serves 8 to 10 * total time: about 45 minutes * active time: 20 minutes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt, plus a pinch
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
8 cups vegetable broth
1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
½ cup green lentils
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed (optional)
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 24-ounce can crushed tomatoes (fire-roasted are delicious)
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
4 ounces vermicelli pasta, broken into 1-inch pieces
Preheat a 4-quart soup pot over medium-high heat and add the oil. Sauté the onion in the oil with a pinch of salt until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes and sauté for 1 more minute.
Deglaze the pot with a splash of broth. Add the eggplant, celery, lentils, paprika, cinnamon, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and saffron threads (if desired), along with about 4 cups of the broth. If you add all of the broth it will take longer time to come to a boil and break down the lentils and eggplant, which is why we’re not adding it all at once.
Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Keep it at a low boil. Leave the lid slightly ajar so that steam can escape, and boil for about 20 minutes, checking and stirring occasionally. The eggplant should be mostly disintegrated and the lentils should be soft.
Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, cilantro, and parsely and at least 2 more cups of vegetable broth, and more if needed to make it soup-like and not too thick. Bring to a boil, then break the pasta into thirds and add to the pot, gently coaxing with a spatula to submerge and separate the strands. Cook until the pasta is soft, then thin out the soup with the remaining broth, if needed. Serve in big bowls, with extra herbs for garnish.
@ChristinaGalioto @Vegan.Gypsy