Overview

Ina Garten says all the flavors of a good marinara sauce are in this hearty soup.

She offers this stabilizing technique for dicing the eggplant (and other round vegetables): Cut in half lengthwise, then place each half cut side down on the cutting board.

The soup can be refrigerated for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 1 month.

Ingredients

1⁄ 2 cupplus 2 tablespoons good-quality extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1poundpurple eggplant (unpeeled), cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 4 1/2 cups)

2medium onions, chopped (2 cups)

2cupscored, chopped fennel bulb (from 1 large bulb)

6cloves garlic, minced (at least 2 tablespoons)

3cupshomemade or good-quality chicken broth

28ouncescanned crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano

2teaspoonsdried fennel seed

1 1⁄ 2 teaspoonsdried oregano

1teaspoonfresh thyme leaves

1⁄ 4 teaspooncrushed red pepper flakes

2to 3 teaspoons kosher salt, or more as needed

2teaspoonsfreshly ground black pepper, or more as needed

28ouncescanned whole peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano

Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving

Steps

Step 1

Heat 1/2 cup of the oil in a medium pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, stir in the eggplant; cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. You may need to add a little more oil if the eggplant is sticking, and/or you may need to cook the eggplant in two batches. (If you do the latter, make sure to return all of it to the pot before proceeding.)

Step 2

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, then stir in the onions and chopped fennel bulb; cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened but not browned. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant, then add broth, crushed tomatoes, fennel seed, oregano, thyme and crushed red pepper flakes, the salt (to taste) and 2 teaspoons of black pepper.

Step 3

Pour the can of whole peeled tomatoes and their juices into a food processor; pulse just until the tomatoes are coarsely chopped. Stir that blended mixture into the pot; once the liquid starts to bubble at the edges, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes (uncovered), stirring occasionally.

Step 4

Taste, and add more salt and/or pepper, as needed. Serve hot, in large bowls, sprinkled with the cheese and drizzled with a little oil.

Adapted from “Cook Like a Pro: Recipes and Tips for Home Cooks,” by Ina Garten (Clarkson Potter, 2018).

Tested by Bonnie S. Benwick; email questions to voraciously@washpost.com.

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Nutrition

Calories: 340; Total Fat: 25 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 1380 mg; Carbohydrates: 30 g; Dietary Fiber: 9 g; Sugars: 17 g; Protein: 6 g.