane's note, the nutmeg is an essential ingredient)
2 Tablespoons salad macaroni
** (see Jane's note on macaroni amount at bottom of page)
2 Tablespoons minced parsley
Directions:
Heat oil and butter in a 3-qt. heavy pan over medium heat. Add onion and
cook, stirring until limp. Crumble meat into pan and stir over
medium-high heat until it loses its pinkness. Skim off and discard any fat.
Add eggplant, garlic, carrot, tomatoes-breaking them up with a spoon-
and their liquid, beef broth, salt, sugar, black pepper, and nutmeg.
Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Add macaroni, (elbow, shell, or bow-tie), and parsley.
Simmer for 10-15 minutes more or until macaroni is tender to bite.
Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over the servings.
I like to serve this with cornbread, but have also served it with
Fritos & it is a wonderful change. It's as good on day two - if there is any left - as it is initially.
Enjoy!, Jane
** Macaroni Note
When I saw 2
tablespoons, I thought "This has to be an error!" But as a recipe book
collector who occasionally even cooks the recipes, I have a standing rule:
Always follow the recipe EXACTLY first time, even to named brands if I can find
them. Then I know what the recipe is supposed to taste like. After that, I often
adjust or add, delete, or tweak the recipes to my liking.
So, I made the Eggplant Supper Soup with 2 tablespoons of elbow macaroni. It was
perfect. After that, I would occasionally substitute 2 Tablespoons (not level ;-)
) of bow tie or shell, being careful not to get too many over the
approximate 2 Tablespoons measurement.
The macaroni contributes "grace notes" for the eggplant & other
main ingredients. More will affect the mix of flavors, but more importantly, I
think it would mess with the "soupiness".
Jane