This week Good Friends Good Food is cooking with tomatoes. I have to let you know I don’t like raw tomatoes but I love them cooked – roasted, boiled, stewed, in stew, in green beans etc etc. But raw – no thanks.
When I ran across this soup from The Frog Commissary it just started calling out to me. After looking at the ingredients it looked delicious. And since it has/had turned cool when I found it I knew it would make a nice warm comforting meal.
I had plenty of canned tomatoes from this summer’s garden and an Eggplant from my Misfit Market.
Tomato, Sausage, and Eggplant Soup
1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 1/2 cups cubed unpeeled eggplant (1/2″ cubes)
A splash or two of water
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped fennel (or celery if you can’t find)
2 Tbsp. minced garlic (I use less)
2 tsp. ground or crushed fennel seed
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper (I use more)
4 bay leaves
1 tsp. dried basil
1 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1 lb. sweet (or hot if you like) Italian sausage with casing removed
1 1/2 cups chicken stock1 28-oz. can tomato puree (I use crushed tomatoes in puree usually)
1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped (save juice!)
Heat the 1/3 cup olive oil in a 4-5 qt. saucepan. Add the eggplant, a splash or two of water to help get it softening, and 1/2 tsp. of the salt. Saute over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for 4-5 minutes or until just tender. Transfer the eggplant to a bowl. In the same pan, heat the remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Add the onions, fennel, garlic, fennel seed, pepper, bay leaves, the remaining 1 tsp. salt, basil and thyme. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for 5-6 minutes.
Add the sausage and saute 5-6 minutes, breaking up the meat into small pieces with a spoon. Add the chicken stock, tomato puree, chopped tomatoes with their juice, and the eggplant. Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes.
If the soup seems too thick, add more chicken stock (Which I did. It was very thick). Remove the bay leaves and serve.
And did I mention it is KETO friendly?
(Taken from The Frog Commissary Cookbook) You can also find the recipe HERE.
What else can you do with tomatoes? Check out posts from
October 9, 2020 at 6:32 AM
Tomatoes and eggplants are always a great combination. Yes its getting cold outside and time for a warm and comforting soup
October 12, 2020 at 3:37 PM
It seems, Ulrike, we thought alike this week. Just different forms.
October 9, 2020 at 6:57 AM
I look forward to soups in the fall! This looks delicious. Interesting that you do not like fresh tomatoes. I prefer them raw to cooked!
October 12, 2020 at 3:38 PM
I have tried and tried to like raw tomatoes but I just cannot get past the texture.
October 9, 2020 at 7:30 AM
[…] enjoyed it. Be excited for the dishes from Donna, Kayte, Margaret, Nancy and […]
October 9, 2020 at 10:45 AM
Oh, okay…another recipe from the Frog…Frog Soup! Just kidding around…this sounds very good, I love all those ingredients and it is definitely getting to be soup weather. I will try this soon as I love soup and can make any size I like if someone isn’t thrilled, let’s say, with eggplant in soup (he shall remain nameless to protect his self esteem). Thanks for the recipe. I don’t think we are ever going to get you to like fresh tomatoes raw…but you never know, we converted Gaye from a non-soup eater to a devoted soup eater…so strange things have happened!
October 12, 2020 at 3:35 PM
HIS name will not escape my lips. Keep trying, but I doubt I will EVER like a raw tomato!!!
October 12, 2020 at 3:59 PM
Made this soup today and can’t wait to try it. Rainy day so soup for supper is a win win!
October 9, 2020 at 1:52 PM
I love all kinds of tomatoes, and soup also, especially tomato soup. The fennel and Italian sausage sound like delicious additions. I’m with Mark, though, and might have to pick out the eggplant
October 12, 2020 at 3:36 PM
Honestly, if you cut it small enough it is hard to taste it in the soup. It does add some texture.
October 10, 2020 at 9:04 AM
I love soup when the weather turns colder and this looks delicious! The fennel is a surprise ingredient, but I bet I gives the soup an original, complex flavor.
October 12, 2020 at 3:37 PM
The fennel adds to the flavor of the sausage which already had fennel in it. Glad you have joined the group.
October 12, 2020 at 5:07 PM
Me too!