Chicken Soup With Spinach, Eggplant & Tomato - cooking recipe

Ingredients

6 cups chicken broth (preferably homemade)
2 cups boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 medium onion, diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 small Japanese eggplants, peeled and cubed
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1 (16 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt & pepper

Preparation

Place eggplant in a large colander and sprinkle lightly with salt. Let stand for 30 minutes (sweating the eggplant). Rinse thoroughly to remove salt and drain well.
In a large non-stick pot, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil and garlic over medium heat, being careful not to burn the garlic (approx. 2 minutes).
Add eggplant to pot and saute for 12 minutes.
Add onion; saute until translucent.
Add diced tomatoes (including liquid), dried thyme, and salt & pepper. Bring to boil. Then, simmer for 30 minutes stirring often and gently to break up tomatoes.
Meanwhile, place thawed spinach into colander and use your hands to squeeze out any excess water; set aside.
Add chicken broth, chicken, and spinach. Simmer 30 minutes.
Serve with crusty French bread.
NOTES: Eggplant is a thirsty vegetable and will soak up olive oil when sauteing. Do not be afraid to add extra oil as needed. If using store-bought chicken broth, then reduce to 4 cups and add 2 cups water.