Grilled Eggplant Lentil Soup

Grilled Eggplant Lentil Soup

This delicious recipe is easy to make. The ingredients and steps are as follows:

Ingredients:

- 1 16oz (1lb) Bag of Lentils
- 1 Yellow onion Chopped
- 1 8oz (1/2Ib) Carrots Chopped
- 1/2 Bunch Celery Chopped
- 5 Roma Tomatoes Chopped
- 3 Tbls. Minced Garlic
- 10 cups of Chicken or Vegetable Broth
- 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp. Onion Powder
- 1/2 tsp. Cumin
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1 Medium Eggplant
- Bell Peppers and Cilantro to Garnish

Directions:
     Soak Lentil beans over-night in water. Drain and rinse, Place in a stockpot and pour broth over. Heat to a simmer. In another non-stick skillet, lightly coat with olive oil and caramelize the Celery, Carrots, and Onion till Al-Dente. Add to Lentils. Add Chopped Roma Tomatoes to Lentils. Add Minced Garlic, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Cumin, Salt, and Pepper.
     While this simmers remove stem of Eggplant and slice into 1/2in slices lengthwise. Grill or pan sear until grill marks/browned lightly. Cut Eggplant into small cubes and add to Lentils. Simmer for 1/2 hour or until Lentils are tender. Mash the soup with a potato masher until a semi-smooth consistency. Garnish with Bell Peppers and Cilantro if desired.