Tomato & Eggplant Soup

Heat ½ cup olive oil in a medium (10 to 11-inch) pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, over medium heat. Add the eggplant and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Add a little more olive oil if the eggplant is sticking.
Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pot, add the onions and fennel, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for one minute, stirring often. Add the chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, fennel seeds, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon salt, and 2 teaspoons black pepper. Pour the can of whole tomatoes, including the liquid, into a food processor and pulse until the tomatoes are coarsely chopped. Add the tomatoes and the liquid to the pot. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasonings. Serve hot in large bowls sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.
Try this soup out in a new bowl from Gregg Perez & Debi Bailey of Quiet Heron Studio who will be set up at FOUND for our SOUPer Bowl Saturday on February 8, from 10 AM to 5 PM.
Dexter-based artists Gregg Perez and Debi Bailey are fueled by a shared love of nature and their passion for creativity. Their wheel-thrown pottery brings the Outdoors inside with speckled clay, earth tones, and images of local flora and fauna. In Spring and Summer, they can be found selling their wares at the Ann Arbor Artisans’ market, and at area art shows.
Michael's favorite soup recipe comes straight out of Ina Garten's 2018 book Cook Like a Pro. Not only does it make an excellent soup, the leftovers make an amazing pasta sauce!